Musawah ~ a global movement for equality and justice in the muslim family

hoooookai.... so i promised myself i had to write about this one, so i'm actually doing it now, unlike all the previous times i've promised myself. yaaaaaaa......

I spent four days at the Musawah conference for equality and justice in the Muslim family. The conference brought together over 200 participants from 47 different countries, mostly women's and humans rights activists from varying womens NGOs. I won't go into the technical details of Musawah (you can get all the info at www.musawah.org), rather i'll just rant about my experience there and some of the stuff i learnt.....

The first thing you notice looking around at all the participants at the conference is the diversity that is the muslim woman. From the arabs, to the africans, to the asians. From the older experienced ones, to the younger newcomers. The covered, and the not so covered. It just proves that there can be no stereotype of the muslim woman (arab muslims only count for 15% of the global muslim population apparently). Everyone had their own local issues that they were fighting for, or against. But all were united in the fact that women were being discriminated against in the name of religion. It was a very intimidating room to be in, with all these powerful and outspoken feminists around, but it goes to show the urgency, on a global level, of women's issues within Islam.

I was aware that here at home, there are existing islamic laws that discriminate against women, but having grown up with it being the 'norm', it makes it harder to step back and realize that actually, it can't be so that the Quran promotes this patriachy and discrimination when God created all things as equals. It is evident that Islam is not what holds us back from achieving equality, rather it is the patriachal systems and their interpretations of the Quran.

I think the thing that is the root of most misunderstandings in reference to interpretations of the Quran is that it is not put into context. Historical, social and political context. Any literal intepretations in this day and age is sure to be problematic. Also, selective interpretations. For example, in Malaysia, Islamic finance is very progressive. There are numerous interpretations, and new products that adhere to the everchanging economic landscape. But when the rhetoric changes to that of women and family law, it is said that interpretation isn't allowed, and we have to go back to culture. Why the double standards?

Am by no means an expert on the issue, and there's a hell lot of information that I took down, but it's a little hard to digest them into coherent sentences, so I'm just gonna do dot points :)

- Marriage is supposed to be a partnership between equals. Fighting against violence against women is frowned upon because it distrupts the power paradigm and questions the hegemony at home. It is the patriachal system of priviledge that subordinates women.

- Human rights activists are intimidated by the sensitivities of muslim countries. CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women http://un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/) and the convention on the rights of the child are the most ratified by countries, and yet it is the least implemented. Syariah law is used as an exemption of human rights, in the name of freedom of religion.

- The simple declaration of 'I pronounce you Man and Wife'. In marriage, a man remains a man, while the woman ceases to be an individual but merely an appendage, the wife.

- Female Genital Mutilation, which is still one of the biggest issues in the African nations, is used in the context of islam to control female sexuality by removing women's most basic human pleasure. It is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran or Hadith. Men's sexuality is seen as active, while women's are passive. This is why women are made to be covered so as not to invoke the active sexual man. (blegh!)

- In 2001 Turkey banned virginity testing. Many women were committing suicide because of it and there was a huge outcry by humans rights organizations.

- There are 30 million muslims in China. The Hui minority have had specifically female mosques with women imams for the past 300 years.

- The Iran/Iraq war in 1980 left thousands of widows behind, which forced for a change of custody law. Mass mobilization works and it reduces consequential risk for individuals. Iran had a One Million campaign of signatures to end laws that discriminate against women and just as many marched in the streets of Morocco (and it worked).

- I watched a documentary at the conference on the Iranian divorce system. It was always the women who wanted the divorce, and yet it was always their fault. The women were told by the judge to go home and make herself more attractive so as to lure her husband back to her. The women's files were almost always 'misplaced' which just prolonged their cases in the hope that they would return to their husbands. The women in most cases had to give up their marriage gifts (a sum of money promised at marriage which is about all they're entitled to) in order to get the divorce. And yet the women were fighters. A 16 year old girl wanted a divorce from her 37 year old husband (she got married at 14, he lied and said he was 27). She wanted to go back to school. She knew that the only thing she had to claim was her marriage gift and she wouldnt let it go even if it took half her life to get it. And she was drilling her husband, twenty years her senoir, into the ground. She sat in a room with about 6 other men, relatives of hers and her husbands, negotiating her gift, and she alone was shaming her husband with the sheer power of her voice and words. It was great! I tell you, don't underestimate women who live through little slits in their burkhas as just passive and demure.

