Bar Council Forum And Its Aftermath

Although the media, both mainstream and online, seemed to have emphasised the participation of KeADILan in the protest against the Bar Council’s forum on Conversion to Islam, I am heartened to know that the party leadership has taken a more balanced stance. Otherwise I would have found myself being forced to re-evaluate my affiliation with the organisation :

Media Statement
9 August 2008
CONDEMNING ACTION AGAINST BAR COUNCIL SEMINAR

This morning a small demonstration was held to oppose the seminar on “embracing Islam” organized by the Bar Council. Less than 500 demonstrators participated, although it was earlier announced than 10,000 people would be present.

The People’s Justice Party (keADILan) regrets that the police force present failed to control the situation but instead appeared to collaborate with some of the demonstrators who wanted to force their way into the hall to stop the seminar. This incident reminds us of what happened during the APCET conference on East Timor that was held a few years ago, when members of Umno-BN forced their way in to sabotage the seminar.

We take serious view of the rough action taken by a small band of the demonstrators who shouted rude and uncivilized language against some of the organizers and participants of the Seminar. We regret that unfortunately the “fiercest” among them was someone known to be a lawyer and member of parliament who pretentiously claimed himself to be “representing all the Muslims”.
keADILan fully supports the view of its de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, that the seminar should be organized by the Bar Council behind closed doors, in view of the sensitive reactions and wrong perception among a section of the Malay-Muslim population. We are in full support of holding inter-religious dialogues that promote understanding rather than unilateral events that could create ethnic and religious dissension.

We oppose the small minority group of Umno leaders who threaten the organizers of the seminar with all kinds of actions, including the use of ISA, to force them to abandon the seminar. Obviously they do not respect the freedom of expression and organization guaranteed by the Constitution. Obviously, some of them were trying to trigger ethnic/ religious tension and conflict which could be manipulated to serve the interests of Umno and the government it leads.

On the other hand it would be better for the Bar Council not to allow itself to be trapped into the evil Umno design. It should have acted wisely and speedily to announce that the seminar would be held behind closed door to avoid any unhealthy consequence on inter-
ethnic and inter-religious relations in this country. Certainly the Bar Council realizes how important it is to ensure that the agenda of the irresponsible minority elements who want to create ethnic dissension do not succeed.

Dr Syed Husin Ali
Deputy President, keADILan
People’s Justice Party

I am not advocating that we sit down and do nothing. There is a serious discrepancy and creeping jurisdictional confusion between common law and Islamic law in Malaysia. And we ultimately want this issue resolved fairly.

Nonetheless, I can’t help but wonder. What if it was a Jew that nailed the 95 Theses? Would it have resulted in just another pogrom typical of that period or would the Reformation somehow have resulted from it? Which of these results would have had a more lasting legacy and impact? Which of these results would have made egalitarianised the self-critique mechanism within the Church?

I don’t know why (or maybe I’m just unwilling to say it out loud) but I see quite a few parallels in the build up to the events of 1517 and the situation in a lot of the Islamic world today. How it eventually plays out will depend on how we, as people with vested interests, play the next few hands.