Mufti: Allow Chinese to build mosques Options

[HangPC2]

Mufti: Allow Chinese to build mosques

28 Jan 2007
Wan Hamidi Hamid


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KUALA LUMPUR: It’s time for Malaysia to have Chinese mosques run by the Chinese for the Chinese community.

Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said state governments, particularly religious departments, should allow Chinese Muslims to build mosques and surau for their community.

He said it was unfair of state governments to deny the right of the Chinese Muslims based on the misunderstood conception that Islam could only mean Malay language, customs and traditions.

"The idea that Islam in Malaysia must be Malay in all forms is wrong.

It discourages non-Muslims from wanting to know about Islam and at the same time denies the non-Malay Muslims the right to worship in their mother tongue.

"Chinese from China have been Muslim hundreds of years before the Malays accepted Islam. I believe state authorities should give permission for Chinese Muslims to build their mosques."

There are about 57,000 Chinese Muslims in Malaysia, according to the 2000 census, making up one per cent of the 5.69 million Chinese population in the country.

The late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, who tried to bridge the racial gap between Malays and Chinese, formed the Islamic Welfare Association (Perkim) to enable more Chinese to understand Islam, and if possible, to embrace the religion.

Dr Mohd Asri said Perkim and other associations continued to exist but the right for Chinese Muslims to worship was limited due to language and cultural barriers.

"We can no longer pretend that Islam means Malay. The Chinese and, the Indians who accepted Islam are equally Muslim and must have the full rights as Muslims," he said.

He also said the current situation made it difficult for Chinese who converted to Islam because they had to "masuk Melayu" (assimilate into the Malay culture), too, alienating them from their non-Muslim family and friends.

"If a mosque or a surau for the Chinese is allowed to be built, their non-Muslim community will still accept them as they are still considered Chinese by continuing to practise their language and traditional customs, which are not at odds with Islam," he said.

Dr Mohd Asri called on state governments and state religious authorities to provide the permit to build Chinese mosques and surau.

"For example, if there are enough Chinese Muslims in Perlis wanting to build a mosque, I will gladly advise the state government to issue the permit.

"But I hope state governments in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Malacca and Johor would approve the applications to build Chinese mosques.

"I’m sure when permission is granted, the wealthier Chinese community would be able to contribute to the building of the mosques on their own. To deny this is racism, discrimination and against Islam."




The Great Mosque of Xian, China - A 17th century gate (360 years old) providing entry into the first courtyard.
http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/xian/g...mosqueindex.htm

[Centurion]

That sounds fairly reasonable to me

[tangawizi]

Why can't the chinese muslims pray in Malay mosques?

[bandung]

^they can pray in malay mosques its up to them. i think a mosque should be a place for everybody which it is

This post has been edited by bandung: Jan 29 2007, 04:34 PM

[tangawizi]

who owns the kabah in Mecca?

[alfan]

wow, even that's an issue? how is that possible...

Ka'bah is not owned by any particular organization/country/groups. Ideally it should be maintained by an international consortium of Muslims.

This post has been edited by alfan: Jan 29 2007, 02:59 PM

[purple]

the idea of chinese and malay mosques annoys me. they should all pray together rather than all this seperation. it'll help with malay chinese relations cos its pretty crap atm, so some people have said to me.

[Betong]

IMO, this news says Chinese Muslim must given right to run it own mosque, to conduct khutbah in Chinese not in Malay.
So in that sense all Chinese Muslim can feel that they are Chinese not Malay.

[purple]

my first impression of the chinese mosque is that it looks like a buddhist temple

[Aranadhel]

of coz not silly! dis is Malaysia not China!

[ricochet]

I believe there shouldnt be any separation between Chinese and Malay nor Indians

Like in churches here...we do conduct services in Chinese as well as Tagalog to caters for certain group needs.

However, if the majority is Chinese or Indian....they might as well setup their own Mosque to facilitate smooth administration of the latter

[Betong]

The reason why the mufti asked this because some Chinese Muslim feel threatheaned that they will lost their cultural identity if they become muslim. So for me, I agree with the mufti suggestion because if any Chinese want to be Muslim it doesn't meant you have to be Malay... but to be Malay you have to be Muslim (only in Malaysia)...

This post has been edited by Betong: Jan 30 2007, 12:20 AM

[tangawizi]

wow, even that's an issue? how is that possible...

