PROTECTION OF MINORITIES

PROTECTION OF MINORITIES - DR.SHAROM AHMAT
 

AFTER years of suffering, persecution, exile and wars, Muslims finally began to rule the Arabian Peninsula by the year 10 (AH) – a year before the demise of the Prophet.

On the Prophet’s order, letters were written to kings and emperors in faraway lands inviting them to Islam.

Many delegations arrived in Medina. Among them was a delegation of 60 Christians from the territory of Najran, near Yemen, 720km south of Medina.

On arrival they were received in the Prophet’s mosque where they were allowed to pray facing east.

After many hours of discussion with the Prophet about the nature of God and that of Prophet Jesus, no agreement was reached, but the Najran delegation asked for a peace treaty which the Prophet offered the next day.

The signed treaty comprised the following provisions:

> Although Prophet Muhammad had authority over all the fruits, gold, silver, crops and slaves of Najran, he asked only for 2,000 hullas a year (each hulla is equivalent to four dirhams);

> The Najrans were required to provide accommodation and expenses for the Prophet’s emissaries for up to 20 days but no more than a month. They were also required to loan the emissaries 30 shields, 30 horses and 30 camels in case of any disorder or treachery in Yemen. If any of the items were lost they remained owing by the emissaries until repaid;

> The Najrans had the protection of God and the pledges of the Prophet, to protect their lives, faith, lands, properties, their clans and allies;

> The Najrans need not change anything of their past customs. No right of theirs or their religion shall be altered. No bishop, monk or church guard shall be removed from their position; and

> Whatever they had was theirs.They were not held in suspicion and they should suffer no vengeance killing.They were not required to be mobilised and no army should trespass their land.

It is clear that this treaty provided religious and administrative autonomy not only for Christians but also any non-Muslim citizens of the Islamic state.

And for centuries, all sincere Muslim rulers adhered to the founding principles of this treaty in managing the affairs of their non-Muslim subjects.

Another example of Prophet Muhammad’s concern to draw the attention of his followers and Muslim rulers that non-Islamic religious institutions must not be harmed is revealed in his letter to the religious leaders of Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai who had sought the protection of the Muslims.

“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.

“Verily I, the servant, the helpers and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by God I hold out against anything that displeases them.

“No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries,

“No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslim’s houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey his Prophet.

“Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them.

“If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are declared to be protected.

“They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.

“No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”

It is evident from this letter that all important aspects of human rights, including the protection of minorities living under Islamic rule, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judged and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service and the right to protection in war, are clearly spelt out and have to be obeyed by the Muslim rulers.

Today, we have to ask if current Muslim rulers and leaders, wherever they may be, aware of what the Prophet Muhammad had wanted them to promise and practise?

DATUK DR SHAROM AHMAT

Penang

'women caned for syariah offences'

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/232806

22 women caned for syariah offences in Johor

12:16PM Jun 13, 2013

Twenty-two women were among the 39 who received six strokes for syariah offences that included incest and intercourse among unmarried couples in Johor.

Two other women, as reported in Berita Harian, managed to get a deferment to their punishments - as one is pregnant and the other had recently delivered a baby - and are presently in confinement.

They are the first batch of syariah offenders in Johor handed down the sentence in the closed quarters of the Kluang prison.

The Johor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIJ) is weighing suggestions for sentences to be meted out in public or in mosques.

The punishments are in line with the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment implemented nationwide, but had only just been implemented in Johor over the past two months, as reported by the daily in its front page today.

The offenders were men and women aged from 20 to 50 after undergoing trial for two years.

A man and a woman were the first to be punished on April 4 for incest.

It was also noted that seven men and nine women received the sentence, for having sex when single on May 17.

Senior assistant director of enforcement of the JAJ, Mohd Zambri Kambari, said this was the first time that such a punishment was meted out in Johor, as offenders in the past had been previously fined RM5, 000, or jailed for three years.

Zambri emphasised that the strokes are to create self-realisation and awareness for the individuals concened as well as the public and not actually a form of punishment.

"That is why we are considering to have the punishment be done in the open or in mosques," he said, adding that its observations showed that the punishments had created the desired awareness among the public.

KOMEN

Selama ini, biasanya penulis tidak akan komen berita-berita seperti ini.  Berita seperti di atas ini dibaca dengan  rasa jengkel, keluh kesah sambil merungut ― dalam hati, “Kenapalah hal-hal yang menyedihkan begini terjadi kepada sebuah institusi yang menjaga agama?  Dalam senarai tugas, tanggungjawab dan peranan Jabatan Agama Islam, adakah penguatkuasaan enactment inilah yang paling tinggi urutan keutamaannya, rankingnya dan ― tanpa banyak dolak dalik lagi ― enactment mestilah dikuatkuasakan?”

(Ada sesiapa yang arif dengan Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment ini?  Ia mengikut hukum hakam Islam?  Apakah latar belakang Enactment ini?)

Nah, itu baru cerita keresahan dan kepedulian seorang individu Islam, seorang duli seperti saya ini.  Ya, baru SATU saja gerak batin sebutir debu di tapak kaki yang berdukacita kerana Islam dibawa ke dalam gelanggang, agaknya untuk membuktikan betapa besarnya kasih sayang Islam terhadap pengikutnya.