- In Malaysia, ulamas usually use the excuse that there are more unmarried women than men to justify polygamy(?!). What is overlooked are the conditions in the Quran that apply to polygamy. Surah An-Nisa states that, "If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice." And the fact is that the majority of polygamous families are unhappy and lack communication between each other, which really goes against the point of this surah.


Ok, so that's only a bit of what was mentioned at the conference. Of course all the laws are different depending on the context of the specific countries. The more secular countries like Morocco and Turkey have achieved much progress (e.g polygamy is prohibited in Turkey), while countries like the Gambia still have a tough time countering barbaric practices like female genital mutilation. But what was evident was that no matter which muslim country it was, be it the more secular or the more 'strict' (e.g women are still prohibited from driving in Saudi Arabia), there was discrimination everywhere. When you step back from the issues, it seems like a neverending uphill battle, an impossible task against such deep rooted patriachy. But looking at the individual women in that room, you can't help but be filled with inspritation and hope. These are women who would make any man quiver in his boots, and they're not going down without a fight. They acknowledge that it is a hard task and it's not going to happen overnight, but they have put so much into the cause that they can't back down until justice and equality prevails. No doubt, these women will change the world.

But we can't leave the task to these women alone. It is the responsibility of every muslim woman, hell, every woman to get informed and spread the word. The women at the conference do it on a large scale (India has a great domestic violence campaign called 'Ring the Bell' (www.bellbajao.org), that have ads showing that the simple act of ringing the bell, at a home where you suspect there is domestic violence, will help the victim). But not everyone has axcess or funds to organise something like that. Campaign for law reform if you can (argue from the lived realities, not necessarily theologically), know your rights, talk to people, be open to different interpretations of the Quran. Define yourself in your religion. Get out and learn! Join the Musawah facebook group and talk to some of the scholars and feminists who are experts on the issue. It is no longer a time for women to be passive. If it's one thing I've learnt from Musawah, it's that equality is possible, and very necessary.

People watching can be hazardous for your health

So, i was surprised to find that it's been more than a month since i posted anything, especially since i thought i was doing so well!! heh... am at my usual haunt, and been sitting here for the last two hours trying to decide whether i should read, write, or aimlessly roam the net... having done the other two, now i'm down to writing about nothing i'm particularly excited about... more self-indulgent crap laaaaa....

i feel obliged and yet reluctant to write about the palestine - israel conflict... obliged because it pisses me off and there is always something to be said, and yet reluctant cause, well, everything has been said... what saddens me now though, is that it seemed like a phase... sure, it isn't a phase for the palestinians, the people fighting (on both sides)... but for the international community, the observers, it's dying down. it will be forgotten soon enough. there were numerous protests all over the globe, a huge outcry from every age, color, race etc of human being.... but now israel has pulled out of gaza (just in time for Mr. Obama's inauguration they say), and the outcry has died down... there aren't as many articles in the papers, not as much news coverage... the suffering will soon be forgotten by the majority, and it's bloody sad.... I dont doubt that the Israelis know this, and count on it so much so that they can continue their agenda, quietly.. The hype will die down, they might get away with what they did, and then they'll wait awhile before they do it again...

I won't go into details la. But at present, after this almost month long attack on Gaza, 1330 Palestinians have died, along with 13 Israelis... What puzzles me the most are the people who do stick up for Israel. 'Ya but Israelis have been killed too... Hamas fired rockets too' (eg. Mr new president).... WTF!!! I don't deny that Hamas fired rockets (some bullshit rockets if u ask me, CNY fireworks could do more damage..), but that DOES NOT justify Israel's jet planes, helicopters, tanks bombing the hell out of Gaza. Come on la... I find it fascinating to watch the likes of Tzipi Livni, spewing Israeli propaganda through the CNN airwaves... does anyone really buy her shit?! she just gives excuse after excuse after excuse for the slaughter of innocent civilians... there is no justification for that, that's it!

