Nicol David On a Roll

Nicol David demonstrated the true grit of a champion by coming back from two sets down to beat Egypt’s Raneem El Weleily to win the 2013 China Open in Shanghai on Sunday. She didn’t have it easy – rather she had to fight her way out of trouble before recording an 8-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 win over the world No. 3.

 

This was David’s fourth consecutive title on the trot, and it brought her total tally on the Women’s Squash Association (WSA) Tour to 70.

 

Compare this to the world singles No. 1, Lee Chong Wei who showed a different attitude. When he lost the Denmark Open title to China’s Chen Long on October 20, 2013, the Malaysian gave this excuse: “I can’t be winning every time, can I?”

 

As at today, Sunway University Toastmasters Club have already achieved 8 DCP (Distinguished Club Program) points and we are already a Select Distinguished Club – having earned this distinction in less than 4 months! Can any club in District 51 or elsewhere beat this?

 

The "Allah" Issue Again

Sabahan Christians received a slap in the face on Friday when two thousand copies of The Herald were detained at the Kota Kinabalu airport by the Home Affairs Ministry, demonstrating yet again the Government's insincerity. Although Putrajaya lifted the stop-order this morning but it was too late to send them in time for Sunday services at churches.

Now Turkey’s Mustafa Akyol, author of “Islam Without Extremes” (2011) has joined the debate on the Malaysian Muslim perversion in wanting to keep the "Allah" word solely for themselves. He wrote that this is one of the most illogical, insensible and childish decisions he has heard in his life. He desribes it as sheer nonsense.

 

Why? Well, first of all, the word “Allah” simply means “The God” in Arabic, and it certainly is not exclusive to Islam. Pre-Islamic Arabs also referred to “Allah,” as the biggest deity above many idols that they had invented in their polytheistic culture. (That is why Islam proclaimed, “There is no god, but only The God [Allah].”)

 

Moreover Arab Christians have been using the term for centuries, simply because there is no other word in Arabic to refer to God. What must be even more binding for Muslims from all cultures, however, is that the Quran itself insists that Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews. Muslims are even commanded to say to these fellow monotheists, “Our God and your God are one, and we submit to Him” (29:46).

 

In other words, if Malaysian Muslims should have done anything about the word “Allah”, it should have been to call on Christians to use the term freely.

 

(Meanwhile, the Quran certainly condemns the Doctrine of Trinity, like Judaism also does, but this does not negate the commonality of all these three faiths in “the God of Abraham”).

 

In short, the Malaysian decision to claim a Muslim copyright for “Allah” is grossly wrong. It is both un-Islamic and irrational. And it only reveals the burning lack of intellectual self-confidence among Muslims”!

 

I know I am repeating some of the arguments over and over again but it is worth repeating. It would seem that many Malaysian Muslims are really unlearned, unknowledgeable and unschooled about their own religion! Can I suggest that they be made to re-study the Quran again?

 

Alex Ferguson's autobiography (released October 24, 2013) is a strange book because it does not just cover his managerial exploits and that of the club that he successfully managed.

He also had an obsession with Liverpool Football Club and Steven Gerrard (right) in particular. In fact, he saw it fit to dedicate an entire chapter of his book on the Reds. But what irks many of us was his criticism of Steven Gerrard – describing him as 'not a top, top player' – and that is sadly misguided!

 

Kenny Dalglish was one of many who came out to defend Gerrard. If the latter isn't top class, why was Fergie desperate to sign him, the former had correctly asked?

 

And Dalglish promptly replied that maybe it was because Gerrard didn’t want to leave Liverpool to go to Manchester United.

Dalglish also said “Ferguson must be the only person with any knowledge of football who does not regard Steven as a world-class player. His performances over the years have spoken much louder than any of Ferguson’s words could. He has acted with class on and off the pitch.

Maybe what’s eating Ferguson is that you can only imagine the success that United would have had with Steven in their team. It’s frightening. And it would be scary to think of the trophies Liverpool would have missed out on without him”.

 

FYI, Steven Gerrard netted his 100th Barclays Premier League goal in a red shirt with a calmly converted spot-kick against Newcastle on October 19, 2013. And his game yesterday (against West Brom) was his 450th top-flight game for Liverpool. 

All in all, his footballing feat has been simply amazing!

 

Still on North Korea

HELP University's granting of an honorary doctorate to Kim Jong Un unfolded against a backdrop of news that relate to North Korean defections. The world is familiar with hearing harrowing tales of adversity, suffering and hardship endured by ordinary North Koreans and some were lucky to be able to make their escape from the country.  

Here is just one personal tale of survival and hope and which I happened to also locate today:

 

What message is HELP's Paul Chan giving to this bullying overlord of oppressision and tyranny?

