NAVIGATING RELIGIOUS POLITICS

It needed a non Muslim delegate and supporter of the Islamic Party to point out and criticise the apathy over the use of slander and foul words by the party members as being against the teachings of the Qurán. This was not surprising as the assembly and the party had arguably lost its moral high ground in the run up to the elections.

Observers of the assembly also saw an uneasy phenomena where young teens and those in their early twenties were brought in as observers by their respective mentors were behaving unkindly. They were jeering and taunting marked leaders in a mob like behaviour openly in the hall. No one was stopping them.

Young people who were never really inducted into the party properly or orderly and did not even know the history, the sacrifice and contributions of those they condemn. Some were not even born yet when the party had faced adverse tribulations, the very leaders they reject had paid with their jail time, wealth and suffering to uphold the party bringing to its highest position.

Instead, they were indoctrinated through dubious programs which spread animosity and rancour. They were fed with hate and hostility instead of love and brotherhood. They had affection and adoration but their loyalty and trust were only for their mentors. Only their mentors, their guides and gurus were the religious, the knowledgeable. The only people qualified and eligible to lead and only them, not anyone else.

One of the programs was the liqa al fikri – study groups or gatherings. The content consist of connecting the mission and struggle of the party, nurturing and guiding members to relate Islamic teachings to the present situation. But unbecomingly, it led to identifying and naming alleged traitors, hypocrites and all sorts of slanderous accusations towards the organisations’ own leadership. It was selective persecution resorting to callous labelling and name calling.

Then there was the advent of the social media and smartphones. Some may wonder how a 66 year old tried and tested senior political party with experience and resolve became embroiled in virtual slander and tech mayhem. Now the bane of the Muslim community – mischievous labelling, mutual distrust and endless strife spread like wildfire in the gadgets that they held so easily. Dubious handles and statuses manufactured and fabricated rumours, buzzes, gossips and tattles which then were consumed whole heartedly by an eager and horde like irrational audience.

No matter the training and development – tarbiyyah – they ought to have undergone, it seems that its was not enough to navigate the harsh realities of the material world and its super modern enticements.

Intelligence operatives and minders had a field day feeding all and sundry allegations, noshing grape vines, plotting and conspiring, began to penetrate deep into the heart of the party machinery and remained entrenched inside.

Suddenly, the curious idea of associating a leader or a member with his or her profession or educational background became the criteria for selection or persecution. The activist, reformist or professional – maybe this is the only political party that uses this word degradingly – was to be punished or threatened. The “professionals” had to succumb and submit to the “religious”, kowtowing every command be it wise or not, or be rejected.

And this was happening to a party which had become the party of choice for young professionals who had religious idealism and Islamic political consciousness. This party had outperformed the ruling regime in attracting new talent and also Non Muslim support. It had turned out to be the most ungrateful organization for rising young activists and had become exclusively dogmatic.

The methods used to flush out and cleanse out the party purging its leadership from the so called “professionals” were politically dirty, paying tribute to the Machiavellian. It was realpolitik and it was astonishingly effective in removing and ridding all of the rivals who were supposedly opposing the “religious”.

The “professionals” or the “progressives” were in a dilemma and could not really fight back. They were completely outmanoeuvred by the plotters and their backers. They were easy punching bags for all apparent troubles and fears of Muslims who had siege like tendencies, hardline fancies and inferiority complexes. The “progressives” or “reformists” were called “Anwar’s people”, “social democrat party stooges”, “liberals”, “Erdogan’s secularists”, “bogeyman”, “pimps” and worst of all “hypocrites” albeit harakiy hypocrites.

Trumped up charges of treachery were laid at the “progressives” just to smear them without any shred of evidence. A staged noisy rabble protest was led by one eager religious “candidate”. One “progressive” got his car burned by an arsonist. No one from the top cared or showed any remorse or even sympathy. There was deafening silence.

Things were engineered such that the “progressives” were at pains to show loyalty to the party chief but at the same trying to fend off scurrilous attacks which had the tacit backing of their own top leadership. Unbecoming words were coming out from those who ought to have shown more decorum and should have displayed much vaunted moral and ethical behaviour. In the end the “progressives” were simply overwhelmed by the massive propaganda and personal onslaughts.

All the time, as the build up went on, it was clearly giving political Islam a bad name and distancing more and more people from it. But instead of listening and reflecting on such sincere caution, the “religious” became more absolutely fatalists decrying that winning elections were not the ultimate objectives of the party. It was seeking the pleasure of God. No one could argue with that but certainly the ways and means in pursuing God’s pleasure have to be sound, pure and pristine.

In the meantime, non Muslims were becoming concerned that the much appreciated Welfare State concept was giving way to the Theocratic State model which had already been a bone of contention that led to the 2004 alternative coalition breakup.

The moral compact which had bound the three parties was unraveling. Instead of an agreed common agenda of justice which had been painstakingly been established, the party was pursuing a personal agenda on its own. Meanwhile word has it that the corrupt ruling regime had made overtures and this made matters worse. The aged old racial formula was being rehashed – bringing back Islam to the Malay fold exclusively instead of reaching out to all, as the once much touted “party for all” – playing on the fears of the populace. Talk of stacked electoral delineation and gerrymandering has leaked showing a deep ignorance of public distrust.

So what happens next?