One of the main Israel propaganda tactics is marking Hamas as an islamic terrorist group, riding the waves of George W. Bush's 'War on Terror' rhetoric... and i've also seen the product of that propaganda here at home, 'islamists' protesting the war, themselves claiming a war on the jews.. they make it so much to be an 'islam vs. yahudi' issue, which really just feeds into the israeli propaganda. it isn't very hard to see that it IS NOT about religion. it is about land. they want to occupy the palestinian territory, and Hamas, with their measly rockets, are a damn good excuse. But Palestinian's aren't all muslims, they're christians too. but as always, many are punished for the actions of few. just like you can't condemn all jews, cause not all israelis or jews support the war (the israelis in the army who refuse to fight are thrown in jail). so really, the protesters at home, who condemn the jews and cry for a war against them, are no better than the Bush's of the world who paint muslims as terrorists.

But what is most annoying is this 'either or' game everyone plays (everyone being mostly the mainsream media la). if you're against israel's aggression, you're immidiately assumed to be supporting the other side (and therefore labeled a 'terrorist' supporter).. what bull! i definitely don't support israel, but that doesn't mean i support Hamas' attacks either. but yes, i do sympathise with them. considering that they're being blown to bits, they're completely blockaded, their land is being colonised, how the hell can you NOT expect them to fight back! the israelis keep asking for Hamas to stop firing before Israel will stop attacking... how the hell does that work? if the bigger power doesn't stop first, blowing everything up to bits, killing women and children, how can the smaller power stop? and if Hamas does stop firing first, will Israel really stop their conquest of occupying their land? i dont think so! ish!!!!!!

There has been much talk on this issue, yes. And most of the time, at the end of the conversation its, well what's the solution? My take is that Israel has a lot of balls because the US are backing them, so if the States pull out, there might some change, though not guaranteed. But then the US aren't going to stop backing Israel, aren't going to stop giving them money and arms. Obama can preach for peace and better international relations all he bloody well wants, but he still supports Israel. Simply because he cant afford not to. You'd think that it'd take a hell of a man to stand up for this shit, to say no to AIPEC and all the Zioinists pumping their money into this. And if Obama really, deeply, feels the way he talks then he would. But he can't can he. He needs the support of these people, their money. If he went against them, he'd be out of the govt in a flash, possibly even assasinated. Obama can preach change all he wants, but he's still under control of the support and money of these people. Any American president is. So what the fuck change can there be?

I do have hope for this guy, Obama. He is definitely a refreshing change from Bush, and not just cause he's black. I do believe he thinks the way he speaks, but is limited to his actions by the power he is obliged to support. We'll see lah, if he does walk the walk.

Anyways, enough with that rant...

pfft... i got nothing else to say now, am pissed.... will be back soon!!!!

Fresh ideas...

Ok, so they might not be so fresh, but it's not the kind of stuff I come across very often these days, so I thought I might share.

I heard about this guy called Anas Zubedy today. He's what you might call (to use a recently popularized term) an 'agent of change'. He's all about promoting unity among races and religions ( the tagline on his site is 'many colors, one race'). These are the kind of people who I think should have a bigger platform in this country. He's obviously a well read man, and is confident in his opinions cause he can back them up, constantly quoting the Quran at each point.

I haven't read through all of his stuff yet, but do check him out and let me know what you think, maybe if I read him wrong... He also has a blog, where he does post a lot of other people's writings, but has a few good ones himself. Here's a little taste. :)

"Contrary to Quranic hidayah (guidance), Muslims today seem to not see Islam as a long lineage of religion starting from Adam and concluding with Prophet Muhammad. Muslims today equate Islamic history with the advent of Prophet Muhammad thus making Islamic history almost synonymous with the history of the Arab people - negating all other spiritual traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, etc as emanating from the same Creator."

