Thursday, July 12, 2007

Sexy and the Sexually enthusiasitic ... an innocent victim of pressure and persecution

A singer Siti Noor Idayu was caught singing in a pub in Perak by the Raiders of the Lost Ark aka JAIP for donning this attire which they claimed was too 'revealing'. Yes, the attire that you see in the photo here. White sleeveless top with pants.



Of course it has to be in Perak. I mean, where else would you find SEXY girls!

I leave this to you to arrive at a conclusion whether this attire ( see pix ) is revealing or otherwise.

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Siti Noor Idayu said an officer even told her that the money she earned working in the outlet was duit haram (illicit money) and that her parents, children and future generations would all be tainted for using such money. ( an overworked officer )

“They finally wrote me a notice accusing me of dressing sexily ( white sleeveless top and long pants - see pic above ) and encouraging immorality just because I sang there,” she said. The notice ordered her to appear before the Syariah Court here on Aug 6. When contacted, JAIP director Datuk Jamry Sury said he was confident that his officers had not acted outside of their jurisdiction in issuing the notice.

“According to Islamic laws, a Muslim woman is not allowed to serve or entertain a man who is not her husband in a place where immoral activities usually take place,” he said.

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So, if a Muslim woman is not supposed to serve or entertain a man who is not her husband where "immoral activities usually takes place", then all Muslim women entertainers, singers, dancers, salesgirls, TV hosts, Personal Secretaries/Assistants ( who sometimes have to accompany their bosses locally and abroad ) should stop working? Heck, 'immoral' activities take place even at residential places. A woman's place is in the kitchen then?

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"I was surprised when the officers told me that this top was too revealing. Sometimes I wear something similar when I go out in the day. This is sexy? I do not think so," she said yesterday.

Noor Idayu claimed that during the raid, the male officers had taken a lot of pictures of her from almost every angle." ( almost every angle ... interesting )

When I was taken to the department’s headquarters in Ipoh, my pictures were taken again. When I asked why they needed so many shots, they said, ‘It’s procedure’. ( Again? Hmm, I wonder why ... exhibits perhaps? )

( Ahh, Procedure! You know, catch a criminal and take mug shots ... all angles )

Noor Idayu was released on Wednesday morning on a RM1,000 bond in one surety. She was told to appear before the Ipoh Syariah Court on Aug 6 to face charges of "revealing her body" and "promoting vice" under the Perak Syariah Penal Code. The singer was picked up together with four of her band members. ( They must have absconded to KL? )

"I felt so insulted when one of the officers, who was holding our MyKad, put them together with some beer glasses and said ‘najis’ (filth). What gave him the right to demean us when it is not clear that we were guilty of anything?" she asked. ( Come on Siti, that's 'procedure' darling )

Noor Idayu, who has been singing in clubs for the last three years, said she did not take any alcoholic drinks and even her breathalyser test was negative. ( Imagine if it was positive! More mug shots with close-up shots too... at every angle)

"When I passed the test, the female officers seemed disappointed and asked me to do it again. I did so willingly as I knew that I did not drink. Not once in my three years of singing in clubs have I drunk liquor," she said. ( Dammit! She passed the test !!!! )

There was a twist to the incident, though. Noor Idayu’s father, who contacted the department, was apparently told that the charges would be dropped. ( Siti dear, inform your father that they just wanted a few photos of you from almost every angle for personal viewing. Your ardent fans lah sayang )

"However, I will still appear at the court on Aug 6. Whether the charges are dropped or otherwise, we shall see. I am prepared to fight my case," she said. ( Good for you dear Siti Noor Idayu)

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So I guess all other Sitis got away with it. What makes the other Sitis so different? What makes other singing Sitis different? What makes the whole entertainment industry with women in it so different? And what about other local Muslim singers?

The question is: What should the dress code be for entertainers?

She ain't dressed up like entertainers on MTV.

So 'immoral activities' take place in pubs. How about other places ... like hotels, resorts, parks, malls, cinema halls, theatres? Wait a minute, there was some kind of a dance competition on TV lately. There were Malays in there. What should have been the dress code for those dancers?

Actresses? I like movies like ... " Perempuan, Isteri dan ... "

Heck, Sofia Jane acted very well. Pretty too and ... umm ... yea, good acting.

Oops, I forgot ... every nook and corner in schools and colleges. Nah, they are innocent students.

These innocent people are trying hard to make a decent living. Some years ago, it was taboo for a Muslim to work in Gentings Highlands or was it just the casino?

