From tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Mon Sep 23 21:08:58 1996 Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 19:07:35 -0400 (EDT) From: tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Reply-To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com Subject: tariqas-digest V1 #149 tariqas-digest Friday, 20 September 1996 Volume 01 : Number 149 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 23:00:49 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Transliteration/translation AsSalamu'alaikum waRahmatullahi waBarakatuhu!I am back because my son has repaired some technical problem. The many works of translation and commentary on the Quran help us in understanding the Message of God .Slowly even women are coming forward to share their expertise so that hopefully we will get a translation/ commentary that is closer to God's message.If I am not mistaken Allah says that even if the sea and seven seas were inkpots and all the trees were pens, even these would not exhaust the meanings of God's Words. I would like to add to my materials on the different translations / commentaries Maududi's Tahfimul Quran is one large projection of his Islamic State-ism ideology.He obviously comes from a male-dominated society.But despite the limitations of his tafsir in this respect he chose Fatimah Jinnah to run for Presidency of Pakistan.Dr Kaukab Siddique has come up with a critique of Maududi's tafsir. N.J.Dawood main concern is to show that the Quran is not just a great Scripture but one of the wonders of literature.He does not follow the traditional arrangement of Quranic chapters. Muhammad Asad's tafsir is modernistic, rationalistic and depends a lot on the rationalistic Muhammad Abduh of Egypt and the Mutazilite Zamakshari.However as far as the literal translation is concerned his is very much more exacting Daryabadi is an authentic Ahle Sunnah translation Yusuf Ali is also close to Ahle Sunnah views which is the mainstream Muslim group. Tafasir from the so-called Ahmadiyyat who follow Mirza Ghulam Ahmad go to great lengths to prove that Jesus did not die on the cross but died in Kashmir and that Mirza Ghulan is either a Mahdi and the personification of the second coming of Christ -this is Muhammad Ali's view - or a Prophet of God according to the Rahwah school of the Ahmadis. Shiah tafasir are mainly from the prevalent Ithna Ashari or Twelvers group.They of course project the view of the Immaculateness of the 12 Imams which incidentally are highly respected by the Sunnis. At 09:13 9/19/96 +1000, you wrote: > > >On Tue, 17 Sep 1996, Simon Bryquer wrote: > >> I am pointing this out to you, because I feel you not quite aware that >> you even have these prejudices, seeing yourself as an objective student >> of the Muslim faith -- but take my word, you have them, just look at them >> instead of reactively becoming defensive. > > >Assalamu alaikum, > >Many people living in Asian countries, for example, have never met any >Jews (or Africans, or African-Americans, for that matter), which would >tend to influence their view... Allah knows best. > >Is there really an "objective" view anyhow? I personally don't think >such a thing really exists. > >I was speaking to a friend here (I live in Melbourne, Australia) a couple >of days ago, who is from a Vietnamese background (her parents are >Vietnamese but she was raised in Australia). She mentioned how, once >when she went with her school on a trip to the Australian countryside, they >stopped at a store to get refreshments. As she was buying her drink, >she felt the people there were staring at her, and she felt very >uncomfortable.... she thinks it was maybe because they hadn't even seen >someone with an Asian background before, so, to them, she was strange and >unusual. These things can work both ways.... People are often afraid of >the unknown. > >Wassalam, > >Fariduddien > > ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 23:29:14 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: sex in full moon Salams to all. I had written sometime ago that there is a whole matrix of influences acting on the human being .These include the womb-ic, the physical and social environment, the media, education, nutrition, the jinn-ic , the angelic , the cosmic (not astrological) one's own lataif-e-sitta or spiritual subtleties within one psyche,etc etc.and yet one still has moral freedom.Jesus was reported in one manuscript as saying that if it wasnt for angels , one's feet would be banging against rocks for eg.As for the little jinn-ic influence my friend the famous mufassir Thomas Ballantine Irving who translated the Quran into contemporary American English told me that these invisible sentient beings who are a creation parallel to human beings and who too have moral freedom may influence us just as radio waves influence us.Apart from the hint from "Yuwaswisu fisudurin nas minal jinnati wannas" the jinn-ic factor may have a lot to do with creative arts , music and aesthetic expression. Every thing in creation is a manifestation of a