Have a good day folks... Love and peace to all

Am a statistic....

aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's about how I feel right now. This is because, for the first time (and hopefully last) I kena rompak! *insert expletive of choice here*

The story goes like this. Was driving last night, alone, after having a lovely dinner with friends. Stopped at a traffic light, and unfortunately there weren't any cars around at the time. Was facing to the right, or upwards at the lights, not too sure, when I heard a BANG! I looked to my left and saw that the passenger side window had been shattered and this skinny melayu boy had reached in and grabbed my bag. Since my bag is a sling, and has a long handle, I instinctively went for it and pulled hard, shouting many nasty things at the guy at the same time. We were tugging back and forth for a couple of seconds (still shouting at him, while he kept quiet, with this smug look on his face), when i realized i wasn't going to get it back, since he was actually holding the bag, and I was just holding the handle. So i let go. He ran behind my car where his friend was waiting on a bike, facing the other way. He hopped on, and they were gone. Meanwhile, i was frantically trying to u- turn on this tight road, for what seemed like forever, but by the time i was heading their way, they were nowhere to be seen. Sigh.....


I went straight to the police station to make a report. I didn't have that many important things in my bag, but everything in my wallet has to be replaced (IC, license, atms etc..), which is the hassle. Plus, I loved that bag!

I think what surprises me most is that I wasn't scared. Sure I was panicking at the time, but mostly I was just really really angry. I still am. And I can't stop thinking about what I would've done had i had the chance to get my hands on him. All day I've been looking at guys on bikes, hoping that I might catch him. And of course there are all the 'i could've' thoughts running through my head. I could've driven off as soon as i heard the bang (and hopefully have dragged him along the gound with me). I could've reversed and run over their motorbike ( and hopefully run them over, a few times, as well). But really, it all happened so fast, I didn't have time to think. So i can't blame myself. But am stuck with this rage in me, and I don't like it. Sigh....

What to do lah.... All I can do now is be more careful. Just locking your doors doesn't count for shit anymore. A good advice I heard is to interlock your handbag with your seat belt.... Or keep a baseball bat in the car... How sad that it's come to that.

Anyways!!! In other news. Not much other news actually. But I did find this interesting
http://thenutgraph.com/why-malaysia-needs-the-isa .

Am hopefully heading into the jungles to shoot at the refugee camps on Sunday, so will post on that next.

Be safe everyone. Much love and peace.

Pitter Patter.....

Been a pretty packed couple of days, lots going on.....

Went on a shoot on Thursday with a french photojournalist, Henry, who does productions for Discovery and Nat Geo. He's doing a story on the Burmese refugees here in Malaysia. I just helped out the camera man, carrying tripods, etc... But learnt a hell lot that day. The shoot was at this little shop house downtown, which was the HQ for the Alliance of Chin Refugees.

We started early, at about 9am. There were already more than 50 refugees there, waiting to get registered and get an ACR card (which is really just for ID, it can't stop them from getting arrested, only a UNHCR card will do that). But the real reason most of them were there that day was because there was a free clinic (which only happens once a month). Two volunteer doctors were slowly doing check ups on as many people as they could get through. Many of the refugees there had only just crossed over the Thai border a few days earlier (having walked all the way from Burma). They were living in makeshift camps in the jungles behind Putrajaya, up near Cameron Highlands, and other parts of the country. It was a big risk for them to come to the city, but most needed the medical attention.

There was a young 18 year old girl there who was taking a pregnancy test. Man was she nervous, rubbing her hands together constantly, while waiting for the results. We sat there with her, watching the little stick, waiting for it to turn red or blue. Turns out she was pregnant, and she was ecstatic! Apparently, many of the young girls try to get pregnant cause it makes it a hell lot easier to get registered at UNHCR. A lot of the other refugees were also trying to forge indentities, stealing other (sicker) people's x-rays and even going as far as saying that they were HIV+ so as to get registered with UNHCR.

