Why People Don't Like Islam -- Reason #1347892878347

Malaysia is an example of what passes for a an area with a moderate Islamic population. It's slight majority Muslim, but has separate rules for Muslims and non-Muslims. Non-Muslims are not bound by Islamic law -- at least they aren't supposed to be. And it's not a rogue state, or a nasty dictatorship. No one is particularly worried about radical Islamic terrorism coming from Malaysia.  Yet even in that country you can see the oppressive nature of Islamic religion, when it insinuates itself into government functions, as it is prone to do. 

A Hindu child was forcibly converted to Islam in an orphanage at age 7, and given an Islamic name. That's bad enough. What's worse is that this child is now a woman of 28 and still suffering from that action.

She lives with her husband, S. Sockalingam, whom she married in a traditional Hindu ceremony, but they are unable to register their union because, officially, they belong to different religions.

Malaysian Muslims are not permitted to marry someone of another faith, unless the spouse converts to Islam. She is also unable to name her husband as the father of their two children on their birth certificates.

A court blocked her attempts to change her name and get legal recognition for her marriage. Religious oppression backed by government power -- that's all too often the way of Islam. 

A word that is thrown around quite a bit, especially on the useful idiot left, is "Islamophobia." Islamophobia is a made-up term that smears people who object to Islam as bigots with an irrational dislike of the Islamic religion and its adherents. But dislike of Islam is perfectly rational. It is based on both the teachings of the religion itself, the actions of Muslims, and observation of states where Islam is the dominant religion. The oppressive nature of Islam in even countries such as Malaysia is yet another of the endless examples of why it is quite rational to dislike Islam.  

Islamic Idol

I read with amusement an article in the LA Times about a popular Malaysian reality television show called "Imam Muda" (Young Leader). Since they are picking a religious leader, no women participants are allowed, of course. 

With its blend of doctrine and drama, it is a natural fit for Malaysia, a Southeast Asian nation that has tried to defend its Islamic traditions while welcoming high-tech industry and Western culture. ... The producers say they want to find a leader for these times, a pious but progressive Muslim who can show that religion remains relevant to young Malaysians despite the influence of Western pop culture.

It's on an "Islamic-themed" channel. The winner gets $6,400, a trip to Mecca, a car, a laptop and a dream job: "prayer leader" at a major mosque. Losers get beheaded. No, just kidding. But the winner also gets a chance to study religion in Saudi Arabia. That's a great idea. Send your young religious leader to Saudi Arabia where he might become radicalized and develop contacts with Islamic extremists. 

 Maybe the Catholic church could rip-off the concept and restructure it to pick new priests. Winner gets a trip to Rome, a job as a priest at a famous cathedral, and free counseling to avoid young boys.

The Dangers of Mainstream Islam

A current situation in Malaysia illustrates why even mainstream Islam is a problem, with its claims to governance and law. Malaysia has not been known as a barbaric backwater such as say, Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. It isn't noted for violence, supporting terrorism, or any of the other things associated with radical Islam. In some ways it could be said to be a typical moderate Islamic country. It's only majority Muslim at that, with something like 40% of the population being of other or no religion. But this mainstream Muslim country is caning a woman for drinking beer.

The 32-year-old mother of two was sentenced to six lashes with a rattan cane after being caught drinking beer at a hotel in Pahang state in 2007.

The victim herself, her ability to reason apparently clouded by her religion, says she wants the punishment to be public in order to "deter other Muslims from drinking alcohol." 

Here's a former prime minster of Malaysia, commenting on criticism about the caning sentence.

[He] said in his blog Monday that Malaysia's Muslims have nothing to explain to the rest of the world. "As Muslims, we do not have to care too much about the view of others toward Islam when doing what the religion calls for,"

When a religion explicitly rejects separation of church & state, as Islam does, this is the type of situation which results -- religion acting with the force of law to impose actual secular, as opposed to purely spiritual, penalties, based on a particular interpretation of doctrine. The article notes that

Malaysia's non-Muslims, including large ethnic-Chinese and Indian minorities, are free to drink and aren't subject to Shariah law.

That's great, for now. But if you are a non-Muslim Malaysian, you'd have to be crazy not to have some worry for the future.