(Awas kamu, jangan main-main dengan agama dan hukum hakam agama.  Kamu yang jahil, yang tak pernah sekolah agama jangan cuba masuk campur dalam wilayah bukan milik kamu.  Sana pergi jauh-jauh, ini bidang khusus untuk orang-orang yang mengetahui, hafal dan arif dengan bidangnya.  Apakah kamu tidak tahu,  apakah kamu tidak sedar mempersenda-sendakan agama itu perbuatan yang mungkar?  Awas kamu, jangan sampai menulis yang bukan-bukan, takut-takut tersalah tulis, tersalah cakap ― murtad dan kafirlah kamu!)

Oleh itu orang-orang kebanyakan seperti penulis akan berdiam diri melihat lakonan dan persembahan acara agama seperti di atas itu dipentaskan.  Dan sekali lagi agama yang menjadi penyuluh kehidupan di dunia dan di akhirat itu,  dijadikan bahan untuk menyambung nyawa ― nafas-nafas politik.

2.0

Sebelum kita tutup tulisan ini, ada beberapa soalan yang berlegar-legar dalam benak:

i) Menurut berita di atas, sebatan ini dilakukan 2 bulan yang lalu di penjara Kluang.  Kenapakah beritanya baru dilaporkan kelmarin oleh BH?  Kenapakah berita ini tidak dilaporkan dan dicanang setiap hari, setiap saat, ke seluruh negara pada hari-hari sebelum 5 Mei 2013 yang lalu?  Pada pandangan kita, jika berita ini dicanang ke seluruh negara ia adalah langkah TERBAIK kerana ia pasti membuktikan betapa Islamnya sebuah kerajaan negeri yang sedang hebat diserang Cina DAP ketika itu?  Ya, kenapakah 2 bulan kemudian ― dan setelah pilihan raya berlalu ― baru berita ini dilaporkan?  Adakah sebab-sebab tertentu, maka masa dan ketika (timingnya) mestilah kelmarin?  Usahlah berhujah dengan “jangan politikkan isu ini kerana sekian, sekian dan sekian dan agama itu di bawah wewenang Sultan”.  Apakah lagi di negara ini yang bebas dari cengkaman politik? 

ii)  Katanya lagi mengikut staf Jabatan Agama Johor ini, ada kemungkinan sebatan pada masa depan akan dilakukan di depan khalayak.  Apakah mereka telah renungi dan telah fikir semasak-masaknya bahawa inilah yang TERBAIK untuk ummah?  Ya, pada pandangan mereka dalam menangani zina itu, inilah kaedah terbaik?  Ya, dalam senarai urutan keutamaan tugas, peranan dan tanggungjawab Jabatan Agama Johor ini, inilah yang TERBAIK untuk mereka yang didapati bersalah berzina itu ― mereka sebaik-baiknya dan seelok-eloknya ― disebat di depan khalayak?

iii) Dalam senarai urutan keutamaan tugas, peranan dan tanggungjawab Jabatan Agama Islam itu, di manakah letaknya kerja-kerja mengurus zakat yang berjuta-juta itu? Di urutan yang ke berapakah proses mengurus zakat itu berada?  Sudah mantapkah urusan mengurus zakat segala negeri?  Ya,  memang sistem pungutan dan agihan zakat negeri telahpun mantap kerana ia menggunapakai sistem kualiti sekian, sekian untuk mengurus wang zakat negeri itu?  Adakah orang-orang Islam rakyat Johor yang dahaga untuk ‘berbini dan berlaki’ itu termasuk di dalam asnaf zakat?  Ya,  mereka yang lapar ini dapat menikmati wang zakat sehingga terhindar dari berzina?  Atau inilah contoh soalan yang ‘bodoh’?

 iv) Dalam senarai urutan keutamaan tugas, peranan dan tanggungjawab Jabatan Agama Islam, sudah beres dan ‘tip-top’kah segala proses dan urusan nikah cerai semua pasangan yang bergelut untuk mendapat kehidupan yang baru?  Atau telah aus segala tumit kasut berulang alik ke mahkamah?

v)  Dalam senarai urutan keutamaan tugas, peranan dan tanggungjawab Jabatan Agama Islam, sudah beres dan ‘tip-top’kah proses dan urusan harta-harta wakaf yang ada?  Atau itu bukan urusan tugas, peranan dan tanggungjawab Jabatan Agama Islam? Atau inilah satu lagi contoh  soalan yang ‘bodoh’?

3.0

Buat sementara, ramai yang berpolemik, berdebat tentang tugas, peranan dan tanggungjawab hakiki sebuah Jabatan Agama Islam yang telahpun menyebat mereka bersalah berzina.  Namun segala rakyat TIDAK AKAN LUPA UNTUK TURUN KE PADANG MERBOK PADA 22 JUN 2013 ini.  MEREKA TIDAK LUPA DENGAN AZAM DAN CITA-CITA MENGHUMBAN SPR KERANA MENIPU.

Yes, no amount of diversion will be able to drain off that burning desire.