They had stories to tell. An elderly couple there, were finally being sent to the states after 3 years of waiting here in Malaysia. The wife was a nurse, helping the doctors. Her husband was being treated for some skin infection thing. He was a civil engineer, who'd spent some years in prison in Burma because he refused to be an engineer for the army. Another elderly man there was translating between the doctors and patients. He spoke perfect english, and mentioned that he was also a writer for some burmese journals. It definitely wasn't fair to assume that they were all uneducated farmers....

As depressing as it was seeing the helplessly sick there, I was surprised that they were hardly ever moaning or groaning. They always smiled and were very polite and accomodating, considering we had a huge camera in their face the whole time.

There were also many children there. A little girl about six or seven years old was coughing non-stop. She reminded me of my lil sis, who was also sitting at home with a cough. But after the doctor examined the little girl, it turned out that she had TB. It made me realize how much we take for granted. When my lil sister gets sick, we can immediately get her to the hospital to get checked out. These children have no such priviledge, and usually get really sick before they have a chance to see a doctor, if at all.....

There was also a french volunteer there who ran a little operation for the women and children, teaching them to be more independant. She had a little room there with about 3 sewing machines for the women to make handicrafts to sell. They were actually doing quite well with that, to the extent that they were starting to have problems with the men, who seemed to think that they had a right to take the money that the women were making.

I was also surprised to learn that the center didn't actually house any of the refugees, despite there being a couple of rooms. They were welcome to stay for the day, but at the end of it, they had to go back to their camps in the jungles. Considering most didn't speak english or malay, i wondered how they traveled back and forth, not being able to understand road signs and that....

While the refugees waited in the main room, they were being handed out packets of condoms with detailed instructions in burmese. While a few got red-faced at the sight of the condoms, many refused to take them because they had no idea what they were. Henry told me some stories where he had gone to some of the camps for HIV testing and condom distribution. They had shown the refugees how to use the condoms with a bamboo pole as an example. When they returned the next time they found all the condoms they had distibuted had been used, but on bamboo poles outside the camps... HIV/AIDS isn't that rampant among the refugees, but the condoms are also given out in the camps to try and stop the refugees from having children they can't afford...

That day was quite an experience. It's definitely not cut out for everbody. You gotta have a hell lot of patience, and not be scared to get your hands dirty. And you have to be completely selfless, and have the passion to have to deal with it day in and day out. I have a lot of respect for the doctors and volunteers there, they just do it, no questions asked, and expect nothing in return..... am looking forward to the next shoot where we'll prob head into the jungles to their camps....



In contrast, the next day i went with mum to the Global Brand Forum. I didn't quite know anything about the forum apart from the fact that Oliver Stone was going to be speaking. Am not a hardcore fan of his (i haven't seen natural born killers... i know, i know, it's a sin), but i did love the Doors, and Any Given Sunday... and really, when else was i gonna get the chance to see a 3 time oscar winner speak....

The forum started with Ivanka Trump speaking. She'd pulled out of actually coming to KL a couple of days earlier, so the organisers put together a hologram type thing (like on CNN) for her to appear at the forum. If you thought she was a blonde rich man's daughter, boy were you wrong. She was really articulate, knew the business inside out and spoke on the Trump brand and what made it the huge real estate empire it is today. The video of her was obviously prerecorded (couldn't really be live considering the time difference), and that angered a lot of the audience since they couldn't interact with her. Of course, everyone dwelled on the fact that she wasn't actually there, rather than what she had to say......

Oliver Stone came on after lunch. He immidiately labeled himself the 'anti-brand', saying that he was no commercial director like Jerry Bruckheimer (thank friggin god...). He went on to explain how he comes to make the movies that he does, mostly in reference to his new movie W (a biopic on Bush jr). Having fought in Vietnam, he said he'd seen the circle of lies and propaganda used by the Bush administration before. The classic use of fear to win votes. He didn't intend to make three movies based on presidents (JFK, Nixon and W), but he found Bush's strategies the last 8 years a fascinating story....

