Chastity, Chastised and Alamak

Yesterday, it was reported, today, it was reconstructed in a new linguistic expression.

Yesterday, The Star reported Datuk Abu Hassan Din Al-hafiz, a well-respected religious Ulamak as saying that: "Women should wear chastity bets to thwart rape and incest".. Datuk Abu Hassan said chastity belts would protect victims and also help reduce sex crime rate. “Besides, husband could also feel more secure, if you know what I mean, Hassan added. (read more at Howsy's rant)

Hassan is an Islamic scholar and an Ulamak who is well-respected. What he said must have been in accordance with the teachings derived from the Quran, or if not, from the Hadith. Muslims would believed him and his teaching.

But it's puzzling! Would women who wears chastity belt help to eradicate incest? But incest means sexual apprehension from close-knit family members such as brothers, father, step-father or grandfather. The many occasions where incest was committed was when the daughters were at home and the crime was committed by the father, brother or step-fathers. Would a child need to wear chastity belt at home? There was a case in Kelantan where the mother would force her daughter from a previous marriage to have sex with her step-father. Even if she had worn the belt, the mother would have unbelt it to satisfy her husband's need. The belt won't help in incest cases. What is more puzzling is that incest are mostly committed by Muslims as observed from records published in the media.

Besides, how could husband feel more secure, and I don't know what you mean, Ustaz Hassan?

Datuk Abu Hassan today clarified his advice: "Joke aje. It was not seriously meant."

Is it funny, Datuk Hassan? What would had happen if the younger Muslims had believed in what he had said? What would had happen if nobody dares to respond to this "Fatwa"? What would had happened if this instruction was recorded in the textbook and nobody had questioned about it's validity? Then, over time, and many years down the line, this piece of instruction or advice would become part of the principles of Islamic behavior and would be cited, and quoted by later scholars and applied by Muslims upon presumptions that it is part of Islamic behaviors.

As I had often enunciated and, many of my Muslims buddies, particularly my sparring opponent, Ustaz Razali had objected to my viewpoint, scholastic interpretation and erudition are solely meant to be advisory in nature and to serve as guidance. The only text that should only be of reference to Muslims acts and behavior should be absolutely dictated and directed towards the teaching as written in the Quran, absolutely, without pretense.

It is tacit fact that human can make mistakes and can give subjective advice based on cognitive interpretations and presumptions and for this reason, Muslims must be firmly directed to refer to the Quran as the basis of interpretation and in the absence, inquiries into the meaning of words and behaviors from the Hadiths should only serve to throw light on moral behaviors. The type of social situation or relationships may best be brought to light by an examination of the moral standard using analytical construction and those as expressed in the Al-Hadith and the way in which it should be exercised should depend on a social context to which we belong. One way to do this is to keep our own morality standards according to our own personal conscience distinct from what the state demands. There should be a gap between the two to enable us to work out our moral obligations.

Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said he was “quite surprised” when he read about the proposal.

“Have we come to such a stage that women need to wear chastity belts?” Asri asked.

“I urge all religious figures not to make suggestions that can appear to discriminate ... and which make people think the religion as undermining ...,” he said.

In response to Abu Hassan suggestion, Dr Sharifah Hapsah from the National Council of Women's Organization asked: "Why don’t these people suggest instead that the men wear chastity belts?"

Dear Dr Sharifah, would it help to solve the problem of rape and incest? Afterall, the wearer had the keys to the belt and the question wasn't about men being rape but being the rapist? Even if the intended rapist wears a belt, he will still be able to rape as he got the keys to the belt, too! Don't you have better suggestions than just this?