Lunch with Phd Student

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I had a lunch at Mamak Khaleel restaurant just near our hostel in Bukit Gambir here. I coincidentally bumped with the Chinese national Phd student at the elevator while walking down my sorry ass to the restaurant. We walked together to the restaurant because he wanted to have lunch too. He talks a lot with me and for the first time I found suitable person to talk in our level but he is a non-Muslim Han from Hebei. Again I had forgotten to ask his name which I always do to address people though name might not be important for some people.

He asked me about Sarawak state and its special rights in Malaysia. His friends actually planned to visit Sarawak for sightseeing. I am actually scared to be critical about the food at Indian Muslim restaurant to him because he might like the food-style but it seems that he also not comfortable with the food, hahahahaha. Urm, sorry lah mamak-mamak Penang, I am not going to call you people Malays. Malays are different people and our ancestors had long mingled with them. Even when some of our people calling themselves Malay in front of me, I would just frown my face to them and isolate them for lying. Allah creates them in an appearance of an Indian and why they are shy to admit that they're Indians? It is a sin to be an Indian? If these people are Malays, why do they eat curry all the time and selling Indian style food and not sambal belachan based food like Malays? Their Malays sounds Tamil in slang and they speak Tamil or Malayalam when no people around them and reading Tamil newspaper watching Tamil movies and listening to Tamil songs. Listening to Tamil Islamic lectures in radio and I know about this because I am also tuning to their radio channels though I don't understand their language. They marry South Indian Muslim ladies imported from there and some of them are still holding Indian passport as in the case in Federal Territory. These are not wrong for me and nobody will be commenting if these people don't over-reacting.  

We just discussed about Chinese community in Malaysia and I choose to speak in convenient simple English because some people might not also fluent in English and I am not talking in Chinese anymore. I don't tell him that I understand or speaking in Chinese too. It is enough with feeling down when I speak Chinese and Malays or non-Chinese around looking at me like an alien. I am also afraid I might using wrong words or perhaps using rigid Confucian style of speech with people or mixing up with Arabic terms which actually not good. His thesis is about Chinese Newspaper in Malaysia and he is curious to learn more about Chinese publishing in Malaysia which I think is quite an interesting and good topic too as compared to what I have to study. I asked him, do I look like a Chinese? I don't think I have a Chinese face. My eyes are not slant and I have double eyelids. Maybe my skin is a bit yellow but that is among the characteristic of our ethnicity. We are yellow Arabs as some Arabs are also yellow. Maybe I could pass for a Nepali or an urban Japanese but not a Chinese. Actually when Dora sister from Beijing in women studies center asked me whether I am a Chinese or not, I was like wtf??? Yea I speak Chinese also but I am not a Chinese, also not a Malay though speaking in Malay and sometimes wearing in their attire. 

He asked me further about our ethnicity and I just tell him we are more minority than Indian and Chinese immigrants. Some people might try to absorb us in the case of Malays or Indians. Last time in our state our people were quite rebellious and British master were afraid of our people. So, they might also ordering the rumah pasung (police station) suppressing our identity as to contain us. We also talked about pork, hahaha. In the beginning I was like, why do you have to apologize to me when talking about the pork??? For me as what I had been thinking, I had already being a "filthy" guy before. When I had once lose my faith to our faith, I had actually already consumed all of those things including the thing that he apologized to me when mentioning it. I hope brothers and sisters please do not judge me or anyone who encounter this kind of problem in life because I was ignorant and not patient at that time. I don't have time to feel myself as a "holy" man anymore. 

I just said to him, I am a young and progressive Arab descent guy. I am way more open than Malay guys or other pure Arabs though some of them might be playing around with girls behind their wife, groping young guy in case of homo-pedophiles, drinking, not performing daily obligatory salat or gambling and etc. I even went to temples and still is now going to Chinese or Buddhist temples but now with different intention. I do not pray there anymore. I just visit the temples and recite blessings for the inhabitants there or talking with people during temple festivals. If normal traditional Malay people looking at what I am doing now when I was alone perhaps they would fell down and stricken with epilepsy or assuming that I am from a deviant sect but I am actually now very orthodox and already changing to Salafi/Hanbali school of jurisprudence, hehehe. 

After he listened to my view only he feels comfortable to speak out, hahaha. I further said : "Just say out whatever you wanted to say to me or asking me about my view on society or politics here. About headscarves or purdah (hijab)? I already know what you are going to say. I was in your position before because last time I was not observant too although I was educated in Islamic schools and madrasah." He said in the beginning here he arrived in Penang, he said that he could not accept the scene here and the climate is extremely hot even hotter than Southern China. He said it is Chinese (Han) custom that when they have feasts, they would also serve pork. I am familiar with Chinese culture but I listen attentively to his explanation maybe I have other things missing or any difference between northern and southern Chinese culture. He said he saw sections for pork and other things in Tesco and it is very weird. He said they could actually be tolerant to Muslim but why not Muslim also be tolerant and having dinner together in the same place with them when they are having pork? It's not like they are going to thrust those pork-chop into their mouth because for him, he is aware about the 'customs' of Muslim. 

He said he does not like southern Chinese cuisine because their style of food in northern part is more of flour. They eat noodles and bread. After having their meals they usually would have hot soup and they do not drink cold drinks. I told him I am also not accustomed to rice. We are poor people in urban area. We usually take vegetarian foods or fishes but last time I was restricted from taking fish. In our house only few people take fish and its only restricted to scaled fish and not non-scaled fishes because they are haram (illegal). Usually those who consume fishes would have more well-build body but not us who only have vegetables. If we can't take vegetables now, we would be dying because we can't take other kind of food as much as vegetables. Penang mamaks do not eat vegetables and vegetables they cook is not fresh. I guess that is why they are lack of manner.    

