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Heston Blumenthal launches prepackaged ready meals for Waitrose Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:07 PM PDT The new Heston 'Dine-In series' from Waitrose. — AFP/Relaxnews LONDON, Oct 3 — A seat at a Heston Blumenthal restaurant may be hard to score, but upmarket British grocery chain Waitrose is making it easier for average consumers with shallow pockets to tuck into a dinner created by the Michelin-starred chef with the launch of a new line of pre-packaged meals. Launched last week, the 'Dine In With Heston' series includes five main course meals like fish pie, lasagna, chilli con carne, shepherd's pie and macaroni and cheese, priced at a fraction of Blumenthal's restaurant meals, at £4.89 (approximately RM25). It has been a mutually beneficial collaboration for Blumenthal and the upscale supermarket chain, with the fine dining chef bringing his star power to the brand, and the grocery store providing the chef with mass market, commercial exposure. Blumenthal has also launched a range of Christmas puddings, mince pies, coriander and rose salt and salted caramel ice cream. Most recently, he launched an Earl Grey and Lemon Gin distilled with juniper, almond, coriander, orris root, licorice, lavender and angelica. Flavours from the 'Dine-In' series, meanwhile, veer from the predictable with the addition of star anise to chilli and lasagna recipes to accentuate the meaty umami flavours, says the Waitrose pitch, while truffle-flavoured oil is added to macaroni and cheese. Blumenthal follows in the heels of other Michelin-starred chefs like Joel Robuchon and Wolfgang Puck who also have mass market products for the average consumer. Robuchon, for instance, teamed up with French prepared food brand Fleury Michon to create ready-to-eat meals like sautéed chicken with basil pasta, and chicken in a foie gras sauce with Armagnac and pasta with mushrooms. Puck also developed a line of pizza, soups, stocks and Italian sauces under his own name. — AFP/Relaxnews

Chef José Andrés reopens DC restaurant with sweeping changes Posted: 02 Oct 2012 05:03 PM PDT WASHINGTON, Oct 3 — After a long summer break, chef José Andrés has announced plans to reopen his award-winning restaurant Minibar in Washington DC next month with a revamped menu and significant price hike. Chef José Andrés, who was named Outstanding Chef at the 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards, reopens his restaurant Minibar in Washington DC next month. — AFP/Relaxnews According to The Washington Post, the new Minibar has begun to take reservations for the restaurant which reopens November 2 in a new location. When it was a six-stool diner, the restaurant was included in Bon Appétit magazine's list of 'The 11 Toughest Restaurant Reservations in the USA' famous for its avant-garde cookery. Meanwhile, perhaps one of the biggest differences Andrés fans will notice is the menu price hike, which has gone from US$150 to US$225 (RM460 to RM680), a 50 per cent increase. Wine pairings are also available at between US$75 to US$200. The new space will also double in capacity from its original cramped quarters to fit a dozen diners at a time, with four seatings throughout the night. American audiences know Andrés for his many TV appearances and for his imaginative menus at restaurants like Jaleo in Las Vegas and The Bazaar by José Andrés in Beverly Hills. He was named the Outstanding Chef in the 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards and is often cited as the unofficial ambassador of Spanish cuisine in the US. Meanwhile, other hotly anticipated restaurant openings took place last week when the enfant terrible of the New York dining scene David Chang opened four shiny new outposts of his Momofuku empire in Toronto, Canada – an event that made headline news and drew snaking queues of local diners. Reservations for Minibar are being taken by email at reserve@minibarbyjoseandres.com on a first come, first serve basis. