Cultural influence modifying harsh women oppressive laws
Reader comment on item: Winning the Propaganda War [versus Radical Islam]
in response to reader comment: Malaysia's Family Law Bill that grossly violates

Submitted by FauziJamal (Malaysia), Mar 12, 2006 at 14:53

Sharizat sharing of ideology with PAS fanatic Hadi raised many interesting points of view which beg the question does women's right or emancipation comes from men benevolent attitude or does it comes from women's own struggle for equality?

Since there is only either men or women, the logical answer would be equality for women can only be achieved through men's acquiescence. I.e one party can only achieve equality if the other party agrees to it. Why was the Distribution Act 1958 provide equality for men and women. Was it at the time Malaysian women voices were very vocal rather than today? Of course not. The Act was fair for men and women was either because the Malay men were British educated and thus were influenced by the British sense of fair play or Malay men were by nature protective of their daughters and wants what is best for them.

I think both of these reasons are applicable. Malay men then provide difficult conditions for polygamy because they do not want their daughters to suffer! They wanted their daughters to be happy and woe betides the men who would cause suffering on his daughter. In general Malay men are monogamous. No men in their right sense would tell the women they are courting that hers is one of his first marriage. All Malay men would say that she is the only one until they die!

My point is that UMNO government has been ambushed by the religious PAS leaning officers who put their interpretation of Islam as they thought it ought to be. No Malay men declare they want to be polygamous so why the emphasis by the UMNO liberal muslims on promoting polygamy. The Islamic Family Law is an absurd act drawn up by PAS members for UMNO states! It is as if the Government is encouraging polygamy when obviously the majority of Malays don't want or practice it.

The majority of liberal Malay men want equality for women who are their daughters and wives. The absurd thing is that Dr Abdullah Zin said that it was a perfect law! Perfect for what you might ask. The Family Law he drafted was perfect for propagating polygamy. Perfect for ensuring men's position in polygamy. Perfect for the ease of divorcing one's wife.

Pertinent to show that the show of support for Islamic Family Law comes from PAS supporters such as JIM the women's wing and ABIM. PAS itself have come out strongly in favour of the Family Law! What does it tell you about the people who drafted UMNO family law? PAS members!!!

The only problem is that UMNO is a nationalistic party and the Malays in
UMNO have a soft spot for women be they daughters, wives or lovers. Thus Islamic Laws proposed by PAS ala arabic paternalism is quite foreign.

Left to the proselytising of the religious ustaz, Malay women would accept the fate that Arabic Islam would imposed on them. It is my proposition that Malay women freedom and relative success is entirely due to Malay men's sentimental feelings for their daughters and wives. Malay women in PAS accept that their husband has the right to sodomise them. PAS women accept their fate of waiting their turns to have sex with their husbands just like Arabs women are used to in polygamous marriage.

Heck, even Shahrizat has changed her tune on coming back from Mecca pilgrimage. It seems that Malay women's will to fight for equality can easily be broken by religious admonishments. Sharizat herself chastised the women's NGOs telling them they don't understand and are trying to create disrespect for the Syariah laws. A serious charge indeed. Does this means that now Sharizat accept Pas women's view that her husband has the right to sodomize her as in Hadi's law in Terengganu or marry 3 more women?

Even Rafidah has started chastising women's NGOs just like Sharizat telling that those who don't understand should just let the ulamas do their things!? Does this means Rafidah is going to pinang a younger woman for her husband as a devout muslim woman is supposed to do?

These just prove my stand that Malay women's success depends on the UMNO men's themselves. The women don't mind if the Islamic laws allows men to marry many wives because they are married to generally monogamous.UMNO men

In the previously banned Arqam, the men were actively encouraged to marry more than one. The women are trained to accept it as part of faith and tribulations they must accept. Why would any men object to this seemingly wonderful arrangement?

Who banned Arqam? UMNO men! What drives UMNO men to be kind and fair to women? Their sentimentality and gentle culture. As it is obvious by now Malay men are divided into UMNO and PAS. The malay women just want to let the learned ulama decide. Marina and SIS are new aspects to Malay women equality .equation. When women were given votes early on there were few women pressure group but Malay women are lucky cultural wise the Malay men are gentlemen and romantics.

Thus this explains the difference between Arab women and Malay women despite attempts to impose the Islamic shariah on the Malays. By the ways there are many Chinese baby girls given to the Malays as Chinese put a premium on boys historically while the Malays don't mind baby girls.

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