I also asked him who is his roommate? Don't say to me the management office placed him with Chinese national too. He said unfortunately yes. He stays with a Chinese national master student. I told him, last time when I was an undergraduate, they had already placed local students of different races together in a room. For example, when I was in the first year, I already stayed with a Malaysian Chinese student but later they shifted that guy from the room because he is a non-Muslim and I am a Muslim. Actually I don't care much about whatever religion is my roommate to profess. I am also familiar with Chinese people as I mingled with both Malays and Chinese. 

My experience when I was a 19 years old Malaysian guy dear brothers and sisters, I went to a private school in Kuala Lumpur behind the Mahamariamman Hindu Temple at Central Market when I was about to take my A-Level after I returned from pilgrimage in Mecca. Every morning I took Metro bus after Fajar prayer services and I counted the prayer-beads and reciting maa'thurat by heart in the bus while the driver which I was familiar with is a Hindu, tuning to Hindu mantras in Sanskrit and Tamil to bless his morning according to his religion. When I went to washroom in the morning at my school also I could listen to Hindu temple bells ringing and the sound of trumpet from the temple just behind the school. My classmates in majority were Indians and they speak Tamil in the class. Few Chinese students and some Chinese students actually are of mixed parentage between Malay and Chinese so they speak in Cantonese in the class with other Chinese friends who also understand Chinese dialects. Malay and Christian students are minority in my class. Teachers who taught me Higher Malay and History papers are Indians. When I see some students especially in undergraduate level in my hostel, also others who are Muslim from countries like Indonesia I actually feel quite bottled up and contained. Because I can't be like them. I was already familiar in multicultural environment and seeing it as nothing peculiar or strange. I know countries like Indonesia also have people of different faith but the way they mingle with people is different because they only have one language policy but in Malaysia we are not like that.              

Both of us agree that it is a sad thing that students becoming not adventurous. How are they going to understand different customs or culture if they are separated according to religion, nationality, language differences, and etc? What if they like it to stay with people with differences with them or enjoy because they could get more benefit as what they assumed? Why not giving a try and be a man if they are men lar? As for me I am actually not afraid of these differences but I am afraid with judgmental people who actually are not religiously well-educated but simply because they mingle among "holy" congregation. I mingled with religious teachers always right now. I ask and sending emails to Shari'a officers and checking my jurisprudence school laws when I am going to do something. Before I stepped into a certain restaurant be it of Muslim or non-Muslim I will first looking at the cleanliness, the food served, the kind of people and many other criteria which actually denotes that I am very orthodox but I don't show it to people as we also listened to the kitab al-Hikam and al-Ghazali regarding the purification of heart. We must be clean both external and internal parts.   

And other thing is yea, we "bad-mouthing" mamaks, ahahhaa. I don't like mamaks just the same like Penang Chinese don't like them. I don't like them because they lies to people that they are Malay while their appearance and culture is obviously not. They are not grateful to Allah for creating them as they are, being Indian and Tamils. Some of them are manner less and speaking in impolite way to people. The one in our masjid here actually tries to approach me too but I teach him a lesson. Speak in a polite manner and make sure the sound of the voice is not harsh before greeting me or other people. If not I don't care about people status, older or younger, rich or poor whatever race they are. I will ignore them and assume them as not exist. 

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

We Eat Nasik

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I had saved this video since our last Independence Day that all of the states in Malaysian Federation get from the glorious British Empire. We can't deny the fact that Britain was a Great Britain who is full of tricks to conquer the lands abroad with their East Indies Company. I might be called as an ingrate by British if talking about their "tricks" or "wickedness" but they should also acknowledge that people from Asian continent had also fought their enemies for them during the World War that began in Europe. 

Products were taken back to Britain for their industrial usage. That makes their pound sterling heavier so they do not have to beg to be apart of Eurozone and they are not the God for us to be thankful for including us into their empire. 

Source: Matluthfi90

Urm, let us enjoy the video about ethnic relation in Malaysia. It is not mine but the guy who produced the video is from the same state as mine who studied abroad in Australia. Another British colony in South Pacific sea. He looks like one of my little nephew, haha. It's good for a short break too and I guess this khieat guy could also get A for his assignment if he takes ethnic relation course in our university here, hahaaha. Comments about the video can be directed right away to the owner of the video. His name appears below the video.

*khieat - hardworking and active

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Strawberry Swing

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Good morning, sabah al-khayr... ahahaha... I'm trying to develop poetry skill like others but I think I just know how to copy others' works. I love to listen to Coldplay and watching music videos when I was a young teenage... I didn't really like watching American MV played at the TV because some of those hip hop MV portray women as objects of selves satisfaction.

I am now an Orthodox Muslim but I still remain the same honoring women as people who plays important roles in society. Women are not sex toys nor slaves to be displayed like a prostitute. Even we respect prostitutes as human-being who deserve every rights to be respected in the society. Women are scholars, teachers, leaders with different functions and balancing the universe. They should be respected, not to be degraded as sex objects like what had been portrayed in hatred websites and medias especially in the West.