name of God.This is the asma-ic aspect of influences acting upon the human being.Prophets are the perfect manifestation of Names and Attributes of God.The Fusus Al Hikam of Shaykh Ibni Arabi is an eloquent understanding of this fact. Only a Prophet would have exacting knowledge about the merits and demerits of doing something on certain days for example sex or bloodcupping.Only a Prophet would be given the gift of language with different levels of meaning which we find in his hadis.Often we misunderstand the hadis.Perhaps we should heed his words "Takalamu 'alan nas bil qadar uqulihim " "Speak to the people according to their level of understanding" According to the Quran Satan and his hosts see you from where you see them not.And the Prophet said very clearly that there are no ghosts, no ghouls that lead astray , no Hama , no Safar clearly dismissing superstitions.Poltergeist activity has been clearly shown to be the result of the tremendous energy within the human being so when we talk about the Jinn we are talking of a normally imperceptible creation subject probably to Boyle's Law as Dr Fazlur Rahman tells us. Everything influences everything else.Abdul Qadir Murabit said that this is what the bootstrap theory is about.There is a whole matrix of influences acting upon a human being but if he reaches the levels of wilayat or sainthood he influences these factors."Seek ye the Kingdom of God and all things shall be added unto you" At 19:54 9/18/96 -0400, you wrote: >At 05:29 PM 9/18/96 -0400, you wrote: >>In a message dated 96-09-18 00:06:47 EDT, you write: >> >>>Sex is not only prohibited during full moon. It is also prohibited during >>>the 1st , middle and last day (full moon) in the Muslim Hijr calendar. >>>The reason for this is because these are the times when Satan have their >>>sex. It is also haram to have sex on the eves of Eidil Adha and Eidil Fitr. > >Are we to understand that Satan exists against the wishes of Allah? > >Shall we abandon the idea of > >La ella ha >Il Allah Hu >?????? > > > >Maharaj James McCaig | Sufi Center of Washington >Brotherhood/Sisterhood Representative | Keepers of Sufi Center Bookstore >United States | http://guess.worldweb.net/sufi > > jmccaig@worldweb.net > > ------------------------------ From: ASHA101@aol.com Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 11:55:46 -0400 Subject: Re: RE: Desire >>>Maybe a spiritual authority could tell us which one we should control: sexual thoughts or actions.<<< Once a new apprentice went to the artist and asked: "What is the best method of control for my brush stroke and what subjects will make the best content for my paintings?" The artist looked at her with wild and angry eyes, "Why do you ask me about control when you are still afraid of your own freedom? Why do you ask me about content when you have not yet opend your own can for fear of worms!" But then with kinder eyes the great artist said "Well, control is not exactly the first step but if you could just try to remember that you are a sensitive person and that your canvass is sensitive and also that those who see your paintings are sensitive then you will observe much wonderful content for your paintings but most of all do not forget to focus upon that beauty which inspires you .... as it is natural that control can only grow out of love and freedom." And the painter then said, to the amazement of the apprentice, "Even today, i still must do this same thing, i still must open my can of worms and have a look, i still must deal with my own fear of freedom. I still must give up control to my Beloved until my Beloved returns it to me my control as a wonderful gift. In the mean time i just try to remember keeping fineness of character and nobility of manner, together with an everlasting heart full of love." ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 00:00:46 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Transliteration/translation Salam to you Simon. This area including Malaysia and Singapore is remarkably free of deep seated racial prejudices.Pogroms and holocausts , local equivalents of extreme forms of Zionism or Arabism even male chauvinism or feminism hardly finds any place in this area.The news that the locals drove Viet refugees into the sea or that Malays lived in trees are as absurd as the view that Singapore is in China. Singapore's first Chief Minister David Marshall was of Iraqi Jew descent .We loved him and he loved us. He fought for the Miladun Nabi or Prophet's Birthday to be declared a public holiday by the British.Although he was a supporter of Israel, he was given a grand farewell by the Muslim Missionary Society of Singapore when he was appointed Ambassador to France towards the latter part of his life. I had many Jewish friends .They were very approachable , easily ate from our plates just as we enjoyed their Kosher food.I am still searching for my childhood Jewish friends. They influenced me so much that I used to go to the Library to read the Jewish Encylopaedia.I remember one Jewish joke that I read some time ago from that