Sharia In Context - 12 May 2022 - Ustaz Alfian Kuchit

 

12 May 2022

Topic: Sharia in Context
Day/Date: Thursday, 12 May 2022
Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Platform: Zoom (Online)
Ustaz Alfian Kuchit

Socio-Historical Development

1. Prophetic Era:- Mecca-Minority. Medina-Majority, Abyssinia-Diaspora

2. Rightly Guided Caliphs:- Succession, Expansion of Territories (e.g Sayyidina Umar (Problems of Bouties of Wars, lift the hukum of hudud during time of Famine).

3. Muslim Empires:- Rise of Mazhab, Encounters with Non-Arab Civilizations (E.g Empires:- Fatimids, Last empires (1900-2000): Ottoman Empire)

4. Colonialism:- Western Models' of Governance and theories of knowledges, Muslims in the West (e.g Muslims are no more in power, Dutch, Spanish conquering the Muslim territories)

5. Modern-Nation States:- Decolonization, International Law, Human Rights

6. Pre-1819:- Riau Johor Sultanate

7. 1819-1923:- Arrival of Raffles and Establishment of British Factory. (Where the sultan temenggong sold Singapore to the Brattish).

8. 1824-1867:- Singapore is under the asset of East India Company. (This company bankrupt and so it is dissolved and absorbed into the British rule).

9. 1867-1965:- After world war 2, developed: 1) Crown Colony, 2) Internal Self-Government for municipal issues (jaga longkang, tong sampah), 3) Merger

10. Post-Aug 1965:- Independence

Treaty of Hudhaibiyyah introduces Fiqh Aqalliyaat with terms being constructed to protect the Muslim minorities. (Protect from wars, etc.).

Similar to Singapore, there is Equal Protection (known as twelve-three) Article 12, subsection 3.

There is Article 152 in Singapore law saying that Government need to constantly care about the interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore.

There is also Article 15: Freedom of Religion but also constricted/restricted to the terms set out on the subsections (especially subsection 4). This heavily affects the marital issue (e.g Chinese before this is ok with polygamy and is ok but Singapore norms and values intervene it by defaulting to monogamy).

3 Things that the G are really concerned about:

1. Secularism:- National Policies are based on non-religious considerations and principles. (politics is about contestation (pertembungan) such as the tudung issue).

2. Meritocracy:- Work for Reward, Rewards for Work (no nepotism) / Stake for Everyone, Opportunities for All

3. Racial and Religious Harmony:- 

1. CMIO Model (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Other)
2. Self-Help Groups
3. Mother Tongue Policies (right now there are abit tweaking to be more inclusive such as Sindhi is added on top of Tamil).
4. Places of Worship Policies
5. Racial Harmony Day + National Education
6. Common Spaces: National Schools, Hawker Centres, National Service
7. Ethic Integration Programme at HDB estates

Role of Asatizah (Activity 1):

for Muslim Community:

Asatizah role is undeniably alot.

Asatizah holds an authority to speak and to give guidance wrt religious matters.

Asatizah needs to not only educate but to understand and know what is actually done by Muslim bodies and authorities.

At community level, especially when talking abt laws -  Singapore laws and religious laws. is a complex matter, we know this and Ustaz Alfian also shared there are tweaks that have been done..so I feel asatizah need not spur any kind of like misunderstandings/dramas but to keep on encouraging the masses to believe in the local Muslim authorities.

Because of course there works are being done at the backend/belakang tabir for every matter in question. So Asatizah role is to motivate the masses to believe, support the decisions made and educate WHERE needed. (ONLY WHERE needed). because sometimes the public sentiments may be misconstrued and we would not want to be the one fuelling it more, rather we would like to avoid any unnecessary confusion on the community level.

for Non-Muslim Community:

show them the true meaning of Islam (through Mauizoh hasanah). Potray through actions and everyday interactions, tolerations need to be shown in order for harmony to be established.

Sites of Friction:

• 1- Counter Movements
• Distrust of "state" influence
• Isolationist tendencies
• 2- Conservative-Progressive Divide
• Comfort level of openness
• Differing perspectives on what is good for society
• 3- Contestation for Dominance
• Competition for Mindshare
• Demonization of the "Other"
• 4- Assertion to Identity
• Response by marginalized/minority groups
• Demand for space
• 5- Erosion of the core
• Response by mainstream/majority group
• Fear of Differences

Globalization & Modernization

Capitalism, secularization, industrialization, rationalization, Nations states

Transformations in Society

Globalized Economy, Changing Family Structure, Changing Women's Roles. Growing Income Gap, Greater flow of Knowledge and People

Societal Condition

Fragmented, Lower Trust, Impersonal, Individualistic