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Arsenal’s Diaby ruled out for three weeks Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:42 AM PDT Montpellier's Younes Belhanda (R) challenges Arsenal's Abou Diaby during their Champions League soccer match at the Stade de la Mosson stadium in Montpellier, September 18, 2012. – Reuters pic LONDON, Oct 2 – Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby will be out of action for three weeks due to a thigh injury, the Premier League club's manager Arsene Wenger said today. Wenger was speaking ahead of his team's Champions League Group B match against Olympiakos at the Emirates on Wednesday. "Diaby is out for three weeks with a thigh injury," Wenger told a news conference. "(Mikel) Arteta to have test tomorrow." The injury-prone Diaby had to be substituted early in the Premier League match against Chelsea on Saturday which Arsenal lost 2-1, their first defeat of the season. Better news for Wenger was that 20-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere played an Under-21 game on yesterday, his first competitive appearance after missing 14 months through injury. "You always have to make that first step, and he has done that today and that is fantastic," reserve team coach Terry Burton told Arsenal's website (http://www.arsenal.com). "He is a quality player, it is great for the club that he has taken that first step on the road towards getting back into the first team." – Reuters

Cricket: Big win for Pakistan but Australia make semis Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:36 AM PDT COLOMBO, Oct 2 – Pakistan beat Australia by 32 runs in their Super Eight match today to keep alive their hopes of making it to the last four of the World Twenty20. Despite the defeat, Australia advanced to join Sri Lanka and West Indies in semi-finals with a superior net run-rate after beating India and South Africa in their earlier Super Eight matches. Put into bat, Nasir Jamshed compiled a fine 55 to take Pakistan to 149 for six wickets, despite a fine spell of fast bowling from left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who took three for 20 runs. Saeed Ajmal took three wickets for 17 runs as the Pakistan slow bowlers spun a web around the Australian batsmen to restrict them to 117 for seven. Mike Hussey remained unbeaten on 54 for Australia. India will take on South Africa, who are already out of the tournament, later today to decide the last available spot in the semi-finals. – Reuters

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Nas drops video for ‘Cherry Wine’ featuring Amy Winehouse Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:57 AM PDT Screenshot from "Cherry Wine" video. — AFP/Relaxnews LOS ANGELES, Oct 2 — American hip-hop artist Nas today dropped the official video for his single "Cherry Wine", which features Amy Winehouse. The video shows Nas dressed as a bartender in a classy bar as footage of the late Amy Winehouse, who died on July 23, 2011, is projected onto a brick wall in the background; model Brittany Dailey also features in the video as a Winehouse-esque leading lady. Unofficial videos for the track have been online for a while but today marked the debut of the official video, which can be found on YouTube via NasVevo at youtube.com/watch?v=6903zFUIxoU. The video is the fifth from Nas's album "Life Is Good", which dropped in July this year. — AFP/Relaxnews

Mike Tyson announced for ‘Scary Movie 5’ Posted: 02 Oct 2012 08:13 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 2 — Former boxer Mike Tyson will make an appearance in the next chapter of the "Scary Movie" horror movie parody franchise, according to Blackonfilm.com. Mike Tyson — AFP/Relaxnews As a follow-up to his self-deprecating scene in "The Hangover", Tyson is headed for the set of "Scary Movie 5". He will join Heather Locklear, Kate Walsh, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen and Ashley Tisdale in the film directed by Malcolm Lee. The movie, set to hit theatres in spring 2013, will spoof the latest hits of the horror genre, but it will open with an irreverent take on Aronofsky's "Black Swan". — AFP/Relaxnews

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Modern Etiquette: Defuse a thoughtless public blurt Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:15 AM PDT SEATTLE, Oct 2 — People say the most amazing things. Then they expect you to respond, which is difficult at best because you're too busy picking your chin off the floor. At a recent barbeque, one guest announced that "all you carnivores should be ashamed" to eat the meal. At the same party (did I say party?), another guest informed me that "only stupid people believe in God." All I'd done to merit this salvo was to mention that on my way home from church, I noticed something-or-other. Then this same guest found it important to share yet another unsolicited opinion — mercifully, with someone other than myself — which "only poor people live in apartments." A few days later at a business event, a former neighbour actually said to me: "I haven't seen you dressed up with make-up on. Your eyelashes are so long! Are they real?" Clumsy as the comment was, it was a compliment, and I took it as such. Humour goes a long way in sticky situations like this, even though it's sometimes difficult