I remember one of my colleague, Amir also love to listen to English songs but his genre of music is more to metal styles... I don't care about genre or whatever it is. I listen to lyrics and not the kind of musics...  Usually I love plain things... I don't really like anything which is special : )

Lets...

They were sitting... They were sitting in the strawberry swing...

And every moment was so precious... 

They were sitting... They were talking in the strawberry swing... 

And everybody was for fighting, wouldn't wanna waste a thing...

Cold... Cold water bring me 'round'

Now my feet won't touch the ground...

Cold... cold water... What you say?

It's such a perfect day... It's such a perfect day...

I remember we were talking to strawberry swing...

I can't wait till morning... Wouldn't wanna change a thing...

People moving all the time inside a perfect straight line...

Don't you wanna curve away?

It's such a perfect day... It's such a perfect day...

Now the sky could be blue... I don't mind...

Without you... It's a waste of time...

Could be blue... I don't mind...

Without you, it's a waste of time...

The sky could be blue, could be gray...

Without you, I just slide away...

The sky could be blue... I don't mind...

Without you... It's a waste of time...

- Coldplay

Quite abstract lyrics... I don't know what the composer has in his mind while composing the lyrics but I think this general song could be interpreted by everyone according to their own way and events that happened in their life. I'm encouraging British Muslims and those in Europe specially migrant ones working with English and British Isle culture (or Europeans' culture). You have huge responsibility to find the way in term of wisdom... Not to Arabize, Wahhabicize or Pakistanize people but showing the way how to make everyone's life compatible to "the nature" and foremost teach everyone that every creature of the God are equal before Him, but wisdom, patience, morality and noble life leads to the Mercy and Love of the God : )

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Arabs Involvement in Economic Activities in Kedah

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Alor Setar Town. Wish to visit it this Qurban holiday but I have assignments and thesis to finish :(

This post is based of Dr. Zahidi Zainol Rashid research from the Kedah Library Corporation. It is very interesting to read research from local researchers because we only read something from Western writers about our community even in British Malaya.

Not many of us actually are aware about our own community since we had been registered as Malays in Malaysia. Even some politicians in Malaysian national party and those involved in business like Mr. Syed Mukhtar al-Bukhary are also of Arab descent. I had checked his details in wikipedia and his ethnicity status had already been changed to Malay from Arab descents ya. You get business and you lie about your self yah... I don’t think that I am eligible for native rights for now if it is according to most of our compatriots thinking though we had been here for more than 300 years because we as individuals do not really receiving proper assistance in our life from political game. Some people also do not like Mr. Syed al-Bukhary since we have current issues like the digital TV so everyone is entitled to their opinion and inclination. The issue doesn’t really bother me anyway, haha. 

Supposedly we are registered as the Arab descents or just Arabs and not of other ethnicity identification but the British authority had converted everyone into Malays just because many of those who live in the state are fluent Classical Malay speakers, wearing sarong, married to Malay women or men, eating rice and working in the field. Thanks to British ‘master’ teaching of nation-state where everyone is compulsory to be converted into a particular race as a religion. 

Why can’t we be entitled to native privileges with our own ethnicity identification or just known by our religion while in our state, we are already considered as integral part of it since hundreds of years before independence granted by Her Highness Queen? I am also researching the same problem about Muslim Indians, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis in Britain where they were told as trying to Islamicize Britain into Britishstan with Shariah, "Hand-Cutting," or Hijab zone. Perhaps some part of the threaten are true but I just personally think that Europeans are always paranoid of everything because they never really mingle with people around instead of boasting here and there. In this case, we are of the same religion people where Malays and Arabs are Muslims but with different racial background in the political frame taught by British. You British are our teachers…

I had also seen many Muslim Indians like in Penang racing among each other to get Malay status but they speak no Malay at home and they look Indian. They read and write in Tamil while calling themselves Malays. They also eat thoshai, curry, murungakai, raasam, payaasam, and etc and not Malay cuisines at home. Compared to my Hindu classmate whose name is Prema, she said that she also had rice like Malay at home and she does not know how to read or write in Tamil. Most of them are Tamil and Kerala Muslims and they had also married some Arab descents and hijacked the term Jawi Pekan from us. One of my cousin sisters who live in Penang is also married to a Muslim Indian and the guy family speaks pure Tamil but being identified as Malay. Isn’t it bad to lie? Our state had also been integrated in federal system of the country with centralized power in the south. I would actually prefer to be known as a Muslim like our Chinese national friends who are all considered as Hui but they speak Chinese like the majority of Han ethnic. We are indeed Muslims who believe in the God and the prophethood of Muhammad s.a.w, so we are not lying about ourselves in this part. Would it be better?

If we are forced to use nationality, then I would prefer to be known by my state identification, which is Kedah. Everyone in our family love our state and it would be called as kenegerian (spirit of a state) by others in urban areas which is in the southern states and considered as not patriotic toward Federal government which is also located in the southern part. I saw that Johorian are also kenegerian while nobody say anything to them.  

I faced problems in other states other than my state too. Those like in Selangor had discriminated us when we just arrived from other state so I mingled more with Chinese friends at the neighborhood. It was like we were foreigners in our own country. I understood how some Kelantanese feel but we from Kedah are not like Kelantanese with our groups. 

We are usually independent to ourselves and we try to mix around as possible as we can. I had also adapted myself into Chinese environment of Cheras of Kuala Lumpur when I was a young child before we moved for a moment to Kedah. We speak, we eat, we entertain ourselves and we behaved just like our Chinese neighbors. We have to survive in pressures when we migrated to other area even as young kids. So, that is why many people stumbled by would see a guy who is telling a “chaotic” young kid life. Growing like an isolated Chinese or Indian kid while not considered as a compatriot by others because some differences in our selves. 

