Introductory note by CPI
This article first appeared under the title ‘Umno is winning the propaganda wars again’ on Jan 11, 2010 in the Hartal MSM blog. It has been edited by CPI with permission from its author – the blogger Eyes Wide Open (EWO) who is part of the Hartal MSM mediawatch team.
We are running this so that our readers as well as leaders of the country will realize that the organizers of this Facebook group ‘Menentang penggunaan nama Allah oleh golongan bukan Muslim’ (reviewed here) are planting the seeds of extremism and discord in young minds. The fire that they are intent on fanning can easily get out of control if not already.
We would also like to highlight the role of likely agent provocateurs who have planted some of the more inflammatory statements to instigate sentiments.
A series of Screenshots that we’ve taken (see below) shows an incendiary call to jihad by a Facebook user ‘Fadzil Muhammad’ who apparently has no ‘friends’ in his account and no past history of activity on his home page. These are giveaway clues that this Facebooker has only freshly created a bogus profile-cum-online identity for the purpose of participating in the ‘Allah’ group.
Click on image to enlarge
(Topmost screenshot) Fadzil wrote Jan 5 at 9.18pm: Translation: Pray that my brothers and I are syahid (martyrs) in the battlefield ... if that is (what it will take) to end this fight between Muslims and the accursed Christians. Would rather die than see Islam stepped on …(screenshot above) Fadzil’s Facebook profile displays no ‘friends’ or past activity prior to his joining the group against non-Muslims using the term ‘Allah’. |
Fadzil wrote Jan 5 at 9.33pm:
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The tone of the group was obvious enough for someone to try and talk some sense into them.
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This exchange saw one Facebooker suggesting that the Christians themselves committed the arson to elicit sympathy.It got a reply from Insect Pumpskins (translated): “Never mind, let them burn (the churches). Padan muka … we have for too long been soft. Who asked them to stir the hornet’s nest? Sometimes in life one has to be hard … hope that you burn, cowards. Not to show that Melayu bodoh but to show that you don’t mess around with Malays, more so Muslims. This is a reminder not only to churches but to the other races too …??? |
EWO also points to the individual ‘Singh is Kinng’ credited as ‘article officer’ and who was earlier an administrator of the Facebook group. EWO describes this character as an “ultra-Malay blogger??? and indeed we have been alerted by the Hartal team of their strong suspicion that this Facebooker and blog commentator is very probably no Sikh at all.
We note with alarm several identities that are suspect who have been planting incendiary comments in blogosphere, under assumed anonymous monikers that overtly imply a certain racial identity. Under these misleading pseudonyms, they post racist and provocative comments that are intended to further aggravate the racial and religious divide.
We hold that Umno Youth, due to its fingerprints all over this Facebook group, has some hard questions to answer to help facilitate police investigation into the threats to public order following the attacks on churches.
We also hold that Umno Youth owe an explanation to Malaysians on how it can justify the continued association of some of its prominent office bearers with this cyber group seemingly infiltrated by rabble rousers. If the Youth wing does not distance itself immediately, it conveys the impression that the party supports the inciting comments that are posted there.
By Eyes Wide Open
The Facebook site Menentang penggunaan nama Allah oleh golongan bukan Muslim has collected close to 228,000 members (as at Jan 17) and counting in just a little over a fortnight.
Its stated target is gathering a million members.
This group against the use of the name ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims boasts an impressive list of administrators, numbering among them prolific writer in Utusan Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah (ustaz and penghasut extraordinaire) and ‘Tun’ Faisal Ismail Aziz (Umno Youth exco and its New Media Unit chairman).
[Update: The Facebook group line-up of administrator and ‘officer’ line-up has undergone running changes. The name of Dr Novandri Hasan Basri, who is Umno Youth New Media Unit information chief, has been taken down as administrator, as have several names linked to IIU earlier as ‘officers’.]
The group’s officers presently include deputy federal Minister Mukhriz Mahathir, ultra-Malay blogger ‘Singh is Kinng’ and 35 other Umno or Umno-linked personalities.
[Update: Mukhriz has been moved up to be No.1 officer, Ridhuan Tee’s name is no longer toplisted as ‘advisor’ although he remains group administrator while ‘Singh is Kinng’ has been reassigned to become ‘article officer, from administrator earlier.]
There is an immense organisation running just this one Facebook group!
Discussions are carefully steered along the path of Umno’s official propaganda line. If the exchange of views quiet down, a person will revive it with a carefully worded inflammatory comment. No more of those barbaric attacks that pro-Opposition blogs are so used to being subjected to – this is a social networking site. So discussions are kept socially acceptable.
Below is an example of an exchange in a discussion.
“A. …Bahkan, nama Allah telah digunakan sebagai Tuhan yang maha agung oleh kaum jahiliyah sebelum perutusan nabi Muhammad s.a.w. (Translated: In fact, the name Allah has been used to refer to the almighty God by the pagans even before the message came to Muhammad s.a.w.)
B. tu arab zaman JAHILIYAH dik oi, awak nk ikut jahiliyah @ ikut Islam yg sbenar? Allah / Solat / Zakat dsb nya tu mmg dlm bahasa arab tp slps Islam tu dtg Allah dsb nya tu telah didefinasikn hanya utk Islam shj.. klu arab kristian ajak u solat di gereja u nk ikut ke? sbb arab kristian di tanah arab pun speak in arabic…??? (Translated: That was the time when Arabia was mired in ignorance, little kid, you want to follow the pagans or follow the true Islam? It’s true that Allah / Solat / Zakat etc are in the Arabic language but after the advent of Islam, “Allah??? and the rest have been redefined as only applicable to Islam. If the Arab Christians invite you to solat in their churches, do you go? Because Arab Christians speak Arabic too...)