After his talk, they had a panel open for questions that included him, Malika Sherawat (bollywood actress), Samar Kahn (bollywood writer and director), and Farah Kahn (malaysian mega entrepenuer). What was most interesting were the questions that were beeing put forward by the audience. There were a few good ones, but most were a bit, huh? There was one guy who made a point to get up to ask something at every chance he could (more so for attention, everyone clapped harder everytime he got up), but his questions were hardly relevant ( he asked Stone something about movies which were adapted from video games...). Another lady blatanly attacked Malika for being on the same stage at Stone, saying she was nowhere in the same league. Malika, a smart confident woman herself, handled it very well, saying that she was just at the rise of her career and had nowhere the same kind of body of work as Stone, and was honoured to be sitting next to him.

Malika was interesting to listen to. She got up on stage and the shutterbugs started flashing non-stop (she was wearing an incredibly tight small dress)... She talked abt her brand as a rebellious indian actress, going against the bollywood tide (kissing in her movies, gasp!).. She was perfectly aware of her image, but knew how to use it to her advantage, and also dispell ideas that a, some may call skanky, woman couldn't also be smart and independant . Also she mentioned how bollywood needed to collaborate with outside talent if it were ever to be a global industry.

Although i'm not that interested in the business of branding, it was definitely worth it to hear these ppl talk on the subject.... learn something new everyday.....


that's it for now.... back again soon.... g'day!!

World AIDS Day

Ok ok so I'm a little late. World AIDS Day is on the 1st of December, and this year I got to be part of one of the events. The Harley Owners Group (yes, HOGs) lent their support. We got to go for a ride (big convoy of abt 30 bikes), from Megamall to Pavillion... Was fun, but felt like a bit of a waste. We had a police escort who blocked most of the streets on the way to Pavillion, but no one knew why all these bikes were going by! We should have had a big flag or sign or something. But nevertheless, thanks to the biker boys (who, funnily enough, are all on facebook...).

Anyways, the real reason for this post is to spread a bit of info. And before you think I'm trying to copy my mother, I'm not la... But yes, I did grow up around it, and I realized that what might seem like second nature to me, a lot of people are oblivious about. I'm not going to spit out statistics, if you want all that info, I'm sure you can find it at the Malaysian AIDS Council website, http://www.mac.org.my/.


First and foremost. SAFE SEX. If that word irks you, I'll have to repeat it. SEX SEX SEX SEX... still uncomfortable? here's more... SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX!!!... okay, now try this. Talk about it!!
And i don't mean sit around the table talking about penis sizes ala Sex and the City (although I know that can be fun). But talk about condoms. Use condoms! ( I was recently horrified to learn that the 'sex ed' chapters in our school text books don't mention safe sex and condoms.... why isn't anyone, that i can see, pushing for better sex ed in schools?) At the rate that this epidemic is spreading, we really don't have time for sex, and especially safe sex to be 'taboo'. Everyone does it, so get over it. And spread the message instead. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and as there is no cure for AIDS as yet, prevention is key. From the hearts of the cities to deep in the kampungs. I know that MAC works hard to do this, and I've seen how frustrating it can be. Especially when they come up against people who think that educating people on safe sex = encouraging them to have sex. Come on la! Don't be so naive to think that our youth don't have sex just cause it might not be openly discussed. Yes, the choice of whether or not to have sex is theirs, but if they do choose to have sex, they should be educated enough to know to do it safely. (btw, this isn't just specific to AIDS, it applies to all sexually transmitted diseases). Maybe some might think that to talk about sex, or safe sex, is not part of the asian culture, or something only 'mat salleh' do. Being at school in Melbourne the last six years, i dont think the question of condoms vs no condoms has ever come up. Everyone knows about it, what it does, what it prevents. Of course that doesn't make them immune to anything, they still have to put it into action. But the fact that sex isn't taboo (and there is proper sex ed in schools), does help a lot. Some of my australian friends shudder at the thought that i've never had a pap smear, nor been to see a gyneacologist, which i'm sure is the same case for many Malaysian women. So yes, talk about it! Anyone who's sexually active has the right to safe sex (which means you have the right to demand to use a condom, esp us girls). Get informed! Spread the word! Get yourself tested! and really, now with every different shape/size/texture/taste/color of condoms there are, it can be heaps of fun :P