Jewish Encylopaedia."When Moses was sick what did God give him ? Answer: A tablet ! When the cowardly Saddam sent Scud missiles into civilian Tel Aviv , my wife , childen and myself were aghast.It was the worst thing that a Muslim could do to attack innocent Jews.Anyway even conventional warfare is HARAM from my understanding of the Quran.War is only permitted in self-defence and in aid of oppressed people but no conventional weapons please.?????? I have a Jewish prayer scroll in copper in my Library.It is very sentimental to me.It has words in Hebrew and translations including "ELOHIM" "BARECH" I had rescued the scroll from the unSingaporean dirty roadside at the Thieves Paradise in Singapore called Sungei Road. The Quran teaches me that all peoples have their merits and demerits.There are no favourites with God no Chosen people.One of our Mothers of the Faithful was a Jewish lady .The Prophet told her to advise her neighbours that Moses was one of her ancestors in order to stop their anti-Jewish talk .And it worked. Let me end my monologue with my poem which I believe in with all my heart.It is called Your Destiny's Price "The joys of life are great Thought provoking are its pains But unless you have God in mind What truly are your gains? You are unhappy not because of what you know But what you dont realise Tis knowing God's Love my dear Which is Your Destiny's Price " Love , Zainuddin. P/s Simon, what u have is not hatred of Zainuddin's words But love of Jewry .Love is still love.And if you think that I am indirectly giving excuses I quote the sufi saying "The excuse is worse than the original offence" Finally let us learn to laugh at ourselves. At 09:18 9/19/96 +1000, you wrote: > >Assalamu alaikum, > >On Wed, 18 Sep 1996, Simon Bryquer wrote: > >> Salaams to one and all------- >> >> It's not the mere mention that the translator is Jewish -- but how it is >> mentioned. If you believe how you use words are of no consequence -- >> keep in mind that every misunderstanding, war and etc began with words. >> And also in the beginning there was the WORD -- even in Islam: > >With all due respect, Simon, I agree with Asim that you seem to be a bit >over-sensitive.... you are reading a heck of a lot of intention into >words which, to me, doesn't seem to necessarily be there.... > >> REPEAT >> >> But then again you might share the same affinities as Zainuddin and >> then, of course I understand your sentiments. > >Translation: disagree with my interpretation, and you can't win, >because I will accuse you of being prejudiced too. > >> Then again they're not my prejudices and I don't have to live them. >> So that closes this subject. > >See last comment. > >Peace, > >Fariduddien > > > ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 00:07:34 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Saytan having sex with one's wife [Re: to Jinavasma re: sex in full moon Satan is according to Ibn Arabi anything that separates you from God.So while you cant totally be absorbed in God while loving your wife , remembering him with a short prayer is a saving grace which prevents you from mistreating or mishandling your spouse during sex.In everything there is Beauty, Adab (propriety) and understanding of one's Fitrah (Natural Aptitude) At , you wrote: >the pre-sex verse is : Allahumma jannibnish shatana wa jannibis shaitana ma razak tana. > >Salam Noordin > > ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 00:12:00 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Women on the sidewalk Salam .Be like the Prophet.He had a smile for everyone according to the Hadis. The Quran says" Return a salutation with a better one. " and even when passing by an ignorant group say "Peace" .As far as the Quran and Hadis is concerned there is no gender discrimination in such things. At 19:35 9/20/96 +0800, you wrote: > > >> I just don't know what to do with Muslim women. I mean, If I >> am walking down a sidewalk on a nice sunny day and a Muslim >> woman is comming towards me, what should I do? > > do you normally greet everyone that you meet? If you do...but then >again, the etiquette of this is unclear even among muslims:_) take me, for >example; sometimes, i do not know that if I give salaam to a muslim man, >that he will not take it as offensive; normally I avoid doing this, cos I >don't want to give the wrong impression...but when I have to talk to a >muslim man, I normally start with a greeting. For you as a non muslim[ I >am assuming you are nnot muslim, sorry if I am mistaken] I guess...the >same rules would apply:-) > > Ignore her? >> Give her salaams? What? The same in the masjid. Now I know >> that a man is not supposed to touch a woman in the masjid >> as it breaks his wudhu but what about in areas just outside >> the masjid, ie the hall ways, the kitchen, or just outside? > > Ah, so you are muslim, Insh'Allah...abt breaking wudu', as I >understand it, this applies only to the shafi'e madhhab. The rest do nnot >rule that accidental touching breaks wudu'... > > >> With Muslim women, I never know if I am