We had also a neighbor from Egypt last time and she is married to an Imam from Terengganu. Her children are poor things. I saw them being treated badly by Malay kids when they tried to befriend them. All of them could not excel well in school too but they are not really lazy or stupid. I and my sister felt like crying when looking at the report card that they had shown to us. They speak Egyptian Arabic at home and that perhaps being a problem for them when they were registered by their father into national school. Inshaallah, I would also paste here a video, actually a movie starred by Muhammad Hilmy about an Egyptian Arab man who is an American by nationality had to face troubles in search for his own heritage in the mother of the world. Perhaps if I go for Yemen and speaking in Arabic, I would also being treated the same like the character played by Muhammad Hilmy, hahaha.

The Arabs in Kedah were divided into two kinds of Arabs. One is of Sayyid descents of Ba’alawi or Alawiyyah. They are the descents of Hussein bin Ali k.w and Fatimah binti Rasulullah s.a.w. Most had arrived since 17 C. Before their arrival in Kedah, they had already stayed in Palembang, Acheh, Jambi, Singapore, Patani, Burma, Penang, and Perak. They came from many places in Yemen such as Sana Shahrir. Later they settled down in Kota Setar, Kuala Muda, Yan and Kubang Pasu. Our ancestors settled down in Kota Setar and Kubang Pasu. They had also married women from Gujarat where a village in Kubang Pasu was known with people of Arab-Gujarat descent and they were not even Malays to begin with. There is also Arab community in Gujarat province of India which is known as Chawsh. 

Some people might say muka belacan to people who call themselves Arabs now but for me I just do not want to lie and it is not that I wanted to boast about it. We realize that we look more Mongoloid than Arabs or Malays because of our mother genetic. I don’t take shrimp paste and I don’t take seafood as it is not permissible in our manhaj. I am not sure how belachan or how mongol I look like. Usually I would be mistaken by Nepalese migrant workers as one of them; some Punjabis (Western Indian) had also talked in Punjabi with me. When there are majority of Northern Indians or Arabs in a certain place, I would feel comfortable and mingle more with them compared to Malays. We also have the right to learn our ancestral language which is Arabic, speak in it and first we have to realize who we are just like our Chinese compatriots realize about who they are. Chinese compatriots had taught me many valuable lessons. Nowadays most of all are just fluent in Malay or English. Some perhaps speaking in Urdu, Chinese or Thai.

           

Those Arabs who were not Sayyid came earlier and settled in Kedah. Examples of them are Syeikh Ahmad bin Syeikh Ja’afar Qamiri, Syeikh Ahmad bin Syeikh Salleh Mawtti, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Biyari and Sheikh Abdullah. Sheikh Ibrahim for example was invited by his highness Tunku Mahmud, the brother of our beloved Sultan Abdul Hamid who ruled around 1882-1934. Sheikh Ibrahim was also a Chief Imam and a teacher of Quranic lessons.

Early stages of their arrival, the Arabs were visitors and traders. When Islam emerged again after the darkness, many religious science teachers and missionaries also arrived at the port and they settled in Kedah. Arabs as an integral part of Kedah society had been involved in political development in Kedah.

Many of Arabs from Sayyid descent are the Shahabuddin clan and they are the majority clan in Kedah. Most of them came from Hadramawt but stayed for few moments in Palembang, Acheh, and Pulau Pinang. Barakbah clan had arrived from Indonesia and from Yemen. One of a Sayyid who held an office in Sultanate of Kedah government was Sayyid Muhammad Aidid. He was a Secretary of Kedah Sultanate Affairs during the reign of our Sultan Abdul Hamid. 

Kedah state nowadays is known as the oldest state in Malaysia. We have historical tracks based from archeological excavations, written sources, and inscriptions. The Kedah Sultanate had already proved that it has a well-built society, possessing a state element, and employing its own political system. The emergence of Kedah kingdom since ancient time as a well-developed trading center and famous around the world was a factor which relates to the arrival of Arabs into the Kedah kingdom. 

Urmmm... Please don’t throw out... We also want to have pride of ourselves like Europeans and telling everyone around how marvelous our states are although our state is just a small state compared to the EU member states or even Sarawak in our federation, hehehe. I also felt the same in our classes learning about how magnificent Europe is. It does not count the US yet where some of my friends are also worshiping the US as their oracle with the influence of American movies and entertainment stuffs like American Idol, Justin Fag Bieber, Lady Ugly Gaga and etc.

The significance of Jerai Mountain in Kedah plateau for ships that sailed and the dependence on the monsoon wind and economy value in Kedah also became an important factor in the questions of the Arabs’ arrival in Kedah ports. The result from Kedah Malays with those people in Arabian states and the coming of Arabs themselves had earlier spread the light of Islam to Kedah kingdom compared to other states in Malaysian Peninsula today. 

The Sayyids are known for their profession as traders and they were making life from business. Just like Chinese and Indian in the cities. Other than trading, some of them were also involved in agricultural activities. For those Sayyids, agricultural activities like paddy cultivating are considered as new way of making a living which their forefathers had never done it before in Hadramawt. Those in Hadramawt only know a kind of plant which is tamr or date tree. So, trying to do paddy field was quite difficult for these Arabs since their life was based on the character of desert and it is different from trading.

