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Members of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Youth Movement (Gepima) want to be known as Malays and not Indians since the the country's constitution states that an Indian is a Malay "if he professes the Muslim religion, habitually speaks Malay and conforms to Malay custom".
"I am a second generation Malaysian and I can safely say that from wedding rituals to the food we eat and the language we speak, we conform to Malay customs all the way," said Gepima president Mohamed Kader Ali.
He said since these traits are widely practised by Muslims of Indian origin today, "Gepima is appealing to the government to streamline the laws and recognise Muslims born after independence as Malays in their birth certificate."
"We have written several letters to the National Registration Department but it keeps saying that it can't do anything about this," Ali was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times online. "We have been facing this problem for the past 50 years."
Ethnic Indians in Malaysia are mostly Hindus with origin from Tamil Nadu. They have become increasingly vocal with claims that they are marginalised in this multi-racial country.
Syed Osman Mohamed, Ali's 24-year-old son, said we "feel uncomfortable to be known as Indians, because people automatically think we are Hindus when we are actually
Muslim."
Ali said our children do not even know how to speak Tamil. "They only converse in Malay and our wives wear baju kurung or kebaya nowadays, no more the saree," he said.
it is indeed a shame that indians cannot be proud of Indian heritage. religion does not changes one's culture. india in her long history has had all major religious thoughts sweep through her social fabric, but the culture and customs will remain indian. shame on you for selling your culture away, Gepima. the prophet's (PBUH) own companions were of different origins. take salman farsi, the 'black' slave. did he denounce his 'race' and blackness'? the prophet (PBUH) actually rejoiced and celebrated diversity and plurality in thought and culture, 'race' as you call it. the problem lies in malaysia's education system and its narrow definition of 'race' and its unnecessary emphasis on race, as if it defined one's character. hold your head up high, Gepima, it's OK to be muslim, and Indian, AND live in the way of any culture you want without any compromises. wearing a kebaya doesn't make you more of a muslim. i suggest you read some islamic history, maybe it will encourage you to be proud of your religion, and your roots/culture at the same time. btw, did you know that the filipinos belong to the same malay 'race' but are majority catholics? that the balinese are the same 'race' but are hindus? does that make them any less catholic or hindu? esoteric islam values what lies within our hearts, not what we wear outwardly or or what 'culture' we follow or 'race' we belong to.
If India cannot interfere with the barbaric practices of Muslim countries like Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, then these countries also have no right to protest against imagined muslim marginalisation ot Prophet Mohammed cartoons elsewhere in the world. Let them allow people to freely practice apostacy before they lecture the world or India about how to treat muslims. India treats muslims much better than infidels or even muslims are treated in their own countries. This is why in 60 yrs of independence NO muslim is leaving India to go to Pak of B'desh, but we are flooded by illegal muslim immigrants risking their lives to live in this "unjust and muslim discriminating" land. No American or EU muslim is trying to come to the middle east but the whole population of Iran would shift to the same "Satanic" US if they had a chance!
Congrats. Nice reply. Individually many Muslims are very nice and helpful. But collectively their society is full of hypocrisy and fake thoughts. They demand all the demands in the world where they are a minority. They will come to catch your throat if you drink a cup of water during Ramadan, where they are a majority! Allow and campaign for Hindu and Christian rights to build temples and churches in Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi and all those countries. Then Muslims can have a fair discussion on minority rights worldwide.
This is just a ploy to get all hindu ethnic Indians convert to Islam, so that they can escape the discrimination meted out to non Malays or non muslims. As someone pointed out below, muslims want secualrism only when they are in a minority. Show me ONE secular country with a muslim majority (except for Turkey and even there they have compulsory Islam classes in state schools).
I guess some people don't realise what they are talking.Let’s take example of Ms Savithri Shankar.How illogical one can go?No ma'am it’s not about being 'Malaysian' it is about being 'Malay'.American argument dismissed.Yes, Malaysian Indians are also called NRI/PIO. I don't know where you heard otherwise.The folded hands thing is for money, not just for 'American' per se.We have wall carving where Portuguese traders are folded hand in front of Indian King.Money speaks!It will be equally laughable if being in white country and adapting their practices, you claim that 'call us white'.Ethnicity is the point here.I have no problem if some Indian wants to be called Malay or anything.It becomes condemnable; when, 'give some of us good deal' and 'leave others of us in misery'I think you need to grow wiser!
I totally agree with them. Being a Hindu I can safely say that our country India that boasts of being a "secular and multi-cultural" nation is NOT secular at all. We look down upon Muslims call them names, abuse them. If they want to be called Malays its up to them but being in India they are always looked down upon.
Shed no tears at Indian muslims.Indian muslims are not Arabs but Hindu converts.Hindus look down on muslims because of historical facts.India's freedom was fought by Hindus only.Muslim deceived Hindus by demanding a seperate country by the encouragement of British.After seperation of countries,millions of Hindus were sloughtered, kicked out and those who stayed were converted by Pak
Being called a Malay and Malaysian are 2 different things. I think people are getting confused here. Our Indian origin muslim friends dont understand that "All malays are muslims and all muslims are not malays" Malay denotes ethnicity and not nationality. It is shameful that they dont want to be identified as Indians. They are few of the selfish clan who are ready to sell their soul.