to muster on the spot. In reply, I mumbled something like, "You bet they're real. I grew them myself, organically." Maybe I am just socialising with the wrong crowd. Still, I wonder if all the time we spend with our computers erodes our sensitivity and ability to be civil and pleasant to others. I also wonder about the best way to respond to such verbal assaults. You can be sure of two things in such situations: First, a painfully long, loud silence will follow the inappropriate comment. Second, a direct reply is not only unnecessary but also unwise. That leaves us with the only viable choice: Change the subject. But how? Know that whoever breaks such silences is a hero and will find his or her name on the guest lists of every person within earshot. That's why it's worth doing a little homework before heading out to just about any gathering. Let's take the process step by step. A particularly crummy comment lands in your lap. Silence prevails. Do not take the bait and argue the point, regardless of how much you are incited. You need a mollifying transition here, followed by a fast change of subject. That might sound like, "That's an interesting view on the subject. Thank you for sharing." Then, turning to the group, ask "What's the greatest movie you've not yet seen?' or, "What athletic skill do you wish you had mastered?" Or, "What purchase made you feel most like a grownup?" As you read this, you might sense a conversational disconnect when you change the subject somewhat abruptly. Actually, everyone around you will breathe a sigh of relief. So press on! Take care not to exclude the person who originally lobbed the zinger. He or she might not know any better, and a cold shoulder will serve no one. Here are a few more imaginative questions to change the subject skilfully: "What's your favourite meal of the day?" "What's your favourite appetiser?" "Who are your heroes?" "What do you consider the greatest invention of the last 25 years?". Nobody likes to be interrogated. That's why it's exceptionally helpful to give a little personal information before you ask others to share things about themselves. You might say something like: "I was just reading a story about... He/she always has been one of my heroes. Ever think about your heroes?" Or, "I got back from a business trip yesterday and, after lugging a suitcase through airports, I concluded that wheels on suitcases are the most important invention of the last 50 years. What do you think is the most important invention of the last few decades?" Perhaps the intense guest who was quick to label guests as carnivores and believers as stupid would find such small talk trivial and fatuous. However, making effective small talk to lubricate the creaky wheels of society before they become stuck in the mud is a big skill, not to be underestimated. A little preparation and thought before any social gathering will go a long way to averting fiascos. Mary M Mitchell has written several books on the subject of etiquette, including "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette" and "Class Acts". She is also the founder of executive training consultancy The Mitchell Organisation with the website themitchellorganization.com. The opinions expressed are her own. — Reuters

Most Americans doubt Scientology is true religion, says poll Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:31 AM PDT The Church of Scientology of Los Angeles building in Los Angeles, California, July 3, 2012. — Reuters pic NEW YORK, Oct 2 — Most Americans do not think Scientology is a true religion, more people would prefer to win an Olympic gold medal than a Pulitzer prize and celebrity endorsements do not carry much weight, according to a new poll released yesterday. Seventy per cent of respondents to the 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll said the controversial Church of Scientology, which is popular with Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, was not a real religion, but 13 per cent said that it was. Religious surveys have estimated that less than 100,000 Americans practice Scientology, which is often branded a cult by its critics. "It's a tribute to America's tradition of religious tolerance that Scientology is accepted throughout the country," the survey noted in its analysis of the results. The poll also showed that brawn trumped brains with 40 per cent of Americans saying they wanted an Olympic gold medal gracing their mantel, while 36 per cent would prefer a Pulitzer prize and seven per cent wanted an Oscar. On the home front, the Obamas were the clear choice when it came to which family children might marry into, with 19 per cent choosing