Ka'bah is not owned by any particular organization/country/groups. Ideally it should be maintained by an international consortium of Muslims.

That logic should apply to all mosques around the world. Anybody irregardless of their language and race shouuld be allowed to pray in mosques in whatever language, be it arabic, swahili, english, malay or chinese. Right?

Why shoudl there be separate mosques for Chinese and malays?

[Betong]

That logic should apply to all mosques around the world. Anybody irregardless of their language and race shouuld be allowed to pray in mosques in whatever language, be it arabic, swahili, english, malay or chinese. Right?

Why shoudl there be separate mosques for Chinese and malays?

It doesn't mean that Chinese are not allowed to pray in Malays mosque. It only mean that Chinese want their own mosque where they can read "Khutbha" or Islamic Sermon in Chinese and conduct other activity in Chinese. Malay also allowed to pray in this Chinese mosque as long as him/her Muslim.

[tangawizi]

It doesn't mean that Chinese are not allowed to pray in Malays mosque. It only mean that Chinese want their own mosque where they can read "Khutbha" or Islamic Sermon in Chinese and conduct other activity in Chinese. Malay also allowed to pray in this Chinese mosque as long as him/her Muslim.

oic... why do the chiinese want a separate mosque to pray in chiinese language? why can't they pray in malay mosque in chinese language?

[Betong]

oic... why do the chiinese want a separate mosque to pray in chiinese language?

Most of Malaysian mosque conduct all Islamic Sermon and teaching in Malay language. So most Chinese feel that they have to become Malays not Chinese anymore if any of them want to embrace Islam. So the mufti suggest there is no need for Chinese to become Malay or anything else because being Muslim doesn't mean you have to give up yur ethnicity.
So if Chinese want to build up their own mosque and designed it like temple or whatever, they can have that.

why can't they pray in malay mosque in chinese language?

I think they can if they want to. But FYI, all muslim prayer is conducted in Arabic language.

[ricochet]

The reason why the mufti asked this because some Chinese Muslim feel threatheaned that they will lost their cultural identity if they become muslim. So for me, I agree with the mufti suggestion because if any Chinese want to be Muslim it doesn't meant you have to be Malay... but to be Malay you have to be Muslim (only in Malaysia)...

malay is a race lar....muslim is a religion

Most of Malaysian mosque conduct all Islamic Sermon and teaching in Malay language. So most Chinese feel that they have to become Malays not Chinese anymore if any of them want to embrace Islam. So the mufti suggest there is no need for Chinese to become Malay or anything else because being Muslim doesn't mean you have to give up yur ethnicity.
So if Chinese want to build up their own mosque and designed it like temple or whatever, they can have that.
I think they can if they want to. But FYI, all muslim prayer is conducted in Arabic language.

betong is right.....muslim prays in one language unlike other religion

in SG we do have mosque erected and administered by indian. In Kl also. I have many frens who comes from indonesia and go and pray at bangladeshi mosque. Its because we were in serangoon and that is the nearest mosque available...

This post has been edited by ricochet: Jan 30 2007, 01:27 AM

[tangawizi]

Most of Malaysian mosque conduct all Islamic Sermon and teaching in Malay language. So most Chinese feel that they have to become Malays not Chinese anymore if any of them want to embrace Islam. So the mufti suggest there is no need for Chinese to become Malay or anything else because being Muslim doesn't mean you have to give up yur ethnicity.
So if Chinese want to build up their own mosque and designed it like temple or whatever, they can have that.
I think they can if they want to. But FYI, all muslim prayer is conducted in Arabic language.

the prayers are always in arabic i know, but the sermons (u know talk-talk) are conducted in malay right?

why can't the muftis have a chinese sermon session?

[Betong]

the prayers are always in arabic i know, but the sermons (u know talk-talk) are conducted in malay right?

why can't the muftis have a chinese sermon session?

Because the mufti was Malay and he cannot speak Chinese. But if he can speak Chinese and all people who attend his sermon understand Chinese, why not.

[tangawizi]

Because the mufti was Malay and he cannot speak Chinese. But if he can speak Chinese and all people who attend his sermon understand Chinese, why not.

doesn't that make more sense? having chinese speaking muftis hired to give sermons in the mosque, rather than building a separate chinese mosque? why segregate the believers on language?

here, the african churches got sermons in swahili, english, spanish, italian and even tagalog!