What is wrong in identifying ourselves with that particular nation, which has given anyone a life and livelihood with honor. Terrorist organizations like RSS wanted Indian Muslims to be assoicated with Hinuds not India. Uppercaste Hinuds yell venom on Fathers of the nation but use his name for commercial purposes (Gandhi store, Gandhi hotel, Gandhi hospital etc). Hypocrisy has been the best and largest weapon Upper caste Hinuds have been using sucessfully against Minorities in India...When a educated
This is kind of inbuild Muslim metality that when they are minority they want secularism, but when majority they want Islamic country. Malays are muslims so being Indian Muslims they want to be their brothers. Indian Hindus are no more their brother. May be some Muslims think differently.
Why do they want to called Malays?? I guess only for enjoying the govt priviligaes extended to Malay people. Do they accept Malay title minus the previlages?? I do not think so. Moreover, they are distanting themselves from Tamil Indians who settles in Malaysia and called Indians. Indian goverment should ensure that once they are called Malays , they should not be allowed to be married with Indians.
Indian Muslims in Malaysia carry 2 identity, in public they want to be accepted as Malays to enjoy all the privileges and in private (home
It was surprising to read that Sayed, a 24 year old,is ashamed to be known as an indian as he regards indians as hindus. If others think of India in such a fashion, then why not correct them instead of bending your head in shame. I pity him, for he has no integrity and in a way i am happy for him wanting to disown indian status, because we not need such "in human" and character less citizes. thank you all for leaving india, you are doing us a favor.
I totally agree with them. Being a Hindu I can safely say that our country India that boasts of being a "secular and multi-cultural" nation is NOT secular at all. We look down upon Muslims call them names, abuse them. If they want to be called Malays its up to them but being in India they are always looked down upon.
By calling the Indian Muslims Malays it will be easier for the State to specifically discriminate against the Indians of other religions( affirmative action policy) as currently the discrimination had inadvertently or unwittingly affected the Indian Muslims too.The Malay Muslims in Malaysia were made to believe that only muslims will go to heaven and such discrimination is ok because others are infidels condemed to hell already.
It is REALLY a pity that this IE editors are subjective in their authority to ALLOW who can post and what to post. My valuable arguments (I believe so, and have a right to think so) at least to the best of my knowledge, have been taken off. and by the way there was NOT a single derogatory comment about any religion, caste, creed or race... It looks like that IN ORDER TO PUBLISH a comment, you have to ATTACK OTHERS. Shame on IE...
I agree with Neptune's comment on Savitri's posting. There has been a general policy in Malaysia to marginalise and alianate non Muslim Indians. The Indian Muslim's claims that they should be treated as sons of the soil becuase they are second generations descendants are a fair and valid demand. Then so is that of the other ethnic Indians who are into 3rd and 4th generations. That the Indian Muslims are prepared to regard themselves as exclusive from other ethnic Indians only show their selfishness; as opportunists who will hunt with the hounds and run with hare!
Dear Sir,This is nothing unusual. Muslims from India are known to de-alienate from their roots once on foreign soil. They start as Indians and move to Muslim dominated suburbs to settle. They are Indians only when they need help from the Indian High Commission.
Dr. Kumar you are spot on, good observers will find that is case with most muslims all over the world, in the UK the Pakistanis and Bagla muslims own 95% of tandoori food restaurants, and they can only sell their food by calling it INDIAN FOOD/DISH.RECIPE etc in fact every piece of bread they eat has written INDIAN over it, but if the Indian Muslims in Malaysia want to call them Malay then fine, IT IS GOOD RIDDANCE, thank allah for that.
I have obsrved comments in these forums, and I can safely say that many readers are totally biassed against WOMEN, and people other than Hinuds...Why like this. My son and daughter both are born here and THEY call themselves as Americans and NOT Indians. So as many of friends and relatives who all like to be called as Americans. Why we and many of us (born in India; studied in I.I.T and AIIMS) have taken american Citizenship (naturalized), and we take VISAS to go India. Why can't you CRITICIZE us. is it beacuse we are Americans or because hindus...Why can't you guys grow (not in physical size but mentally). Instead you welocme us with folded HANDS and call us NRI...BTW, we are not NRIs alos as we pay ytax ONLY to U.S. Govt. But we come to India and loot with the name of PIO card...please stop this double standards. I really feel that those who are born or naturalized shold own their allegience only to the country where they are citizens either born or naturalized. Finally, They should be called only Malays...when they want to be called that way why do you all bother...Soem naroow minded peole wanted to have some political clout so they are raking this issue...I still recall Jindal, the Governor of Luissia, was criticized This is wrong...
Savitri, It is not that the Indians in Malaya want to call themselves Indians, it is the Malayasian government who have enacted laws to ban Indians from calling themselves Indian. US law does not require us to forego our religion or forces us to speak in English only at home or wear only western dresses. Malayasian law requires that a person has to be Muslim, follow malayasian rituals in wedding etc., dress in Malaya costume and only after that he/she can petition to have him/herself counted as Malayan. Your criticism is knee-jerk and hysterical without even bothering to read the news item and know the issues involved. By Malayasian constitution, a hindu can never be a Malayan.
it is the Malayasian government who have enacted laws to ban Indians from calling themselves Indian...Sorry read the it as :it is the Malayasian government who have enacted laws to ban Indians from calling themselves Malayan...
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