In trading field, Arabs had traded various kinds of spices, clothes, books, and jewelries. Before the arrival of British in Pulau Pinang, the Arabs depend solely on business and trading and had controlled some parts of Kedah Sultanate economy. Arab communities did not only concentrated in particular areas in Kedah but they live all over Kedah Sultanate. Their nature is more inclined to business and trading. The Arab traders had already penetrated the areas of South East Asia since before the re-emergence of Islam. In the beginning, they just wanted to do business and trading and later bringing some profits from business to their states of origin but later they ended down here with settlements.  

When Islam was propagated again by the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w, these Arabs had also brought together the teaching and propagated it to natives. They had left their family and their lands to propagate the teachings. Then they settled down in foreign lands and beginning new life. Due to their condition in foreign land, they have to survive through business and trading since they had no lands. After that, the court of Kedah had also support them so they had more opportunities in economy where the economy of traditional Malays were fully controlled by the rulers.  

Arabs at that time had the experience in business and they had good relation with court. The court had also opened for them the opportunity to run business as the right to do business was only granted by royal decree or by certain authority decided under royal permission. Only the sultan has the right to permit anyone he favors to run business in his territory.      

          

Many Arabs had already successful as entrepreneurs where they had also possessed companies and became directors of companies. It has to do with their experience in business beside they possess large capitals and strong basis in business. When British arrived from Pulau Pinang, Arabs economic survival had also been challenged. Then, they had also have to compete with Chinese merchants after Chinese penetrated Kedah market. From that on, they began to get involved in groceries shop business as well. I see, that’s why many of our people now trying to use other identification in securing their business survival and the mamaks had imitate it.

The impact from the competition of British and Chinese had made Arabs moving far into rural areas. Beside doing business and trading, they also trying to do agricultural and became landlords. Some of the lands were granted by the Sultan of Kedah as the lands in Kedah was the possession of the Sultan. The Sultan has every right on the lands and he would stamp the seal with the signature of the Regent. 

Thus, many of those paddy lands and farms being transferred into Arabs possession with the permission of our Sultan. But many of those Arabs had also pawned the lands to Chinese merchants to get quick money. For e.g in 1911, the rights for duty import collection on timber being granted by the court to Sayyid Othman from Yan district but he had pawned the right to a Chinese merchant for $ 400.00 per year. Many of Arabs during this period of time became bancrupt.

These recent, there are also Arabs who tried to involve themselves in agriculture and fishing industries. They were landlords in Yan, Kota Setar, Kuala Muda and Kubang Pasu districts. They were also active in renting their lands to others and never work on their own lands. They just love to stay at home and take everything for granted. 

 

Their attitude is related to the importance of status and their position as aristocrats and noblemen who possess properties as what had been viewed by Malays as having big houses complete with facilities and they have less working hours.

Paddy field is a main economy source in Kedah Sultanate during the time of British Malaya. With 12 miles early channel of water developed by subjects of Kedah Sultanate had made paddy cultivation become more advanced and Kedah could also supply rice to other areas as well. The water channel project of Wan Muhammad Saman and other figures like Syed Othman who had pawned his duty rights to a Chinese merchant had also involved with the regard to his area of supervision in Little Yan district was quite succesful.

Small portions of Arab communities became fishermen and there were also poor Arabs in Kedah since they only worked with others. They refused to admit that they were Arabs or even of Sayyid lineage. They had ommitted their Sayyid title as they were ashamed of their life if compared to other Arabs in the state.

During the reign of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah (1854-1879), there was a new position given to an Arab with the name Syed Muhammad. Syed Muhammad became a captain for a ship and was ordered to maintain and looking the ship with two sails bought by the Sultan from English.

Early history had shown that Arabs directly was involved in most of religious posts and affairs in the sultanate. When Kedah was surrendered by the empire of Siam to the British empire, all of the posts were paid with salary. Main posts like the mufti, judges, imam and others were held by Arabs. In education, they held postions such as directors, headmasters of religious and English schools, and supervisors of schools.  

     

Regarding lands, last time I heard that elders had also fighting and quarreling over lands until some of them had to run to Southern Thai as it turned into bloody conflict. We had also sold our grandpa land for dad’s part in Kodiang in Kubang Pasu district. Mum had forced dad to sell his inherited land when I was in the second year doing my first degree because it was not easy to maintain the land for paddy and considering that the family who rent the land didn’t help us to pay the tithe as they are non-Muslims and we are not living in the state so it was difficult for us to monitor renting rate and tithe for crops. The land was rented to a Chinese  family under the surname Hooi. After the land being sold, I heard that dad cried on the land as he felt guilty to his father but what to do. The land had already been problematic since before it was inherited to dad and we had gone to courts for solutions but to no avail. Dad sold the land to a rich Malay man. I was busy at that time so I did not also look at the process.  I also do not want to inherit the land. It only bring headache.

We had also encountered many problems like being cheated and stabbed by friends or ‘relatives’ as we helped people without checking their background. I don’t know whether our custom is suitable at all of the time. We would consider our close friends even not related by blood as brothers or sisters. So each time close friends having problems, we would also been dragged into their problems as we would feel guilty to let them alone. It’s like we live and die only for the happiness and comfort of our friends, brothers and sisters. We also would repay back the goodness done on us. In the case, one of a Tabligh guy that I sheltered. Last time, he actually had helped me with internet password. It was not really a big deal but we see even small matters as big and we must repay back whatever is given. I always remember people treatment to me because I count everything. Even a cent that people gave me, I actually never forget. I keep every detail in my memory. Sometimes it would be so absurd and people would regard us as crazy or perhaps scary, hahaha.

