Thanking Reagan and the US

Please click to enlarge pics.

He was the United States of America's oldest president. Despite his age and his conservatism, this person, Ronald Reagan was, in my personal opinion, the greatest man in the world in history.

Revisionist historians may declare that the Cold War was not won by this president alone; other larger factors were more significantly involved. They would point to the Holy father, the pope's outspokenness on communist oppression; restless desire for freedom by a young generation in Warsaw Bloc nations; Russian disenchantment with the heavy loss of lives in the Afghan War debacle; Russian nuclear plant disaster; growing resistance to authoritarian regimes in other nations, increasing attraction of a new pop culture and so forth.

I agree but I believe Reagan the supremo led the charge into battle for democracy. He talked the talk and walked the walk. Even if he was play-acting, he displayed what the world wanted to see-in a generation like ours that was fixated with good idealistic perfect heroes, superheroes and celebrities, mostly who are Americans-true John Wayne grit. No Reagan, no bearer of the torch of liberty for humankind.

Yup!

Images, images, images on television of Cowboy Reagan, defending the meek against oppression... shooting from the hip whatever he wanted to say in sincerity...standing up to the icy Soviets and the dreaded KGB..."Gorbechov ...tear down this wall!", firmly prepared for a possible High Noon showdown with an expressed constant threat of a nuclear build-up and Star Wars program... soothing a wounded nation over the Challenger disaster...

Out in the Far East, this great man who symbolised Lady Liberty started something significant. It seemed small at first but it did much for numerous politically oppressed peoples. He increased funding for delivering the message of hope and liberty through various media such as the Voice of America. The message was loud and clear: There is another better alternative to Marxism and autocratic oppression: American democracy!

Listeners like me would be drawn to the States to see how democracy worked there. I was not disappointed. Words can hardly express the experience of breathing in the fresh air of freedom and liberty. Undoubtedly, the cowardly attacks of 9/11 would have an effect on the freedom of individuals there, but the freedom of expression would always be there.

This is why I pray that a courageous apostate like Lina Joy, and all others will choose peace and harmony in the best freedom loving country in the world, the United States of America with its present great humanistic president, if it opens its doors to her and many others in either their love for Christ or other religions other than Islam . No nation is perfect and has its warts and all but the US, unlike Malaysia, has something few nations are God-blessed with, the most important precious gift for all who seek it: LIBERTY FOR ALL.

Here is my proud first copy of the VOA Magazine for listeners. In its opening page, a perfectly clear coloured pic of the handsome President could be seen with his message.

Fair Justice for Lina Soon!

Lina Joy to know fate next Wednesday

Soon Li Tsin

May 25, 07 6:02pm

Ten months after the final arguments were submitted in the Federal Court, the much-anticipated decision on the Lina Joy case will be revealed on May 30.

Contacted by malaysiakini today, Joy’s solicitor Benjamin Dawson confirmed next Wednesday as the date for the judgment which has deep impact relating to religious freedom in Malaysia. The time is set for 9.30am.

Joy, 43, whose Muslim name was Azlina Jailani, converted to Christianity in 1998 and is married to a Christian.

She had successfully applied in 1998 to change her name but the National Registration Department granted a card with her new name a year later but refused to remove her religion, stated as Islam, saying it needed permission from a syariah court.

Her attempt to quash and overturn this administrative decision at the High Court failed when the court on April 18, 2001 ruled that she could not renounce Islam and the issue should be decided by the Syariah Court.

She then took the matter to the Court of Appeal which upheld the lower court’s decision in a majority 2-1 decision.

Three key issues

The case then went to the Federal Court where justices Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim - who is also chief justice - Alauddin Sheriff and Richard Malanjum ruled that the case would be decided on three main issues.

The issues are:

* If the NRD is legally entitled to impose as a requirement a certificate or a declaration or an order from the Syariah Court before deleting the entry of ‘Islam’ from the applicant's (Joy’s) identity card;

* If the NRD has correctly construed its powers under the National Registration Regulations 1990 to impose the above requirement when it is not expressly provided for in the regulations and;

* Whether the landmark case, Soon Singh vs Perkim Kedah - which declared that the civil courts will retain their jurisdiction unless an expressed jurisdiction is conferred to Syariah Court - was rightly decided.

Arguments raised by both parties in the Federal Court covered Article 11 of the Federal Constitution, procedural matters, universal rights, women’s rights and Islamic law.

The landmark judgment is going to set precedent which would affect cases such as S Shamala and R Subashini which are both still undergoing trial.

Both cases concern the issue of jurisdiction - whether civil or syariah courts is more authoritative when one spouse converts to Islam - to be addressed.

After eight long years, Joy will know whether she has the right to remove 'Islam' from her identity card.

I'M AN APOSTATE...

WANNA DETAIN ME TOO, YOU COWARDLY INHUMAN WEIRD HYPOCRITES???