If singing in a pub is 'immoral' then what about singing in hotels and at concerts ( indoors or outdoors ) where all kinds of freaks, I mean people, hang out.

I guess the answer is to sing in Studio One ... then again, it's like a pub too, a kosher pub. And you are certainly not entertaining your husband.

Come on, we are civilized and let us act like we are.

I cannot fathom why that guy is still the mufti of Perak. Perak may become an extension of Kelantan soon. Ahh, Siti Noor Idayu was caught in Ipoh, Perak. Siti, Siti, why did you have to sing in Perak? Nice place Perak but there are so many other places Siti, like KL, Malacca, Penang, so many more.

What about the Muslim cashiers at the malls? Especially when customers buy non-halal products. And the beverage they buy like wine and other alchoholic drinks?
All these non-halal and haram items have to pass through a counter and the Muslim cashier has to put them all in a plastic bag. Now is this Muslim 'abetting' illicit activities?

The mufti of Perak tells the Muslims not to work in nightclubs because it's a sin for a Muslim to do so. Not even as cashiers or clerks.

According to him, Muslims who work in such places that serve alchohol are considered as 'abetting' illicit activities. "A Muslim should stay with her family or look after her children rather than be in these places drinking," he said. So remember this, all you Muslim women ... a woman's place is in her kitchen!

She voluntarily took the breathalyser test - twice - as the women officers were rather disappointed with the first test - and passed the tests. So drinking is not the issue here.

So where does one expect these Muslims to find a job? People who work as cashiers and clerks in any place do not have the required qualification to get into Universities and grab high-flying jobs. These are the unfortunate ones.

So, what are these Muslims going to do to get a 'decent' job? Job vacancies are scarce for even degree holders. Thousands of them are unemployed.

Do we need these Muslims to leave these jobs and join Mat and Minah Rempits? Or perhaps join gangs and resort to being snatch thieves. We have enough of them as it is.

Abet simply means help or encourage someone to do something wrong or illegal. These pubs and nightclubs are not operating illegally. They have a licence to sell alchohol.
These Muslims are not helping to sell or serve moonshine.

The mufti of Perak said: "If your parents told you that you could drive on the highway at 120kph, is it still right to do so?" This analogy is ludicrous.

Firstly, it shows total disrespect for her parents.

Secondly, speed limits on highways are not set by muftis. Stay away from Government-set laws.

Thirdly, if Siti's parents tell her to adopt the veil ( purdah ) and strap herself with bombs, is it still right to do so?

In the same vein, if her parents told her to unquestionably listen and be an ardent follower of the mufti of Perak, does that make it right? In the myopic eyes of the mufti, of course it is.

So to say 'abetting' illicit activities does not do justice to say the least. It's one man's warped interpretation of what is right and what is wrong. In my opinion and I am entitled to one, such misogynistic attitude should never be welcomed by our society. If not checked, it will spread like an epidemic.

An insightful band member says she was only earning money by using her talent. For that Noor Idayu is being persecuted.

The Sisters in Islam said this: If Muslim men were offended by the sight of Noor Idayu's dress, then the Quran commanded them to lower their gaze and guard their own modesty.

"It is not the duty of the state to bring about a moral society to turn all incidence of 'bad dressing' into crimes against the state.
"It is obvious that many provisions of the Syariah Criminal Offences law are ununforceable as they intrude into issues that remain, for most Malaysians, in the realm of personal choice and fundamental liberty," it said.

Well said Sisters in Islam. I applaud your statement and conviction on this matter. Says a lot about the insiduous intent of the learned mufti of Perak.

Dear Noor Idayu, you have your parents' consent and blessing and that is what matters most. If you know you are not doing anything against the law, do not be affected by sanctimonious saint who seems to envisage a halo above his head. You are not as lucky as some who in the comfort of their homes, pass 'illicit' judgement on you.

It's not easy to earn a living for some. One should understand that before hurling wild accusations.

I personally know of some poor Malay Muslims who are feeling a big pinch trying hard to get a job just to earn some money to support their family.

Some live to eat while others eat to live. Hungry predators waiting to pounce on an innocent prey.

End this vexing game of snooping and random enslaving of innocent citizens.

We do not need snoops and spies nor do we need any civilians taking on the role of sanctimonious saints.

What Siti Noor Idayu needs is to live her life with nobody advising her on morality. I am sure she understands what morality is and is abiding by the law.

Given a choice, she would, like a lot of us, sit behind a desk in an established air-conditioned office with the plaque on her mahogany desk stating: CEO.

Not all of us are in the right place at the right time.