the presidential family compared with 18 per cent for the Kennedys and the 16 per cent for the British royal family. On the weightier subject of illegal immigration, 18 per cent of people questioned said that, if they saw a family trying to cross the border from Mexico illegally, they would try to help them, but 41 per cent said they would report them. Thirty per cent said they would look the other way. The poll also revealed that celebrity endorsements are irrelevant, with 89 per cent saying they made no difference. And despite all the focus on personal technology, 70 per cent of people said they would rather lose their smart phone than their wallet. When asked about giving up chicken or beef, 32 per cent of Americans said they would have the hardest time dropping beef, while 26 per cent chose chicken. Pork and lamb were far behind, but nearly a third said they could easily give up all of them. The telephone poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,027 adults nationwide in August and had a sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. — Reuters

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Diaz and Mengestu awarded US$500,000 Genius Grant for literary work Posted: 02 Oct 2012 07:33 AM PDT Junot Diaz – AFP pic LOS ANGELES, Oct 2 – Junot Diaz and Dinaw Mengestu have been recognised for their talents by the MacArthur Foundation, standing as two of 23 recipients of the 2012 MacArthur Fellowship award, a US$500,000 (RM1.53 million) grant paid over a five-year period. The Foundation's award is open to both US citizens and US residents and is intended to acknowledge, encourage and support worthy creative endeavours, from scientific to environmental to historical and political work. Ethiopia-born Mengestu has written the novels How to Read the Air, in which a now adult child of Ethiopian immigrants retraces his parents steps, and The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, about an Ethiopian refugee searching for a sense of society in Washington DC. Diaz, who is an established short story writer from the Dominican Republic, has already won a Pulitzer for his footnote-laden novel of a Dominican boy growing up in New Jersey, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and has another called Monstro in the works. Previous literary winners include Yiyun Li (A Thousand Years of Good Prayers), Deborah Eisenberg (The Collected Stories of Deborah Eisenberg), Stuart Dybek (I Sailed With Magellan). – AFP/Relaxnews

‘Sweet Magnolias’ cookbook takes favourites from fiction to fact Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:35 AM PDT Sherryl Woods, author of 'Sweet Magnolias Cookbook', poses in this photo taken in Colonial Beach, Virginia May 2008. 'The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook' contains 150 recipes inspired by the popular series which follows a coterie of women friends, the sweet magnolias of the title, through life's trials and triumphs, family barbeque days and margarita nights. – Reuters/Nina Subin/Handout NEW YORK, Oct 2 – The town of Serenity, South Carolina, the imaginary setting for author Sherryl Woods' "Sweet Magnolias" novels, now has real food in it. "The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook" contains 150 recipes inspired by the popular series which follows a coterie of women friends, the sweet magnolias of the title, through life's trials and triumphs, family barbeque days and margarita nights. Dana Sue's Killer Guacamole, Helen's Lethal Margaritas and Sullivan's Crab Cakes are among the fictional staples made real by chef Teddi Wohlford, who takes a gourmet approach to Southern classics. "A lot of people who have read the series have been looking for the book because they have wanted to try the recipes," said Woods, who has written more than 100 romance and mystery books. Woods spoke from her home in Virginia about the fact and fiction of friendship, food, and southern comfort. Q: Is this your first cookbook? A: "Yes. My contribution is not the recipe part. It's the peripheral world that the sweet magnolias live in that comes out of my series of books. We hired a real southern chef (Teddi Wohlford) to do the recipes so they'd be edible." Q: How big a role does food play in the "Sweet Magnolias"? A: "We talk a lot about food because it's typical of southern gatherings that food plays a role. The sweet magnolias are getting together for barbeques, and there's a restaurant that plays an important part. People kept asking me for real recipes for some of the foods that are mentioned in the book." Q: Are the dishes derived directly from the novels? A:  "Quite a lot of the food is mentioned in the