I was in Petaling Jaya to be the General Evaluator at the IEM Toastmasters meeting on Thursday. I was there at the invitation of club president, Alex Lu and this was my sixth visit to the Toastmasters club this calendar year. 

A decent meeting overall although one or two members were taking on multiple meeting roles. I would give this meeting a 6 upon 10. 

 

On Saturday, Luis Suarez was in brilliant form in this one-sided EPL match between Liverpool and West Brom where the Reds earned an easy 4-1 win. 

He fired Liverpool in front on 11 minutes, after a delightful run that tore the West Brom defense to shreds. He then added a second six minutes later, heading powerfully beyond goalie Boaz Myhill, and completed his hat-trick with a glancing header in the fifty-fifth minute from a Steven Gerrard free-kick.

 

The Baggies could only offer feeble resistance. Still, they managed to score a goal with a controversially awarded penalty (66) but Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge extinguished any hopes of a comeback with a wonderful 20-yard chip in the seventy-seventh minute to wrap up the game for Liverpool.

The Reds continue to pile the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the EPL table. And Suarez is, match by match, already confirming his place in the Liverpool Hall of Fame!

Allah is Not The Name of God

Reza Aslan (right), a well-known American Muslim theologian and author of international bestseller No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam joined the chorus to decry the court ruling that banned the use of the word “Allah”, saying it was a "political decision more than anything else".

"This notion that Malaysian Muslims need to be protected by the court because you can't think for yourself, you can't make decisions on your own. We are laughing at you", said Reza, speaking on BFM Radio's Evening Edition programme on Monday.

"That you can control people's ideas, their behaviour, their faith and their minds simply by trying to control the words that they use, is absurd. It is an embarrassment to a modern, constitutional, democratic and deeply Muslim state like Malaysia", he continued. 
 

Reza explained that the word "Allah" was merely an Arabic term for God, "any God". 

"Allah is constuction of the the word al-Ilah. That's what the word is", he had said. "Al-Ilah means 'The God'. Allah is not the name of God. Frankly, anyone who thinks that Allah is the name of God, is not just incorrect, but is going against the Quran itself. It is almost a blasphemous thought to think that Allah has a name. 

Reza added: "And this is not an interpretation. It is a historical fact".

He dismissed the argument that allowing Christians to use the word in their worship was a threat to Malaysian Muslims. Instead he gave an illustration, referring to Arsala Jamal, the governor of Afghanistan's eastern Logar province who was killed and at least 18 worshipers injured in a bomb blast in a mosque in the provincial capital of Pul-e-Alam – allegedly by the Talibans – during prayers for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

"You want to talk about threats to Islam? That's a threat to Islam", he made it clear.

Image credit: http://www.informationng.com/2013/10/casualties-in-eid-prayer-bomb-blasts-in-afghanistan-and-iraq.html

PAS’s Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat suggested that UMNO practice what he described as a “cosmetic” form of Islam, which he said neglects the actual spirit of Islam. Little wonder that enlightened Malaysians have scant respect for UMNO!

Sulu Walter Mitty Dies

On his deathbed, the Sulu-version of Walter Mitty and the self-proclaimed "Sultan" Jamalul Kiram III (right) had decreed that his supporters must press on with efforts to “repossess” Sabah for the Filipino people. 

This was revealed by his spokesperson Abraham Idjirani to Quezon City-based radio channel dzBB Radio that the order was one of the last made before Jamalul’s death on October 20, 2013.

This doesn’t mean the Sabah threat has ended. I have lost count but I think there are more than seven other aspirants claiming their right to the Sulu sultanate, and which means that they would want to lay claim on Sabah too.

On Tuesday, Celtic boosted their hopes of progressing in the UEFA Champions League with a 2-1 victory at home to Ajax. Ajax midfielder Stefano Denswil brought down Anthony Stokes to allow James Forrest to convert a penalty in the forty-fifth minute. And then, Beram Kayal doubled the lead with a deflected shot in the fifty-third minute. But Celtic conceded a goal to Lasse Schone with seconds remaining before the final whistle.

It was a must-win match for Celtic and they delivered!

On Tuesday, I went to Subang Jaya to take up the role of Evaluator for an ice-breaker speech. There were not too many of us at the Taylor’s College Toastmasters meeting but it was certainly not a low-key affair. There was ample energy and the meeting even accommodated good speeches and evaluations. My score is a 7 over 10.

Thereafter, I was in Petaling Jaya where I delivered a CC speech – my eleventh round – at the Money Mastery Toastmasters meeting. I especially liked the invocation as well as the Table Topics session – in which I also participated. 

Overall, another good meeting and I was doubly recognized as Best Project Speaker and Best Table Topics Speaker! My score is an 8 over 10.