being cold and >> snobish or if I am being obscenely forward. > > Join the club, except that it is the other way around; my advice; >unless you know her, maybe you should avoid salaam. Alternatively give >salaam and leave it at that; leave her alone; I say this from experience; >a br used to be very friendly...used to compare me with his little sister >etc...so I thot, he is safe; one day he tried to buy me a meal, and before >that he used to try and strike up conversations and tried even to shake my >hand...just today...after jumu'at, a br who has been rather persistent[ I >am *not* saying he is romantically interested] tried for the 10th time to >strike up a conversation. I felt extremely uncomfortable. I no longer >pretend to go along; I just feel too uncomfortable; he accosts me at >places where I go and where he turns up; he waits for me after class[ he >is a student in a class I teach]...so I guess...we can be oversensitive. >If you must give salaam, give it and then move on; pls do not linger to >chat unless we know you and are not likely to be panciked:-) > > > > Now I >know that I have already made the mistake >of lumping > all Muslim women together as if they were all the same, >> but there must be some general advice that I could apply. > > I hope this has helped? I hope so:-) sorry:_) >Imaan > > > ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 00:36:43 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Mother of languages Salam.And I regret for not replying earlier because of a technical problem with my e-mail facility. I am not saying that Arabic is the mother of languages.Sometime ago I read a book by an Ahmadi where he went into great detail to prove that many words in many languages were of Arabic origin and it was not because of modern trade and traffic.He also dwelt upon Muller's theory that Sanskrit was the Mother of Languages and also touched upon the Theories of the Origin of Languages.I would like to thank you for your very interesting views.I just would like to share information. At 19:54 9/17/96 -0700, you wrote: >Brother Zainubiddin wrote: > >> While on the subject of Quranic Arabic , can we also discuss the view >> that just as Makkah ,actually the Bacca of the Psalms of the Bible , is the >> Mother of the Cities -Ummul Qura- so also Arabic is the Mother of all >> languages.Many important studies have been made on this topic.Unfortunately >> my books on this subject were borrowed by a friend who has yet to return them. > >What do you mean by "Mother of all languages"? The first? If this is what you mean, you will have a very difficult time convincing me of this given the written archeological record. The tribes of Thamud, the Lihyanites, etc. seem to have settled into North Arabia from the north, and their stone inscriptions do not date much past 500 BC. The languages of the Arabian peninsula have undergone many, many permutations whereby what we call Arabic today has limited resemblance to the earlier languages of the previous millenium. > >The claims for a mother of languages as a source of the sacred word are found in many traditions: Chinese, Sanskrit, Hebrew, Tamil, to name but a few. Even in early Syrian Christianity, Syriac was believed to be the "mother" of languages, and there is very strong evidence to support the theory that the Arabic script finds its precursor in the Syriac of the Arabs of Hira and Anbar, carried to Duma and from there to Mecca (cf. S. Trimingham, Christianity Among the Arabs in Pre-Islamic Times, London, 1979; and see F. Peters's Muhammad and the Origins of Islam, SUNY Press, 1994). Or possibly Arabic descends from the Nabataean script, a sister language of Syriac (R. Ebied, Syriac Influence on the Arabic Language and Literature, paper at 3rd Symposium Syriacum, Rome, 1980). In addition, the Quran is full of loan words from Syriac and other Semitic languages (cf. A. Jeffrey, Foreign Words of the Koran; and G. Widengren, Muhammad and His Ascension, Uppsala Sweden). > >IMHO, the mother of all languages is one's own language, the sounds of the letters are as living entities within one, and any claims other than that are myth. When i lived in a Tibetan monastery, there was a visualization practice we did every morning which was to review the sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet as abiding within us, to listen to their taking form out of the void of consciousness before starting our mantras. This same practice can be traced to earlier Kashmir Shaivite and Bengali Tantric practices. > >Anyway, i would be interested in what sources and studies you are referring to support this claim. > >Blessings to all, > >Nur Richard Gale > > > ------------------------------ From: "Michael J. Moore" Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 09:48:06 -0700 Subject: Re: Desire Ryan wrote: > > > > >Okay, this is a question for people here: how do you keep your mind in > >control when you are on the street or on a bus? Dhikr? Anything else? > > > > > >Asim > > This statement makes me wonder if controling sexual thoughts is