book. Teddi came up with quite a few of her own things but some things are directly out of the book: Helen's lethal margaritas, Dana Sue's killer guacamole, and a lot of the desserts, such as the red velvet cake are things that have been mentioned in the book." Q: Is this typical southern fare? A: "A lot of it is traditional southern comfort food kicked up a notch. We don't just have grits, we have cheese grits. We don't do plain old mac and cheese, we do Tex-Mex mac and cheese. We've tried to put a spin on things that anybody in the south would recognise as being staples of their menu." Q: How did you wind up collaborating with Teddi Wohlford? A: "Teddi Wohlford was a fan, who mentioned that she identified with Dana Sue Sullivan, the restaurant owner and chef in the books. I knew they (the publishers) wanted a cookbook and I knew a cookbook was not in my repertoire." Q:  Has southern cooking changed since your childhood? A: "Yes. The little place I go to for breakfast still does grits and red-eye gravy. So you can still find those things. I think in restaurants that have become a little more upscale or where the chef is more inventive, you'll see spins on what we consider traditional southern comfort food. "When I grew up in the south there wasn't anything we ate that couldn't be made better with butter. We tended to cook our vegetables to death and add a lot of butter. These days in the real world we try not to do that." Q: How does your book reflect that change? A: "I certainly don't profess that it's a diet book but we've tried to balance it a little with some healthy alternatives. Q: Are your sweet magnolias concerned about weight? A: "Dana Sue has a family history of diabetes. Helen has high-blood pressure because of her high-pressure job. All the women deal with real issues." Backyard Lowcountry Seafood Boil (serves eight). 3 tablespoons shrimp and crab boil (such as Old Bay) 3 tablespoons salt 1.5 gallon of water 2 pounds medium red potatoes cut into quarters 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 2 inch pieces 12 ears freshly shucked corn, broken into 3-4 inch pieces 4 pounds fresh shrimp GARNISH Chopped parsley Note: Do not wait for the liquid to come to a boil when timing the sausage, corn and shrimp. 1. In a large stockpot, add shrimp boil and salt to water. Bring to a boil. 2. Add potatoes. Return to a boil, and cook 10 minutes. 3. Add sausage, and cook 5 minutes. 4. Add corn, and cook 5 minutes. 5. Stir in shrimp, and cook 3 minutes. Drain immediately. Garnish with chopped  parsley if desired. Note: Traditionally, this one-dish meal is dumped onto a newspaper-lined table set with paper plates and lots of paper towels. Serve with butter and loaves of warm, crunchy French bread. – Reuters

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SPRM cadang modul integriti dimasukkan dalam buku teks sekolah Posted: 02 Oct 2012 02:11 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Okt — Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia  (SPRM) mencadangkan agar Kementerian Pelajaran memasukkan modul integriti dan pencegahan rasuah ke dalam tiga mata pelajaran di sekolah rendah dan menengah bermula tahun depan. Timbalan Ketua Pesuruhjaya (Pencegahan) SPRM Datuk Sutinah Sutan berkata cadangan memasukkan modul tersebut ke dalam mata pelajaran Pendidikan Agama, Pendidikan Sivik dan Pendidikan Moral itu telah dihantar ke kementerian pada Jun lepas, malah pihaknya juga telah berbincang dengan Jabatan Kokurikulum kementerian itu berhubung cadangan berkenaan. "Selain itu, kita juga telah berbincang dengan Institut Pendidikan Guru untuk menubuhkan sekretariat pencegahan rasuah di semua pusat latihan perguruan bagi melatih guru-guru pelatih berkaitan nilai-nilai murni seperi amanah, jujur, ikhlas dan integriti, iaitu antara elemen yang akan dimasukkan dalam modul itu," katanya. Bercakap pada sidang media selepas merasmikan persidangan Pencegahan Rasuah bersama Pengetua, Guru Besar dan Pengerusi Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG) Sekolah-Sekolah Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur di sini hari ini, beliau berkata dengan adanya modul itu, peranan pihak sekolah dalam membentuk modal insan yang cemerlang juga akan menjadi lebih berkesan. Sutinah berkata penekanan nilai-nilai integriti dari bangku sekolah mampu menjadi benteng kukuh dalam menghindarkan pelajar daripada terjebak dalam aktiviti rasuah setelah memasuki alam pekerjaan. "Dalam membentuk modal insan yang cemerlang pihak sekolah juga mempunyai peranan penting dan sekiranya cadangan ini dilaksanakan, kita yakin pelajar-pelajar akan menjadi lebih berwibawa dan berintegriti apabila bekerja kelak," katanya. — Bernama