That was prevention. What about the people who already have HIV/AIDS? I've met a few people who are HIV positive. There is nothing different about them. They are like you and me. They Are you and me. Don't think that a HIV+ person is automatically a drug addict or sex worker. A big percentage (check mac website for numbers) of women infected are housewives (most numbers in Kelantan). AIDS DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. Don't matter if you're male/female/old/young/malay/chinese/indian/gay/straight/rich/poor. What people living with HIV/AIDS (and their families) need is support. Apparently there are still a number of people who think that touching/hugging/kissing/sharing a plate with a HIV+ person is going to get them infected. Wrrrrrrrrrrong! There are three ways you can be infected. Sharing of needles, unsafe sex, and if a pregnant woman is infected she can pass it on to her baby. And don't think that there's no point in helping them because they're going to die anyway. Many HIV+ people still go on to live long lives. So don't discriminate (you shouldn't anyway). With the numbers we have here in Malaysia alone, more likely than not you've already come across a HIV+ person and not known it.

OK, thats my AIDS ramble.... If i didn't say anything you didn't already know, great. If you learnt something new, even better. Spread the love people (safely :) )

Ramble Ramble Ramble....

This is my 2 cents in effort to keep this blog going. And also i feel like rambling right now.... When i'm in Melbourne, am quite apathetic to going ons around me. Politics especially hardly ever come up in conversation (apart from recent Obama craze). But when I'm back in KL, it's hard to keep away from all the crap that goes on around here. So here are my thoughts on a few things.....

What is this issue about not being able to talk about 'sensitive' topics? Rafidah was quoted in the papers today as saying that if issues were discussed openly, there would be no end to the bickering and this could lead to divisiveness not just within the Barisan but also among the people... um, what?! Why should the people not have the benefit of hearing these issues being discussed (and these 'sensitive' issues are usually the most important ones), just cause our politicians can't stop bickering? THEY are the ones who should learn to argue intelligently and in a civil manner. And is she saying they don't bicker behind closed doors? She also went on to say that, "As a family, we do not go to the gate to quarrel. We do it inside the bedroom." Yes true, but family quarrels, in the bedroom or not, don't affect the whole country..... I reckon a good leader should be able to confidently argue and defend his/her views, in public debate, no matter if you were the PM, or the ketua of a kampung. So let's put them on the stand.

on the NS program:

I don't know if it's a little known fact or what. But it seems completely absurd to me that the program is still running considering there have been at least 20 deaths (that i know of) since the program started in 2003. How the hell can the program still be running? How can they expect parents to give up their kids for three months when there's such a high risk of them not coming back alive?! These are 18 year old kids, and 20 of them have died in 5 years! At this stage, if I were a parent, no way would i let my kid go for NS. Why should I? And I get that it's supposed to instill unity/national pride etc.. but i don't see why that entails the kids to fire weapons.... They should shut down the program, and do whatever it takes so that thses deaths don't continue. If you're going to have a government program like this, you can't have any glitches. If it was because of lack of care, or medical care, then put in more minders and doctors (good ones... putting in lousy doctors who don't want to be there and don't give a damn isn't going to do anything). If it was related to abuse, then the abusers must be dealt with, there should be councellors so the kids have an outlet to turn to should they be abused/bullied etc... Parents should stand up and protest. There's no reason they should let their kids go for NS unless the officers and program heads could absolutely guarantee that there aren't going to be anymore deaths. I think that should be an easy enough promise to make.

On Yoga fatwa:

What really is there to say here that hasn't been said already... Actually, we should get the Fatwa Council up for public debate. I sure have a few questions to ask them. Like, why aren't there any women on the council? And are they planning on adding any? And who are these guys on the council? Why do they have the right to judge the way I am or how I view my religion? Why do these guys have so much power over the lives of muslims in this country when they weren't even democratically elected? I'm sure there are many intellectual/ open minded religious leaders, why aren't they on this council?

OK... I'm done rambling for today..... sorry it's a bit of a moan and groan fest....

Peace and love to all! :)