really what > one should do? I'm nineteen and have enough trouble just controling my > sexual actions. Controling sexual thoughts! I'm sorry I just can't > comprehend such a thing. Maybe a spiritual authority could tell us which > one we should control: sexual thoughts or actions. > > thanks, Ryan Hello Ryan, We must not confuse controling thoughts with preventing thoughts. To begin to learn to control thoughts involves a technique called observation. I am using 'observation' as a technical term. Learn to first Observe your thoughts. Create in your head, two selves, the 'observing self' and the your thinking self. But rather than describe in detail this technique, I will tell you it is from the teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. They got the teaching from the sufis and re-packaged it to be more acceptable to the analytical western mind (IMHO). If you are interested enough to read a book, let me know and I'll dig up a title. Anyway, once you learn how to observe your thoughts, this will give you some control. You will be able to decide if that thought is useful and if you want to 'go with that thought' or 'let that thought pass'. Most people are 'being their thoughts'. A man says 'I am angry' before he learns how to observe; after, he says 'I am having an angry thought'. Now do not underestimate the difficulty in establishing this 'internal observer'. It can take years to make it permentant because it is so very easy to get sucked into our thoughts and identify with them. I have not even spoken about the technique of creating this observer and without the technique, it is almost impossible to do. But this ommision on my part is deliberate because I don't want to give the false impression that I am actually giving you enough information to do anything and because my explanation could never be as thorough and G&O's. I only want you to know that there is a Way to control thoughts but it requires a lot of Work. Actions will follow from our level of attachment to our thoughts. If we are strongly attached, then our thought will order us around like a master to a slave. If we are detached from our thoughts then we can see which are comming from shaytun and which from allah(swt) and act accordingly. - -Michael- ------------------------------ From: woodsong@juno.com (Carol Woodsong) Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 12:56:32 EDT Subject: Re: sex in full moon re: the recent discussion ... Might it be that 'satan' is that which we find when we turn away from the Light? I've 'had sex with satan' before, in that i was not mindful of the complete experience of love making. If we look at this in terms of "love making" as opposed to looking at it as "sex" (connoting mere physicality?), it takes on, at least for me, a totally different perspective. Sex is a physical function, a biological imperative... whereas Love is that of God/Allah. One must be /mindful/ to be truly 'making love'. Can love and sex be separated? Maybe /that's/ where satan steps in -- when we attempt to make that separation? Just as life and Spirit are /not/ separate, when we /believe/ they are separate, we become lost... and 'satan' steps in? just a thought... :) much love to all, Yondanoota ------------------------------ From: Craig Johannsen Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 12:45:01 -0700 Subject: Re: Mother of languages Three or four years ago, a company called ReadWare in the US was selling a text retrieval program based upon the idea that Arabic really was the mother language. Their software attempted to determine the arabic triliteral root of each English word and indexed all documents or text files in your database based upon the arabic triliteral roots, according to the salesperson with whom I spoke. Well, it was an interesting idea, but, in my opinion, it didn't work well at all. It was forever retrieving stuff you didn't really want to see and failing to retrieve stuff it should have found because you knew it was there. This poor performance was probably evidence that the basic idea of finding such roots for English words was not well founded. However, the sales person said they did sell a copy to the US Library of Congress. Wouldn't it have been wonderful and amazing if it had worked? What the world needs is more dreamers! ------------------------------ From: Aaron McEmrys Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 14:06:38 -0700 Subject: Re: A new computer virus (forwarded) (fwd) Asim Jalis wrote: > > Dear Ellen, > > The message about the computer virus is actually the hoax. I have seen it pop > up elsewhere. Also I have seen it discredited in several newsgroups. Basically > it is impossible to get a virus through e-mail since the contents of an e-mail > message are never executed, just read. So in some ways the message about the > virus is ITSELF the virus in that it refuses to die and intermitently infects > various mailing-lists. > > Asim On a related note; as far as I know, the only way to pick up an internet disease is by opening an "attatchment" stapled to the