Merdeka Center: Pendatang haram, kekurangan infrastruktur isu utama pengundi Sabah Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:33 AM PDT Merdeka Center: Pendatang haram, kekurangan infrastruktur isu utama pengundi Sabah KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Okt —  Jumlah pengundi yang merasakan Sabah berada di landasan betul semakin menurun semenjak 2009 disebabkan jumlah pendatang haram tinggi, tahap rendah kemudahan insfrastruktur dan kurangnya pembangunan menjadi kebimbangan utama pengundi  menurut tinjauan Merdeka Center yang diedarkan hari ini. Peningkatan kebimbangan dikalangan rakyat Sabah boleh dieksploitasi oleh Pakatan Rakyat (PR) dalam melawan Barisan Nasional (BN) pada pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke 13 akan datang, kata tinjauan tersebut lagi. Menurut Merdeka Center, hanya 54 peratus pengundi yang mereka tinjau merasakan negeri tersebut sedang berada di landasan yang betul menurun 12 peratus berbanding dengan 66 peratus dalam tinjauan dilakukan pada November 2009. MENYUSUL LAGI

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Apa positif, negatif pertanyaan Ngeh Koo Ham? Posted: 01 Oct 2012 04:39 PM PDT 2 OKT — Ketika semua umat tertumpu kepada sikap tidak peduli Amerika atas filem anti-Islam keluaran rakyatnya, ada pula menumpukan kepada kekeliruan Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham atas reaksi umat  sejagat atas keparat filem "Innocence of Muslims". Ketika Islam yang prihatin mengadakan tunjuk perasaan di Kuala Lumpur dan kota-kota lain di seluruh negara, sekumpulan anti-pembangkang menyebu pejabat DAP Ipoh kerana marahkan kekeliruan Ngeh dan mungkin hilang tumpuan  kepada kebaculan Amerika. Jangan sampai sikap anti-DAP menyebabkan isu filem durjana rakyat Amerika itu jadi perkara kedua. Sesiapa boleh bersikap negatif atas pandangan Ngeh dan mengapa pula kita boleh melihatnya secara positif? Apa sebenarnya yang Ngeh timbulkan? Apa yang saya faham dari apa yang tersiar ialah pertama, dia bertanya apakah reaksi kerajaan Khairy Jamaluddin, Ketua Pemuda Umno kerana pendiriannya terhadap agamanya atau justeru politik? Yang kedua, ialah kekeliruannya dan saya peliknya terhadap umat Islam seantero dunia bangkit dan sanggup mati apabila Nabinya, Muhammad SAW dicerca dan dihina. Tentang Khairy, biarlah Khairy menjelaskannya dan topik itu didebat dan dipertikai. Tentang yang kedua, semua orang — politik  dan tidak politik — telah memberikan reaksi yang negatif  terhadap kekeliruan Ngeh. Dia sudah dibenci. Mengapa kita mengambil kekeliruannya itu secara positf? Ngeh dipercaya mewakili berjuta manusia di dunia yang tidak faham atas reaksi umat Islam apabila agamanya dihina dan Nabinya dicerca. Semua orang MCA, MIC dan bukan Islam di dunia rasa pelik dan keliru atas sikap umat Islam sehingga masing-masing sanggup mati. Trend di dunia sekarang termasuk yang mengaku Kristian agak lumrah mempersenda agama dan Nabinya. Mereka mengaku Jesus itu sebagai sebahagian dari tuhan tetapi ada yang tidak rasa apa-apa memperlecehnya. Mereka tidak berbalah seperti yang dilakukan Islam apabila agama dan Jesus dihina dan dicerca. Malah ramai yang boleh bergurau dengan kejadian seperti itu. Ngeh mungkin lurus bendul lalu melahirkan kekeliruannya. Ia boleh dilihat secara negetif dan boleh dibuat secara positif.  Ngeh adalah orang politik. Hidup mati orang politik bergantung pada undi dan sokongan orang ramai. Ngeh adalah orang yang memerlukan undi rakyat dalam PRU 13. Dia mahu rakyat bukan sekadar menyokongnya, tetapi menyokng partinya, DAP dan sekutu DAP yang lain termasuk PAS. Kalau dia anti-Islam jelaslah umat Islam tidak menyokongnya. Ia menundang bencana buat politiknya dan politik partinya. Maka dia tidak buat kerja bodoh itu. Tetapi dia mahukan satu jawapan kepada kekeliruannya. Pada saat kita ada JAKIM dan ada YADIM yang tugas besarnya adalah dakwah, mengapa masing-masing tidak mengambil peluang menjelaskan kepada umat Islam meletakkan Nabi Muhamad SAW adalah segala-galanya selain Allah. Inilah peluang kita memberitahu Ngeh bahawa kedatangannya sebagai Nabi adalah membawa rahmat kepada alam iaitu Islam. Rahmat itu untuk nikmat manusia semua agama dan bangsa, semua binatang liar dan ternakan, bahkan malaikat, bumi, luatan dan langit mendapat rahmat. Kerana itu Islam melihat Nabi Muhamad lebih penting dan lebih berharga dari dari semua isi bumi dan langit. Tidak sempurna iman seseorang jika cintanya kepada dirinya,  ayah bondanya, dan segala isi bumi dan langit lebih dari cintanya kepada Nabi SAW. Bagi orang Islam biar semua manusia  dan makluk mati, asal jangan Nabinya dicerca dan dihina. Bukan senang hendak berdakwa kepada orang bukan Islam. Tetapi Ngeh telah membuka pintu untuk penjelasan. Mengapa kita tidak ambil peluang. Saya yakin Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin yang rapat dengan Ngeh boleh mengisi ruang dakwah ini menjelaskan kepada Ngeh dan rakan-rakannya bagi menghilang kekeliruannya. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

