Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands
Friday, December 31, 2010
A Catholic view on Islam and Muslims in Malaysia
http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1987:a-catholic-view-on-islam-and-muslims-in-malaysia&catid=38:analysis-and-opinion-&Itemid=72
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
to ponder......anger
If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size?
~Sydney J. Harris
Note:
My size is XXL, my stomach is XXXL hehehehe!!!... but since in Holland it has reduced in size...
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
to ponder....politician
You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Read with an open mind and eyes
ON ISLAM AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
Written by Selena Tay
An absent-minded professor suddenly realised he was late for a meeting. He called for a cab, got in and told the driver, "top speed, man, drive as fast as you can, I am late for a meeting". A few minutes later it struck him that he had not told the driver of his destination, "excuse me, mister, do you know where I want to go?" he asked the driver.
"No, sir, but I am driving as fast as I can," came the driver's enthusiastic reply.
The above story was taken from the book entitled One Minute Nonsense by the late Father Anthony de Mello, a Catholic Jesuit priest from India. The stories in the book all take less than a minute to read and it's purpose is to create awareness.
This writer is of the view that Malaysia is just like the cab driver in the above story. Malaysia is developing fast but is lacking in direction.
The purpose of government is to take care of the nation and take care of the people. To this end, the slogan of 'Rakyat Didahulukan Pencapaian Diutamakan' is quite appropriate but exactly how it is to be implemented is another matter altogether.
The purpose of government as defined by Islam and Catholicism is to prosper the earth and prosper the people by being a good and responsible government. In Islam as well as in Catholicism, the government is the custodian or the steward of the nation's wealth. And the nation's wealth is to be used in a just and responsible manner for the well-being of the nation's citizens.
Islam not only exhorts its faithful to take care of the hereafter but matters of the world must also be duly taken care off according to the precepts laid down by God. The same goes for Catholicism. As Malaysia is an Islamic-led nation, this writer will focus on the Islamic viewpoint of good administration.
Government in Islam hinges on a continuous effort to strive for a prosperous society in a just and responsible manner towards all and sundry and governance is practiced on a vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with man. Thus, the government is accountable to God and also to its citizens.
It's all about justice
Resources of the nation must be used to generate wealth and there must be a fair and just distribution of wealth. This means that wealth should not only evolve around the wealthy. The cardinal principle of Islamic economics is the fair and just distribution of wealth as God prohibits wealth concentration among the elite few. The principle and theology of zakat which is one of the five pillars of Islam exemplifies this. Islamic economics and finance are based on the principle of sharing and not time-value for money. Its powerful financial tools are not based on interest. Created money can only be added if there is value-creation.
A good government must know how to achieve prosperity based on justice. Not only that, but there must be equal justice for all citizens regardless of race, religion or social status.
The assets, resources and wealth of the nation belong to God and the government must be accountable to God as the custodian or steward of the same. The government does not own the assets, resources and wealth of the nation whereas in capitalism the government is the owner. In Islam, the worldview is this: God, who is the owner of the wealth of the nation, places this said wealth in the hands of the government who must then use it responsibly by harnessing it for the well-being, benefit and prosperity of the people. This principle of stewardship which God bestows upon the government acts as the link between God and His creation, i.e. the human race.
Therefore, the government must be accountable to God. There must be fairness and transparency in all it does and there must be compassion for the rakyat. This means that the draconian laws of this country such as the Official Secrets Act which are man-made to suppress truth and oppose transparency is a travesty against the law of good governance and against the law of God.
The Government's practice of reducing the price of luxury goods which are used by the rich and increasing the price of basic necessities which are used by the masses will burden the poor. This practice is also against the laws of God. This is evil governance as it goes against the law of God which require the government to be fair to all the people, rich and poor alike.
Islam also advocates that the best person to govern the country must be able to do so in a trustworthy and competent manner in terms of organisation, technical aspect and knowledge and strategic administration.
Islam also advocates meritocracy where the job must be given to the person most eligible and competent and not because of nepotism and cronisym. The precepts of God are totally opposed to the practice of cronisym and those who practice cronisym betray the stewardship that God has bestowed upon them.
This writer also wish to emphasize that xxx (deleted) opposes cronisym because it is against the law of God and not just because it is a bad, wrong and unethical practice. Therefore, those who practice cronisym are ignorant of the law of God.
Last but not least, this writer wishes to use a quote from the Holy Quran that best sums up the qualities of a successful nation:
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. (Surah Ali Imran, verse 104).
Selena Tay
Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com
to ponder....justice
I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.
- Bishop Desmond Tutu
Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
to ponder....racism
Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list.
~Dennis Leary
Note;
So, stop teaching our children (students) about the colour of our skin.....!!!!!
Monday, December 13, 2010
to ponder....self-respect
They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.
~Mahatma Gandhi
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tong sampah khas
Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands
to ponder....mistakes
The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
~Elbert Hubbard, The Note Book, 1927
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
to ponder....poverty
Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.
~Norman Vincent Peale
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
to ponder....perspective
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
~Abraham Maslow
Note:
Minyak
naik lagi......!!!!!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more.
~Bob Talbert
Note:
My two student from UiTM Kedah (Masyitoh and Wazna former Islamic Banking student of Segamat) has just arrived this morning for their practical training until May 2011. I hope students from Segamat are brave enough to take the challenge and come here!!!! Please teachers encourage your students to accept this challenge.....
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