Urmmm, the fact about renting the land is true. But according to dad, our grandpa was not a lazy man. This is individual case. He was a hardworking man and also worked as a seeker of fertilizers. If dad lied then I am also lying. Like in our case as individuals and not as groups, we do not live in Kedah but we have to migrate to other states because of family problem, fate and we do not work only as traders and farmers. Some of these Arab decents children had been educated in nursing schools in case of my aunties and my dad was educated in a Singaporean Catholic school just after grandpa died. He was 12 years old at that time and luckily he was not baptized though he lived like a person without a religion, without a mother to teach him because his mother died when he was three years old being casted by black magic and I always thought that Malay village folks always love to cast spell on others that they are envious at. This is my generalization on other ethnics. Why people around the world love to generalize things without looking at discreet root problems instead of trying to do interview with both sides either the pros and contras? Life would be easy if we can always do generalizations ya? 

What had been mentioned in this research is also right in certain parts, because I also met other Arab descents and I myself do not like their attitude. Most of them who are still rich today or filthy rich could we say, are arrogant and Westernized too. I don’t even consider myself as related to them but rather stay quite though we know each other. I don’t even dare to go into cousin brother house because my feet perhaps are dirty and I am not also close to them. 

Some of us also received and accepted religious teachings with the Mercy of the God. We soon realized our responsibility to propagate the faith and the noble life and morality to ourselves and environment. I myself never try to take any advantage from privileges but instead trying to strictly follow morality guidance of religion. I just live like a hermit, wearing clothes like a street wanderer, isolating myself if I did wrong to others, I hate possessions and I don’t want anything associated with world attachment like lands, money, or etc. We look everything at individual capacity can’t we? : )    

I think it is also a good idea for us to find more researches about Arab communities in our state. Because I saw that many of those "racists" are actually of foreign ancestral lineage and that means that they are the one who are tak sedar diri. They perhaps are afraid that their "rights" would be uprooted in what we call as attachment to the world. This earth is not our possession but the possession of the God, the King of the Universe. No need to boast about true blood, Aryan blood, strong race blood, genius race, or whatever it is. In the end everyone will be rotten in the grave holes and we carry dirty things in our intestines. Look at everyone first as a human-being and whether he is a God fearing person or not. We do not look as this race or that race or looking at their status or position in society because the God does not care about that. He is far More Great, possessing Dominion, and Rich compared to anyone in the earth or heaven. I had talked about this with a Malay friend too in our discussion maybe I could make a post about the discussion regarding our experience : )

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Our Thesis Follow Up: Multiculturalism Germany Example

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Our pride, Europe

This is actually the topic that I had chosen for my thesis, not really specific but this is the issue. I don't know why it slipped out of my mind when we were in research methodologies class and proposing this for my thesis last semesters. They said that this topic must find any loophole in other researches if I wanted to go on with it since this topic perhaps already being discussed in other places. Isn't mini-thesis means that we also try to understand certain things and not only finding loopholes of other researches? I do not know what to study for the EU as they said that the EU is actually the most 'magnificent' invention of human in Europe over the century. Dok perasan tang tu jah la hangpa, noh...When we talk about multiculturalism, it must be related to Muslim communities within Europe and most of them are Third National Country nationals or migrants. Either they worked in labor sectors or running their own business. And some of them were nationals of European Union member states' colonies such as from Algeria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocco and others.

In the case of Britain, I just don't understand because they were our colonizer in certain states and protector empire for few states during their glorious of the so-called the "Great Britain" period. And the fact that they ran away like chickens after being attacked by the Japanese around 1941 make me feel not attracted to Britain or European at all. They had bombed several places in 'scorched earth operation' and killed Indian migrant workers in the estates before they left and make people lived in misery with their selfishness as when Imperial Japanese Army came, those sources of industries were already bombed. People who conquer and plunder others are just the same terrorists and now they are finding many ways to put the insult to Allah (the God) Who is the Merciful Lord of the universe who never have to conquer the universe because the Dominion is with Him. Just because last time media did not published widely that they were terrorists and thieves, does not mean that people are stupid. And the notions like natives were lazy ass, uncivilized, and others should never being the reason for people to plunder others and being thieves. Beware of language of diplomacy, rules, regulation, and legislation brethren. Those 'snakes' in the West are good at it and look at how they did to Pulau Pinang. This is not to teach enmity but we have to be careful with 'snakes' who thinks that they are so 'civilized' from the first world. To be recognized by the first world standard, we have to be thieves, terrorists, and colonizers... rupanya : )

Now back to the topic, when talking about multiculturalism, Britain was the one who proposed us to be a multicultural 'new' nation after they were 'forced' to release their colonies abroad. Our Sultanate of Kedah (1136-now) was also "forced" to be apart of "Malayan Union" (1946-1948) while we should have our own sovereignty over our own territory, and our people had fought two great Empires of the Northern mainland who were the Siam and the Burma to maintain our sovereignty and freedom whether in term of diplomacy or in term of warfare. That is why we are so proud of our state and sultanate no matter if we are Kedahan Malay, Kedahan Hybrid Arabs, Kedahan Arabs, Kedahan Chinese, Kedahan Siamese, Kedahan Indians, Muslims or Buddhists. For me, I don't care about Europe nor Caucasoid faces their poops are just as stinky as others. Our modest state is enough and more beautiful than Europe. We don't have to be the same like others to be accepted nor being economically advanced like those European countries terhegeh-hegeh to be accepted within the European Union. We have the God to help us with our standard and in exam I can't write like this. Takut some lecturers sentap because in 'academic' the God must be left out and forgotten... hahaha. I can't forget Allah (the God). He is my Protector and the One who Shield me from ignorance. 

