Islam rejects 'Ketuanan Melayu'

I congratulate the former Mufti of Perlis for his recent statement chiding those who talk about "Malay supremacy".

Dr Asri Zainul Abidin is right in making a comparison between this silly battlecry of a section of politicians to Jewish supremacy, which underlines Zionism and all the ugliness that it represents. Of course, this statement by Asri did not make headlines in Utusan Malaysia or the other UMNO-owned media, unlike his previous opinion calling for Anwar Ibrahim's retirement.

It is also sad that while UMNO leaders in their ignorance keep harping on this racist and un-Islamic notion, not much effort was done by the leaders of PAS or the Muslim scholars in PKR to argue their opposition to this kind of racism from a religious point of view. Much of the issues have been argued from a political and constitutional point of view, and this has led many to suspect that PAS's stance has more to do with votes than their religious ideology.

A cursory glance of this hotch potch "Malay supremacy" will reveal that it has nothing to do with either the Federal constitution or the status of Islam. It is wrong to keep linking the position of Islam to this un-Islamic and racist belief that a certain race should be given preference and their culture should be held in more esteem than others.

Islam came to de-bunk the myth that there is any chosen race in the eyes of God, and characters like Perkasa and UMNO, who call themselves Muslims, threaten to bring us back to the age of the Jahiliyah Arabs.

PAS and PKR leaders should argue the Islamic stand on "Malay supremacy", and as said by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail recently, it is better for the Malays to become a dignified race rather than clinging on the 'ketuanan Melayu'. One also should appreciate our former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who once said that there is no point talking about ketuanan Melayu when most Malays work as coolies. Of course, this great Malaysian uncle keeps evolving despite his age.

The Qur'an is explicit of its stance against any notion of racial supremacy and many verses remind us of our origin from Adam and Eve, and who the real chosen people are, i.e. those who are fearful of Allah Almighty.

Prophet Muhammad's final sermon is also a warning to all those Muslims who are toying with racism, when he declared: "An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a black has no superiority over white, nor a white has any superiority over black, except by piety and good action (Taqwa). Indeed the best among you is the one with the best character (Taqwa).