Murtad

I know, it's a sensitive issue. This morning I was asked, again, about the Lina Joy case. I told them that we can't just go about screaming our lungs out without looking deeper into the issue. I mean, look at the root causes of the problem. Even if you had legislations barring Muslims from renouncing their faith, how can we guarantee that murtad ceased to be a problem? People can still renounce their faith discreetly. You can't read what's inside their heart and mind, can you?

If I had the chance to meet Lina Joy I would really like to know why she was attracted to Christianity? How was the religion preached to her. I guess you've received that email about her being involved in an accident and the fella (now her boyfriend) who helped her. Don't know how true the story is. It doesn't matter if your house has a picture of Kaabah as big as the wall, or your sisters all wear tudung and your dad is the imam in your kampung. All that doesn't make you a Muslim through and through. If your iman is really strong, would you renounce Islam?

When I was in Sarawak, the Christian missionaries were willing to go deep into the remote areas and engaged the Ibans, Bidayuhs etc. They would provide them with their basic needs. You name it, water supply, lavatories, medical care etc. It's soft sell. No fiery sermons and no judging of one's character. It is a subtle way yet very effective. Now, have our ulama' and pendakwah done that? Have they really gone to the ground or they prefer to pass judgments from the comfort of their surau and mosque?

Islam is about peace. Islam is about compassion. But yet we have a mufti who would like to banish AIDS sufferers to an island. Kongsi-Raya is haram although we just go there for makan. What next? World Cup is haram too?

As Muslims, we need to muhasabah. We need to reinvent our approach. We can't keep blaming others for our own failures.