I do not know from where Syed Ali Alhabshee learned his history. Nevertheless, the Muslims split more than 1,200 years before PAS was formed. Hence how can PAS be accused of splitting the Muslims? Furthermore, PAS was effectively formed seven years before Umno was formed, as the timeline above shows. Hence should it not be Umno rather than PAS that split the Malays-Muslims?

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Umno leader accuses PAS of disuniting Malays, Muslims

(Bernama) - An Umno leader has accused PAS of having deviated from its original struggle and causing disunity among the Malays and Muslims in the country.

Cheras Umno Division chief Datuk Wira Syed Ali Alhabshee said the role of the 'ulama' (scholars) in the party was being eroded because they were unable to withstand the pressure from the DAP.

PAS, DAP and PKR make up the opposition pact called Pakatan Rakyat.

"PAS is forced to drop its platform for the struggle of Islam because it has been realised that the party cannot survive without the support of the DAP and PKR," Syed Ali said in the latest entry in his blog, http://umnobahagiancheras.blogspot.com.

He also said that no PAS leader, including the party's spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, was bold enough to stand up to DAP chairman Karpal Singh who had objected to PAS proposals for an Islamic state and the implementation of 'hudud' (Islamic penal) law.

Syed Ali said PAS leaders politicised religious sentiments to garner the support of Malay voters. He also said that Nik Aziz insisted on not withdrawing the 'Amanat Haji Hadi' (Haji Hadi's Message) delivered by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in 1981, which branded Umno members and supporters as infidels.

"At a time when all quarters, including former PAS leaders, want the Amanat Haji Hadi to be withdrawn, Nik Aziz wants it to be retained, indicating that he has an implicit agenda," he said.

Syed Ali said the Malays and Muslims should realise that PAS' struggle all along had been for the political interests of certain quarters and was not based on the struggle for Islam.

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The First Islamic Civil War, also called The First Fitna, was fought from 656 to 661 soon after the assassination of Usman, the Third Caliph after the death of Prophet Muhammad. A few battles were fought during this civil war that included the Battle of the Camel, the Battle of Siffin, the Battle of Nahrwan, etc.

The ‘Mother of all Battles’ was probably the Battle of Karbala on 10th October 680 that sealed the split between the Muslims for good when Hussein, Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, (plus his entire family), was massacre. Until today the followers of Ali and the opponents of Ali have remained split and the tragedy of Karbala is celebrated every year in Iran with bloodletting on the streets.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PMIP), today called Parti Islam SeMalaysia or PAS (Pah Alif Sim), was effectively formed on 4th April 1939. Umno was formed seven years later on 10th May 1946. In March 1947, the first Pan-Malayan Islamic conference was held at Madrasah Ma'ahad al-Ehya as-Sharif at Gunung Semanggul, Perak.

As a result of this conference, the Majlis Agama Tertinggi (Supreme Religious Council) or MATA was formed. MATA began organising political events and meetings for Malay-Muslim activists to meet and discuss their plans for the future and the need to mobilise the masses. MATA also organised a conference from 13th-16th March 1948, which discussed local and international issues.

The conference participants felt that Umno was not doing enough to address the important issues and that the conservative-nationalists in Umno were not doing enough to stand up for Malay-Muslim rights. Needless to say, the Umno representatives in MATA were not happy with the tone of the discussion set by the Islamists, which was too revolutionary and militant for their taste.

The Parti Orang Muslimin Malaya (Hizbul Muslimin) was formed on 17th March 1948. Syeikh Abdullah Fahim, the grandfather of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, played a major role in its formation. After the second conference it declared that MATA should be reorganised as an Islamic political party. With the formation of Hizbul Muslimin, all political activities were transferred to the organisation while MATA served as the party's religious affairs bureau.

When the ulama’ faction in Umno broke away from the party, they formed an association called Persatuan Islam Sa-Malaya (Pan-Malayan Islamic Association), abbreviated as PAS (Pah Alif Sim). At that time, the association charter allowed for dual membership in PAS and Umno and thus many PAS members thought of themselves as Umno members and vice-versa.

Eventually, the dual-membership clause in the party charter was revoked and PAS began to emerge as a distinct entity. For the sake of contesting in the first municipal elections in 1955 (two years before Merdeka), the party was re-registered under the name Pan-Malayan Islamic Party or PMIP. The name was later changed to Parti Islam Se-Malaysia during the Asri Muda era in the 1970s.

I do not know from where Syed Ali Alhabshee learned his history. Nevertheless, the Muslims split more than 1,200 years before PAS was formed. Hence how can PAS be accused of splitting the Muslims? Furthermore, PAS was effectively formed seven years before Umno was formed, as the timeline above shows. Hence should it not be Umno rather than PAS that split the Malays-Muslims?

That is the trouble with Malaysians who make statements without knowing history. They need to study history before they make assumptions and come to conclusions. In fact, they should make it a rule that all candidates in the general election should first study history before they are selected to contest the elections. If not we will end up with political leaders making statements that are contradictory to historical facts.