Between hudud law and death threats

A fellow journalist and producer recently faced major backlash, death and rape threats by the great and bogus keyboard warriors when she acted funny in an allegedly insulting hudud video posted on a certain platform on Friday.

Netizens watched the video and led to her being bombarded with criticisms including one that accused her of insulting her own religion - Islam.

Radio station, BFM (89.9FM) journalist Aisyah Tajuddin caused an uproar among those who have viewed the clip on Thursday after employer (the station) posted a 120-minute clip titled “Hudud Isi Periuk Nasi?" (Does hudud fill our rice bowls?).

Those who had cried foul after watching the clip were presumably Muslim viewers who found the content offensive and insane perpetuating what seemed to be religion stereotype to a certain conventional Islamic law.

The video highlighted one pertinent question: the fact that there are bigger issues that require attention from the rakyat other than the hudud law which had just been passed by the PAS-led Kelantan government at the recently-concluded State Legislative Assembly held in Kota Bharu, earlier this week.

One major national issue that comes to mind is the fate of the homeless victims of the recent floods devastation in the East Coast, late last year.

And what about the and other social ills that we hear ever so often in the news re: drug abuse and divorce cases.

In the video that was taken down on Friday evening (hours after it was uploaded on Thursday), Aisyah caustically highlighted an interesting point: “People argue over race and religion while the country’s economy is declining. Our debts go up instead. When the time comes, I don’t know if hudud can fill our rice bowls.”

I totally agreed with her. Period.

Whether one like it or not, it is what's happening here, so, which part of the video spells I.N.S.U.L.T?

At the risk of sounding petty, Aishah's offering might have offended some tudung-clad girls when she appeared at the beginning of the video donning a hijab.

But, that's how it is right?

Any woman who crosses the border into Kelantan is required to dress decently and as a show of respect for the staunchly religion system in Kelantan. Well, I know I do if I ever venture into Kelantan.

So, where is the insult? What's the big deal?

To me, Aisyah was just putting her thoughts and her views across -- in a rather casual and candid manner to a heavy and highly-debatable issue like the hudud.

How is this any different from say, from (most) popular Muslim preachers giving out talks in televised programmes to engage to the mass audiences. And their sermons were too at times, peppered with below-the-belt humour and satire?

Even so, I don't see any insult here.

It seems as a society we have failed to acquire the poise of an educated citizens who live in an (almost) developing country like Malaysia, that we can't manage to be argumentative in a civilised manner.

That we are a spoilt bunch?

Even after all these years after the country had stoically gained its independence and with all the liberation of being informed via modern technology and new media, we are still living backwards in our heads and minds.

And, worst in our hearts.

And when our children take it from us and start being bullies on either the virtual life or even real life, we blame it on the government or the education system for failing to provide to the well being of our children.

Do I support hudud? No.

Not when we are living in a diversified land, not in this country. But, that does not mean I am not a Muslim and that does not make me less of a Muslim woman.

But really, is this what we have become? No wonder the IS militant mentality is greater here than any part of the world.

Why do I say that? Because we Malaysians (especially the Malays) always resort to profanity and violence every time a debatable and heated issue arises, like it is the norms and the teachings of the beautiful religion called Islam.

I know that my religion never condone swearing, profanity or even violence. These are wrong and bad deeds that Allah forbade, so we shouldn't and must not do it. Simple.

But we did it, nonetheless. We cussed away with full of pride and with full support from our other Muslims brothers and sisters.

There were even threats to kill the non-Muslim for opposing hudud, for not wanting to embrace this not so newly-implemented hudud law.

How could they when they don't even understand our religion? When we the Muslims won't let them understand what Islam is all about and take a spiky turn and shadow this pure meaning to Islam with such negativity with our vulgarities?

Again what is so Islamic about threatening other people? What is so Islamic about using vulgar words?

Is this what the Malays in this country look forward to? Kill kill kill. Cuss cuss cuss.

Don’t like dogs and campaigns on loving animals? Kill the organiser. Rape the Malay girls who hugged dogs.

Don’t like a girl who shouted at an old man for hitting her car? Kill the girl and kill the old man (too) for making a big fuss out of it .

Don’t like a writer or journalist who writes article on the reality of life? Disagree with a journalist's take and how they feel towards certain things? Bang! Let’s kill them too. Burn them into ashes.

But funnily, I have not heard of any death threats on the members of the IS militant for recruiting young and innocent girls and luring them into an uncertain marriage with just any random Kalashnivkov-toting rebels.

Neither have I heard of any death threats nor cusses associating to the killing spree of random beheading, for the mass to see by these IS militants.

And so, as a member of the press, as a writer who have had her fair share of swallowing profanities and cussing and swearing from these so-called 'warriors', the vicious threats that was made against Aisyah are not just an attack to us journalists and our profession but also on freedom of speech.

Reality check, please.