Later the "Malayan Union" was changed to the Federation of Malayan Peninsula (1948-1963) under Centralized-Federalism system where we have to nod our head to the Federated States and Federal Constitution who were earlier apart of British Malaya and with the inclusion of Northern Borneo States, we are now known as Malaysia since 1963. Now comes to question whether Malaysia was colonized or not by Prof. Zainal Kling? Where is 1957, the 31st of August where Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Sambanthan the Ceylonese, and Tun Tan Cheng Lock the Baba Malacca together harmoniously kissing Her Highness Queen's knees for independence as it could not be 'postponed' anymore??? I had watched the video tape from our video archives during our transcription class session while I was a first degree student. Basically I know what Tunku Abdul Rahman talked about. 

You, politicians may deceive my mum or dad or my grandparents. Maybe they had forgotten or perhaps being manipulated but I am not an easy target for mind manipulation. I don't just follow people but I made researches and questions. That's why in certain part of my life, I was a Buddhist and I don't simply becoming a Muslim now because I follow my ancestral religion or customs, popularity or simply because I wanted to be recognized by my religion status. I made up my mind to choose Islam before formally saying the faith proclamation again asking the God and angels to be my witness and performing penance during circumambulation of Ka'abah during Hajj. It is not easy since I actually had previously having this thought to run away from my house and being a monk, joining Sangha society in monastery. When I failed exams and can't befit in society, I tried to take my own life. What for if we just being known to certain religion status and then we do not practice the religion nor fear the God. We must do everything only for the God not for ourselves nor for other things : ) I don't feel any hatred to Christians nor Jews at all. If they sincerely love Jesus Christ, go on... If they sincerely love Ha-Shem (the Name), go on... They have my support. If they just using religion for the sake of this hideous world and enmity, I pray for anathematization of the God on everyone. Our Lord is the same God, just the matter of concept if it becomes different : )    

From videos posted by Europeans or perhaps European wannabes who knows, it says that Multiculturalism is totally failed and not partly failed. There are some excerpts of speeches by Angela Merkel, David Cameron and Sarkozy. In her speech regarding multikulti concept where people could live side-by-side did not work. She said that immigrants need to integrate more and learn German. Does it mean that they have to leave their religion, their faith, values within their ancestral lineage other than languages and culture to comply within racist Germans? When the French came by to Asia, they said that people in Asia must follow their culture. When British officials entered Burmese palace, they had refused to take off their shoes and bowing to the king respecting local customs and tradition. Everybody must follow their values, but they refused to follow others' values even when they are in others' territory. What kind of human are they? This earth is the belonging of the God, not of anyone's dad and the God is not like European human dad. 

There are also comments that I read regarding Islam is not a race, so it is not wrong to hate Islam by irresponsible racists and I guess they must have failed their school that make them working in low-class stores and lamenting their life for their intelligence. Islam is not a race is true. But those who profess Islam as their Path are nations. We are of different nations. Muslim nations are those who profess Islam no matter they are black, white, yellow, caucasoid, or mongoloid. In Britain, those Muslims in majority there are Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians of South Asia continent. In France, those Muslims are from North Africa and perhaps some are Arabic speaking Muslims from Middle East. In Germany, those Muslims are in majority Turkish speaking people. In Caucasus, they are White and Mongol Muslims. In Africa, they are African Muslims. Beside being Muslims, they have their own values, customs which predates their reversion to the Path and thoughts too as Islam is not a rigid religion. Even in Malaysia, we have Muslims by ancestral lineage since few centuries ago. They are our  Malay compatriots and they think of Islam like Europeans think of Christianity, as customs and not about spirituality and sincere devotion to the God anymore. It is for political survival and bringing people into disunity for the sake of politicians or party interests.  

Merkel further said in a gathering of younger members of her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party that at "the beginning of the 60s, Germany called the foreign workers to come into Germany and now those migrant workers live in the country. Germans had ridiculed ourselves for a while and think that they won't stay but will be gone after the development is done but it is not reality. Multicultural society and to live side by side and to enjoy each other... has failed, utterly failed." 

Now my comment, why do you people called these foreign workers to work in your magnificent countries and territories? Why don't you just build up your own country with European and German low-class workers? This is also a lesson to our country and people in our country could also see this and don't just blame foreign workers. Look at how politicians did to the country and later we scratched each other faces and treating others like sub-humans.

However, in her speech in Potsdam, the chancellor made clear that immigrants were welcomed in Germany. She specifically referred to recent comments by German President, Christian Wulff. Christian Wulff said that "Islam was part of Germany," like Christianity and Judaism. In her response to this speech, Merkel said: "We should not be a country either which gives the impression to the outside world that those who don't speak German immediately or who were not raised speaking German are not welcomed here."

According to Stephen Evans analysis for BBC News in Berlin, he said that Angela Merkel took pains to say immigrants are welcomed. The words "utterly failed" are very strong, but there lies some nuanced messages about the need for immigrants in a country who needs skilled labor. She's pitching it very carefully with important elections coming up in the spring according to BBC News report on 17 October 2010. According to this analysis, it is important to check the tone of the speech and from this analysis it says that the chancellor basically saying that Germany needs immigrants but immigrants need to do something to get into the society. 

