Madeleine Bunting in yesterday’s Guardian has a good rational viewpoint, sans Islamophobia-fuelled mass hysteria.

Some of the comments really annoyed me, and they precisely reflected some of your points. Satu minah ni cakap dengan begitu confident: “From my knowledge of the Sharia Laws, women are MASSIVELY disadvantaged”.

The difference between the UK and Malaysia is that in the UK, with relatively more press freedom, the media is independent and even the government is not above media scrutiny. In Malaysia, the government is the media, and therefore, puts itself beyond scrutiny.

P/S: I am going to try your tuna salad as lauk very soon!

What are we doing about it? Tricky task really. But I guess it’s not really a battle against ‘them’ (whoever they are) – but probably it’s a battle that should start within the Muslim themselves.

Misconception of Islam (and the Sharia Law) is common everywhere. Not only in the UK (Which, IMHO, is more than expected) – but it happens in our own backyard (Shocking? No!).

“First are those who use hudud punishments such as the cutting off of hands for theft and stoning for adultery to define everything that is Shariah.”

I believe majority of Malaysians do have the same mentality, either secretly or openly. And I’m not exclusively referring these misled Malaysians to some Ah Sengs or Kumaris – but they also include many Abduls and Fatimahs. Kalau orang Islam sendiri yang menghuni negara predominan Islam (yang kebanyakan pernah dapat asas didikan agama!) boleh salahmengerti tentang undang-undang Syariah – nothing is too surprising with the current controversy. With everyone here (in UK) jumping way over the board.

Totally agree with you on this: “What is obvious, though, is the power of the media in shaping how people have reacted”.

Penduduk UK [yang sepatutnya lebih educated dan open-minded berbanding orang Malaysia] pun senang digula-gulakan oleh media arus perdana (esp. the ‘red tops’ – or is it the redneck media?). They never bother to find the real truth (walaupun UK sangat kaya dengan sumber wacana dan info!). Instead they are more than happy to join the tabloid bandwagon. For people in UK to behave that way (padahal tradisi ilmu dan kesarjanaan formal di negara ini sudah berusia lebih 400 tahun!) – I find it very ironic.

May be that’s just the nature of every human-being. In a way, it justifies the reason why such ‘total freedom’ (of media) is not allowed in Malaysia. Because as the case in the UK proves, regardless of how ‘mature and clever’ the rakyat claim they are – the media is still very influential in shaping how they would react.

If the government allows the media to define what’s wrong and right; and to take full control of how the people should perceive things – I think that’s not a wise governing style.

My lima-sen thought.