email message. Some lists ask their community to refrain from using attatchments at all. Aaron ------------------------------ From: Fred Rice Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 08:03:33 +1000 (EST) Subject: Re: Transliteration/translation Assalamu alaikum, On Sat, 21 Sep 1996, Zainuddin Ismail wrote: > Salam to you Simon. > This area including Malaysia and Singapore is remarkably free of deep seated > racial prejudices.Pogroms and holocausts , local equivalents of extreme > forms of Zionism or Arabism even male chauvinism or feminism hardly finds > any place in this area.The news that the locals drove Viet refugees into the > sea or that Malays lived in trees are as absurd as the view that Singapore > is in China. This is not really my understanding.... to my understanding, Malaysia has programs which favour Malays over Chinese in tertiary education, if I am not mistaken (though perhaps this can be interpreted as a form of "positive discrimination" or whatever it's called, I don't know). Similarly, I've heard things like in Singapore, in the compulsory national service (i.e. joining the army), ethnic Chinese have a greater likelihood to be made officers than ethnic Malays. Isn't this right? If these things are true, I wouldn't say the region is "remarkably free of racial prejudices" .... Then there were the Malaysian race riots (?) in the 1960s.... yes? [....reading further....] oh, you mean free of anti-Jewish prejudice.... I don't know anything about that in particular.... Peace, Fariduddien ------------------------------ From: "Michael J. Moore" Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 15:53:34 -0700 Subject: Re: sex in full moon Carol Woodsong wrote: > > re: the recent discussion ... > Might it be that 'satan' is that which we find when we turn away from the > Light? > > I've 'had sex with satan' before, in that i was not mindful of the > complete experience of love making. > > If we look at this in terms of "love making" as opposed to looking at it > as "sex" (connoting mere physicality?), it takes on, at least for me, a > totally different perspective. Sex is a physical function, a biological > imperative... whereas Love is that of God/Allah. One must be /mindful/ > to be truly 'making love'. > > Can love and sex be separated? Maybe /that's/ where satan steps in -- > when we attempt to make that separation? Just as life and Spirit are > /not/ separate, when we /believe/ they are separate, we become lost... > and 'satan' steps in? > > just a thought... :) > > much love to all, > Yondanoota This brings an interesting question to mind. Is there are a requirement in Islam that a husband and wive love each other? I don't recall one. This idea that people get married because they love eachother is a rather new invention if I am not mistaken. 14th Century? Cathars? Romantic Love? Well, I don't remember the details. This idea of 'love making'; I don't get it? You see, I have some strong emotions about my wife. I call these emotions love. We have sex. I do not 'love' her *more* while having it, so how could one call it making love? - - Michael J. Moore ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 07:06:23 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Transliteration/translation I am thinking about the masses not about policies which are rationalised by governments and which in their opinion serve a certain purpose.That is another subject.The riots were simply the result of manipulation by politicians during elections which were taken advantage of by gangsters and political elements.The masses on their own do not have such agenda . At 08:03 9/21/96 +1000, you wrote: > >Assalamu alaikum, > >On Sat, 21 Sep 1996, Zainuddin Ismail wrote: > >> Salam to you Simon. >> This area including Malaysia and Singapore is remarkably free of deep seated >> racial prejudices.Pogroms and holocausts , local equivalents of extreme >> forms of Zionism or Arabism even male chauvinism or feminism hardly finds >> any place in this area.The news that the locals drove Viet refugees into the >> sea or that Malays lived in trees are as absurd as the view that Singapore >> is in China. > >This is not really my understanding.... to my understanding, Malaysia has >programs which favour Malays over Chinese in tertiary education, if I >am not mistaken (though perhaps this can be interpreted as a form of >"positive discrimination" or whatever it's called, I don't know). >Similarly, I've heard things like in Singapore, in the compulsory >national service (i.e. joining the army), ethnic Chinese have a greater >likelihood to be made officers than ethnic Malays. Isn't this right? >If these things are true, I wouldn't say the region is "remarkably >free of racial prejudices" .... Then there were the Malaysian race riots >(?) in the 1960s.... yes? > >[....reading further....] > >oh, you mean free of anti-Jewish prejudice.... >I don't know anything about that in particular.... > >Peace, > >Fariduddien > > ------------------------------ End of tariqas-digest V1 #149 *****************************