I had also read news about the late Marwa el-Sherbini being stabbed to death by a racist German settler who came from Russia. May Allah bless her soul and protect her son. Is el-Sherbini a low class labor? I thought that her level of education is higher than of the psycho-stabber murderer. I am sorry, Europeans. I don't mean to look down on you people in general but some of you people have arrogant attitude which made me feel nauseated because those level of higher civilization is not according to your standard for me. The level of civilization lies at the God and morality teachings. Europe is no different to Nigeria or Afghanistan who bombs Bamiyan sandstone statue of Dipangkara Buddha. I mean it is in term of mentality when I look at those politician supporters. I was so outraged too last time because of Taleban had bombed the statue of one of my teacher and each time some Muslims compatriot talked about this issue I felt like I wanted to kick their ass and I was so pissed off. This is before my repentance to the Path of Abraham a.s. Dipangkara Buddha was the previous Buddha before Buddha Gautama and before Dipangkara, there was Saranangkara Buddha.   

Lets look at Gert Wildeers (his hairstyle and hair color is so ugly) response over Merkel speech regarding Multiculturalism issue... He mentioned that: "Mrs Merkel said that the Multiculturalism societies has completely failed. Not 'partly failed' but 'completely failed' and it sure means something when she says that! The most important politician, a Christian Democrat in Europe's most important country. Germany breaks the taboo and tells it as it is. She states what millions of people think. Statements for which you would stand trial in the Netherlands are uttered freely by the leading Christian Democrats in Germany. Where they are now taking the lead when it comes to criticism of Islam! I would like to take the time to address Mrs Merkel by saying, Mrs Merkel, you are right when it comes to multicultural society! Mr. Chairman, there is a hope. The political landscape is changing everywhere in Europe. Nothing can stop it!"  

While for Britain, we have David Cameron speech: "We adopted state-multiculturalism, we encouraged different cultures to live separate life apart from each other and apart from the mainstream. We failed to provide the vision of society to which they wanted to belong. We have even tolerated this segregated communities behaving in ways which runs completely counter to our value." 

Now my questions, what is British value? How does value being defined in Britain and in Europe? Should practical Muslims in Europe be like Christians who ridicule Jesus Christ and his noble mother, Maryam al-'Adzraa (Mary the Virgin)? Separating Divine way from their life in term of secularism or joining night bars and being drunk idiots who crashed cars during Sunday nights? Or is it the fear that they are not patriotic to their country such as Britain?  Fear of bombings? How should Britain do in order to curb this? Is it by being cowards or by patronizing Islamic teachings and providing trainings for Islamic religious teachers who came from abroad within local British framework?

In Asia, we are different from you people in Europe. Our sultanate was previously a Hindu kingdom with Hindu-Buddhism values. Even I am a descendent of migrant people who came by 300 years ago still could receive the impact of older values of the land and neighboring lands. The sultanate had accepted the teaching of Islam around 10th century and the king himself together with royal family had patronized the propagation of His Words and Divine Way of life across his country. We descendents of migrant people are the most loyal people toward our sultanate and we love our native brothers and sisters. We love our language which is Kedah Malay and we worked hard to preserve Kedah Malay within Islamic values. I am also encouraging other Muslim nations to preserve their culture and customs through Divine Islamic framework. We do not need secularism here to be united but we have the God as the One who unite us. Many of hybrid Arabs whom fathers were Arabs and mothers were local women or of other ethnicity had fought the Siam empire in order to protect the kingdom from being absorbed into the empire. The villages opened around Alor Setar capital of our sultanate and state some of them were villages of Arabs under royal decree and I had made few checks with museums, elders and the people around. Nevertheless we could still survive in form of a state in a new country though we are controlled by centralized-federalism. Even in term of special privileges of natives, we do not really take it though we are eligible according to our state law. We passed it to beloved native brothers and sisters and even non-peninsular people from other neighboring country like Indonesia are treated even better than us in our own country. Why should we be envious to people when we are lazy like spoiled European youths who only thinks of fun in this short life?

There are some debates about immigration regarding this issue of Multiculturalism. Correspondents said that Merkel faces pressure from within Christian Democrat and its allies to take a tougher stance and require immigrants to do more to adapt to German society. How could I apply this to my thesis regarding Britain? Maybe I should also see how the debate goes on with David Cameron and other anti-immigration groups in Britain. 

Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CDU Bavarian sister party, the CSU said that: "It was obvious that immigrants from different cultures like Turkey and Arab countries, all in all, find it harder to integrate. Multikulti is dead." 

The chancellor held talks with Turkish Prime Minister around October 2010, Mr. Erdogan in which these leaders pledged to do more to improve the often poor integration record of Germany's estimated 2.5 million strong Turkish community. The debate first was heated up in August of 2010 when Thilo Sarrazin, a senior official at Germany's Central Bank said that: "No immigrant group other than Muslims is so strongly connected with claims on the welfare state and crime." Sarrazin has since resigned. His name is also Sarrazin (Saracen)... Such recent strong anti-immigration feelings from mainstream politicians came amid an anger in Germany about high unemployment, even if the economy is growing faster than those of its rivals. This is what correspondent said in their opinion. There is also seems to be a new strident tone in the country, perhaps leading to less reticence about no-go-areas of the past.   

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!