“The most hateful thing to Allah among the lawful matters is divorce.” This hadith (record of the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) taken from Sunan Abu Dawood explicitly says that while divorce could be considered permissible, it is highly discouraged within Islam.However, divorce seems to be the route a popular Malaysian Muslim reality TV star, Muhammad Abu Sufyan Mohd Mokhtar Rozaidi seems to be taking.
The issue of human rights has largely flown under the radar for the 81 parties contesting the Thai general election this Sunday.Freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and press freedom has deteriorated in Thailand since the military junta led by Prayut Chan-o-cha took over in 2014 and started the longest period of army rule in modern Thai history.
Thailand’s ratification of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention on 30 January has won it international plaudits – but how well will it be received locally?As the first country in Asia to ratify ILO’s Convention 188, Thailand – the world's third-largest seafood exporter – has received praise for “setting an excellent example” to ensure acceptable living and working conditions for fishermen onboard ships, according to ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.
In May last year, two men were flogged 83 times in the Indonesian province of Aceh in front of a crowd of thousands. Their crime – being gay. The two men were apprehended a few months back for allegedly having same sex relations and a Sharia court later convicted them of sodomy. Aceh is the only Indonesian province to enforce strict Islamic law for criminal offences.
Human rights are rights that are fundamental to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, or religion. However, due to the diverse cultures and varying political structures in Southeast Asia, tackling human rights issues remains a major hurdle for the region.
In the Philippines, it is just not drug-related criminals at risk of targeted murder, even journalists fall under the same threat. Based on a recent journalist death tally report by the International Press Institute (IPI), Philippines is the most dangerous country in Southeast Asia for journalists.
Singapore is increasingly using harsh laws to severely restrict freedom of speech and assembly, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, urging authorities to let people publicly debate matters of national interest.A report from the New York-based rights group said that while the financial hub was an economic success, it was time to relax tough regulations which are not in line with international human rights standards."Singapore promotes itself as a modern nation and a good place to do busine
Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen is on an unstoppable onslaught. Communal elections in June this year have shown that his ruling CPP (Cambodian People’s Party) is fast losing its foothold amongst voters. Supporters are leaving his party in droves in favour of the opposition CNRP (Cambodian National Rescue Party) ahead of the general election slated for next year. But Hun Sen is having none of this.
Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity fell last month by the most since he became Philippine president in June 2016 after minors were killed in his deadly drug war and allegations surfaced of hidden wealth.Duterte’s net satisfaction rating fell 18 percentage points to 48 percent, according to a Social Weather Stations survey of 1,500 adults from September 23 to 27. His trust rating also dropped 15 percentage points to 60 percent, according to the poll posted on its website on Sunday.
World renowned philosopher Plato once said, "we can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."At a time when the rest of the world is fighting for tolerance and human rights, the 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states are seemingly lagging behind in promoting equality for all. The region is facing issues pertaining to gender equality in the workforce.
Nearly half of Cambodia's opposition parliamentarians have fled abroad in the past month to escape a government crackdown that has battered their party with legal cases, an MP said on Wednesday.The exodus further imperils the prospects of a party that poses the only viable challenge to premier Hun Sen in next year's national poll.The strongman has smothered dissent in the lead-up to the election and is accused of picking off his critics through a series of dubious court cases.
