A RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THE BENEFIT OF MUSLIM WOMEN IN MALAYSIA

Quote & Unquote NST 21/6/08

PUTRAJAYA: The prime minister has agreed to the formation of a secretariat for Muslim women's affairs to look after the interests of this group, especially concerning the implementation of the syariah.

The secretariat will be based at the office of Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who is the women's development and social affairs adviser to the prime minister.

Shahrizat is also chairman of the secretariat, which is under the patronage of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Shahrizat said a secretariat with direct support from the prime minister would give more prominence to Muslim women's affairs and the problems they faced.

"The secretariat will take up their problems such as those they face in the Syariah courts involving divorce, custody of children and division of assets," Shahrizat said at a press conference that followed a dialogue between 215 participants from 76 Muslim women non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the prime minister.

Abdullah did not attend the press conference and Shahrizat said she had been asked to announce the formation of the secretariat on his behalf.

She said the secretariat would help formulate a vision and strategic platform for the future of Muslim women in Malaysia and be and an advocacy centre for their rights.

Meetings to draw up the framework of the secretariat and its terms of reference will be held next week between Shahrizat, Minister in the Prime Minister's department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is in charge of Islamic religious affairs, and leaders of Muslim women and family NGOs.

Family law and women’s rights in Islam are well enshrined in the Quran and Hadith. Unfortunately, many Muslim men and women in Malaysia and elsewhere, due to their failure to understand and practice such basic rights, they become poor examples and their faults are easily capitalized by international human rights and other religious (Non-Muslim) groups. These groups are bent on influencing their own standard of international accepted practices which may not necessary conform with the accepted norm and practices of the Muslim society and thus causes a clash of cultures.

It is indeed very commendable that such a secretariat be formed by the Government to “help formulate a vision and strategic platform for the future of Muslim women in Malaysia and be and an advocacy centre for their rights”. However, the Secretariat should be properly advised by competent Muslim experts on Islamic family laws and the rights of women etc and which could also be substantially contributed by experts and practitioners in Syariah laws in Malaysia and elsewhere.

The Secretariat should avoid falling into the pitfalls of “Orientalists” or the so called “socialist or modern Islamic human rights reformers” in simply interpreting and adopting the human rights reforms or religious tolerances advocated the west and therefore conflict with Syariah. Muslims have always acknowledge that Islam is the final religion brought as a guidance for mankind with a complete way of life for all times and situations.

The Secretariat when well formed and constituted should be complementary and not compete with the existing Syariah courts. In fact the Secretariat when well structured and composed with specific terms of reference, the role of human rights groups especially from the Malaysian Bar Council to unnecessary interfere in the Muslim religion and practices would slowly be diminished. Step by step, with patience and proper strategies, the Government should then review and isolate the other challenges posed by the human rights elements of the Bar Council and other political parties which are not practical or abusive for our culture and unique system of governance.

I fear the following:

1. The infiltration of so called Islamic reformers including NGO’s who lack the in-depth knowledge and practical exposure in Islamic family laws etc, bringing with them theories and examples advocated by the western based agencies for religious tolerances

2. The pressure from international and local human rights and non-Islamic groups to influence the Secretariat to act as a competitor rather than complementary to syariah courts.

3. The sensitivities of the UMMAH be jeopardize or overlooked by the Secretariat in its quest to crystallize its vision to be at par with the demands and needs of modernization.

THE SECRETARIAT SHOULD NEVER BE AUTHORIZED TO ADVOCATE NEW LAWS, REGULATIONS AND PRACTICES TO CONFLICT WITH SYARIAH.