FOR AZMI SHAROM, MY FRIEND ... - ar

This poem is not for Azmi Sharom

 3  0 0

an academic started off with idealism
in a classroom in a liberal nation
the spirit of the free mind prevails
he is intoxicated perhaps
by the fact that man is born free
and everywhere he is in chains
then he goes back to his culture
he lets society...
and those ignorant of what a free mind means dictates
his thinking
his writing
his scholarship
he then begins to see the beauty
not in leading
but in following
not in liberating the minds of others
but in shackling the minds of the young
- but he is still alone
in his newly-found ignorance
still a safe situation for the nation
he sees no need in opening up minds
he sees the need in toeing the line
then he becomes the leader
he becomes the dean
he is no longer james dean
a rebel with or without a cause
he takes pride
in taking sides
he hears voices from above
from the Ignorance
he thinks god hath spoken
he then sees the need
to plant the seeds
of Authority unquestioned by those he leads
he is now empowered
to dis-empower
the powerless
those young minds
those young academicians
yearning to know the meaning
of thinking freely
so that society will breed mediocrity
and fed like cattle
and be given more grass
so that Man will be happy
and the nation safe and secure
from thinkers espousing anarchy
- then the dean is rewarded
through both his hard work
and his gameplan to rise to the top
by trampling on others
and by acting like a glorified game warden
he plays the game politicians play
he does this in multiple replays
until he gets what he wants
to become the leader of all the leaders
of the dull and ignorant
and then he becomes the leader of all leaders of education
and that is when
there will be trouble
big time - for the nation
because dead and gone is idealism
of the need to help the young think and to help minds remain open
because that is what will happen
when there is no revolution
of even for mental improvement
of critical sensibility and the offering of thinking -- in multiple dimensions
and how will it all end for this nation?
you and i have seen
not only the germinating of the seeds of destruction
but the coming of total chaos
because and only because
the intellectuals are now fighting
not anymore for any noble cause
but for more and more rewards
in service of a Darker Force
whose life knows no limit
for Acquired Ignorance
let alone the Illusion of Wisdom ...

ameen to us all
ameen to us all
ameen

- ar

Drilling this concept into politicians' thick-skulled brains

This not easy - and I still cannot understand why.

I am talking about the freedom of the citizens and academicians to express their opinions on matters dear to their future; so that a better one will be left as legacy.

Fundamental to human nature and natural to our rights, after freedom from hunger and homelessness and torture, is free speech.

That comes become the ‘state’ has agreed to exchange this rights in a social contract that promises individual protection from the state in exchange for ‘votes’ so that the government can assume that it has this ‘general will’ or a mandate of sovereignty, guided authority, and sensibility to exercise power on the dis-empowered. This is the essence of the social contract between the ruler and the ruled.

But why is this simple concept so difficult to understand, especially in the case of the academician criminalised and prosecuted for expressing his/her views? What is the logic of this madness of the intoxication of power of those high on some unknown intoxicant and arrogance allowed to make decision on the lives of sensible and noble citizens whose only crime is expressing what is right to be expressed, namely speaking truth to power?

Where is our understanding of what education, dialogue, and critical sensibility should mean? Did the oppressors not go to school at all and learn the very basic idea of the constitution in regard to freedom of speech?

When they were in school, didn't they have professors and teachers whose life are devoted to speaking truth to power intellectually, encourage them to speak freely, cultivate their critical sensibility - so that they will not become leaders who abuse power at their whims and fancies?

I mean - for these thick-skulled politicians, didn’t they have professors like Azmi Sharom at all?

This - I cannot understand... for a country crying to be known as a  High Income World Class Nation.

AN IMPORTANT LETTER BELOW  for AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN

Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of Malaysian law professor facing prosecution on sedition charges
September 11, 2014

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned by reports that Dr. Azmi Sharom, an associate professor of law, faces prosecution on charges relating to his academic profession.

SAR calls for letters, faxes and emails respectfully urging authorities to investigate and drop any charges stemming from Prof. Azmi's exercise of academic freedom and free expression.

Click here to share your concern with the Prime Minister of Malaysia
and other concerned authorities.

Further information:

Professor Azmi Sharom is an associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Malaya. Scholars at Risk understands that, on September 2, 2014, Prof. Azmi was charged in Kuala Lumpur Session Court with sedition. Under Malaysian law, sedition is defined as speech that “would bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against” the government. The charges apparently stem from an interview Prof. Azmi gave on August 14 regarding an ongoing political crisis in Selangor state. In the interview, Prof. Azmi compared the current crisis to a situation in the Malaysian state of Perak in 2009, stating, “[y]ou don’t want a repeat of that, where a secret meeting took place” and “I think what happened in Perak was legally wrong. The best thing to do is do it as legally and transparently as possible.” Prof. Azmi pleaded not guilty to the charge against him and was released on bail pending trial. He spoke publicly about the prosecution, stating, “I was shocked to learn that I am being charged under the Sedition Act because of comments I made on the Perak crisis of 2009. My statements were based on established case law and democratic principles. They were given in my capacity as a law lecturer of 24 years standing.” Reports indicate that his next hearing is set for October 3, 2014.
                              

Scholars at Risk welcomes any additional information that may clarify our understanding of these events. Absent this, the facts as described suggest that Prof. Azmi’s comments were protected expression related to his professional competence as a legal scholar. Prosecution for such expression would violate internationally recognized standards of academic freedom and the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Scholars at Risk therefore invites letters, emails and faxes be sent to the appropriate authorities, respectfully urging: - intervention to ensure a full, impartial, timely investigation and public reporting on the incident as early as possible; - dropping any charges or proceedings against Prof. Azmi which stem from his exercise of academic freedom and the right of freedom of opinion and expression; and - firm, clear and public demonstration of Malaysia's commitment to academic freedom, free inquiry and freedom of opinion and expression as fundamental to quality higher education and as essential elements of free, stable and prosperous societies.