Malaysia is a
strong Islamic population. So much so that in order to be considered legally
Malay one must be Muslim.
Sharia law is
specifically for the Muslims to follow, this is why there has been much debate
as to whether Malaysia is a secular state or Islamic. After
my first two interviews I realized that some of the things the students kept
talking about involved their cultural
norms that have come about due to the heavy influence of Islam.
"Intoxicants and games
of chance" were called "abominations of Satan's handiwork,"
intended to turn people away from God and forget about prayer, and Muslims were
ordered to abstain (5:90-91)(Qur’an)
Even if you are not
Muslim in Malaysia these laws still have and effect on you. If you wanted to go out and drink you would
have to leave behind the majority of your friends. This, for most people defeats all of the
fun. The limited beliefs on drinking
have become a cultural norm for those in Malaysia. Their cultural norm was shattered when they
arrived on the UNL campus. 321 MIPs were handed out in general in 2010
and 367 liquor violations were handed out to students by UNL dorm staffers. “It’s
a cultural thing,” said UNL Police Officer Aaron Pembleton. “People go to the
bars downtown then come back onto campus drunk. It’s a norm.”(b.susnjar)
Another breach of cultural norms comes in the form of
using curse words. Its is prohibited in
Islam to curse at each other. During the
interviews the students brought up what they believed to be excessive
cussing. As someone who comes from a
Christian family that does not cuss and I personally do not cuss, I can relate
with the Malaysian students. Some felt
it made situations more hostile even if they weren’t meant to be.
The cultural norm of
Islam that is present in Malaysia is the largest riff for most students that
attend UNL via the international program.
References:
Huda.,2003 The
Everything Understanding Islam Book http://islam.about.com/od/health/f/alcohol.htm
b.susnjar. December 5, 2011.
Crime Stats Mixed at Nebraska
Qurran Sunnah
http://qsep.com/modules.php?name=assunnah&d_op=viewarticle&aid=60
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