In response to ‘Innocence of Muslims’ Posted: 01 Oct 2012 04:32 PM PDT OCT 2 — There has been quite a brouhaha in response to the "Innocence of Muslims" video made by some bigoted individual in America. There were demonstrations in much of the Muslim world, which resulted in the killing of four Americans. Interestingly, a minister in Pakistan even went so far as to offer a bounty to anyone who kills the film-maker. Of course, I find the production of such a film deliberately hurtful and irresponsible. It is completely understandable for Muslims to want to vent and protest. But as a Muslim, I was disappointed by the violence of these protests. It is also embarrassing to note that much of the anger was directed not at the individual who made the video but rather at the American government. Not only did the American government play no role whatsoever in the making of the film, it was also quickly condemned by both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The American government even paid thousands of dollars for airtime in Pakistani television to explain that the American government condemned the film. From my vantage point, the Obama administration has bent over backwards trying to prove to Muslims everywhere that the film has nothing to do with them. There is a general notion that as Muslims, we are being victimised on a daily basis, and that the chief villain in this is the West. A couple of weeks ago, I could not help but to feel victimised myself whilst listening to a Friday sermon at a mosque in Langkawi which delineated the history of Muslim persecution as perpetrated by various parties. The sermon kicked off naturally by alluding to a vague enemy called "the West", which has been undermining Islam for many years. It then built on the victim mentality by giving the history of how the Prophet Muhammad was treated in his lifetime by his enemies like Abu Jahal. The history lesson then continued with a fairly elaborate account of how the "West" has consistently insulted the religion. What I find interesting is that not once did the sermon mention what the response of the Prophet was to these insults. I am no ulama and I am certainly not trying to issue a fatwa, but from the meagre amount of Islamic knowledge I possess, the Prophet Muhammad's character is one that we should all try to emulate as much as possible. It is a shame that we seemed to have forgotten a most basic tenet of the Islamic faith in this regard. Lesley Hazleton, a writer on Islam, once said in a TED talk with regards to the Quran, that it is "so easy to interpret, that is to misinterpret" the text. It appears that we like to take things selectively, to accept them only when they are aligned with our preconceived notions. What I find dangerous is that almost no Muslim public figure has come forward to condemn both the video and, more importantly, the violent response of some of the protesters. A caveat is in order. Axiomatically I do not think that all of these protesters revel in violence. Only a handful of them are irresponsible and dangerous. But what is more revealing is the restrained (almost non-existent) response from Muslim commentators about the violence of these protests. It is almost implying that the violence is legitimate. Many a commentator has stated that the extremes from both ends of the spectrum have indeed become strange bedfellows: the bigot who made the video and the violent Islamist protesters. They would never admit to it but they need one another, an almost symbiotic relationship. "I do something which will surely make you angry!" says the bigot. "In response I will use that as an excuse to go out and do violent stuff!" says the latter. Indeed they are both happier from the exchange. This symbiotic relationship unfortunately has negative repercussions for Islam. The stereotype — that Muslims are nothing more than just violent people who would pounce on any chance to commit violent and random acts — is reinforced. Let us move beyond this victim mentality. It is a mental trap, which I fear will stall our progress. So intent are we at pointing out the supposed damage that the West has done to us that we have forgotten to get our act together. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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