Notice the clever twisting of facts, diversion of topic, subtle character attack and half truths being spread? All done in a very civil tone. This is an example of the kind of discussions in the group. Packs of moderators disguised as Everyday Joes roam the discussion rooms. Their job: To divert all discussions back to Umno’s agenda.
Incitements written on Facebook ‘wall’
The group is extremely active with several wall postings in an hour. Inflammatory statements are also constantly being pushed into the group’s consciousness. An example would be this one by a Facebooker calling himself Mohd Kamal Kassim:
“Padamkan API di puncanya masalah…mahkamah sivil bukan tempatnya…
Pelik ??? nak tukar rujukkan tuhan dari JESUS ke ALLAH walau apa keadaan sekalipun menggunakan mahkamah ke????……
Padamkan PUNCA api …….itu aje…??? (Translated: Extinguish the fire at its source. The civil court is not the place. Strange? Is it right to use the courts to change the name of God from Jesus to Allah, no matter what the cost? Get rid of the source of the fire...that’s all...)
Irrational discussion is encouraged, as is clearly demonstrated by this person’s statement in the discussion entitled ‘Penggunaan ‘Oh God, Oh My God’ Di kalangan Orang Islam’:
“em… lagi elok dari dia sebut “oh jesus??? lak kan? “oh god??? ni agak general. sebab god tu maknanya tuhan. kalimah “Allah??? tu adalah nama tuhan kita. dan kita ada 99 nama Allah yang lain. Wallahualam.??? (Translated: em...Isn’t it more appropriate for them to say “Oh Jesus???? “Oh God??? is so general. Because God means Tuhan. Allah is the name of our God and Allah also has 99 other names.)
This discussion was about TV characters saying “Oh my God!??? According to this young lady, “Oh God??? = “Oh Tuhan???. Since Allah is the only true Tuhan, no one else can use the word God also. Nor the other 99 Muslim names for Allah. What next?
Unwinnable arguments are carefully avoided in discussions so that Muslims in the group would not be ‘confused’. The arguments for inclusiveness are deflected as in this exchange in the discussion ‘kepada yang menyokong penggunaan nama Allah kepada kesemua Agama’ (the first person ‘A’ is trying to make a point that Allah is a pre-existing word and thus Muslims have no exclusive right to it):
“A. saya nak tanya, nama bapa rasulullah siapa? (Translated: I want to ask, what is the name of the Prophet’s father? - *Note, the name of Prophet Muhammad’s father was Abdullah, meaning “servant of Allah???)
B. Sy xmahu bgaduh..Sy xnk Islam dipermainkan.Sy xnak nama Allah dipermainkan.Fikirlah kpentingan kita sbg muslim,kepentingan generasi ms hadapan.Wallahualam.??? (Translated: I don’t want to quarrel...I don’t want Islam to be played around with. I don’t want the name of Allah to be taken in vain. Think of our priorities as Muslims, the priorities of our future generations.)
Notice the words being used. The pointed question was completely sidestepped but there was still no let-up in the unfounded attacks on non-Muslims.
The fact of the matter is that the government denied the East Malaysian Bumiputeras their right to religion FIRST. But the assumed posture in all the discussion is that all non-Muslims are on the offensive and insulting Allah!
All the usual propaganda tricks are being used mercilessly. For example, this “guilty by association??? tactic pointing out websites critical of Islam:
“A. ini adalah website paling BANGSAT lagi LAHANAT yg pernah aku jumpa didalam versi Bahasa Melayu! website ini masih beroperasi walaupun aduan telah dibuat kepada pihak admin wordpress.com beberapa gambar telah pun disekat dari disiarkan di website ini.namun,artikel2 CELAKA ini terus ada seperti biasa. http://beritamuslim.wordpress.com/ (an Indonesian blog highly insulting to Muslims & Islam) APAKAH TINDAKAN KITA SETERUSNYA?
(Translated: This is the most rotten and blasphemous website that I have come across among the Malay language versions! This website is still operational even though complaints have been lodged with the Wordpress administrators. Some pictures have been blocked in this website. But the celaka articles are published as usual. WHAT SHOULD WE DO NEXT?)
B. Itulah akhirnya nanti jika kita buka pintu untuk mereka guna kalimah Allah..mereka tak tau nak hormat.??? (Translated: This is what you will get if we open the door for them to use Allah’s name...they don’t know any respect.)
Different environment in virgin market
While the relentless propagandising going in this Facebook is dangerous, it must be noted that such a kind of civil discussion is rarely seen in blog comment sections as there is usually major mudslinging going on from both sides in blogs.
By engaging people in neutral territory such as Facebook, Umno is able to effectively indoctrinate the nation’s youths again.
After all the battles in the Red Ocean, Umno has managed to tap the Blue Ocean (ref. ‘Blue Ocean’ strategy of business expansion) of social networking sites. And Umno has cleverly managed to manipulate the Allah controversy to canvass support from the nation’s youth. And their achievement is nothing short of amazing!
The level of support is something that not even all the combined Facebook pages of Pakatan Rakyat party supremos – Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Abdul Hadi Awang, Tok Guru – is able to muster on Facebook.
The people who spend time at social networking sites are usually young people who are not very interested or educated in politics – they join to social network. This is a ‘virgin market’ for them who know how to tap into it.
And Umno knew how to tap into it.
Make no mistake, come GE13, the Opposition has its work cut out for them. Some of these young impressionable Malaysian Facebookers’ first political indoctrination will have been from Umno.
And assuming that these 200,000 Facebookers have an average of 200 Facebook friends in their network…You do the math. They will be the next voters.
