Berani Kerana Benar

I am sure you have heard (and read) the story about the Malaysian “model” who was sentenced to 6 strokes of whipping for drinking beer. If I am not mistaken, she is not the first Malaysian woman who was sentenced to whipping for the same offence.

Personally, I feel that she is getting too much media coverage for the wrong reasons. The main party who should be blamed for this misunderstanding is the Jabatan Agama Islam Pahang.

Having known that they wanted to postpone the punishment as it is now Ramadhan they should not have picked the poor Kartika, drive her for about 20 minutes and decide to send her back. Their inefficiency in managing such a simple stuff has embarrassed the whole country! You don’t mean to tell me that they didn’t realize that it is now Ramadhan and it coincidentally coincides with her sentencing date?

Jabatan Agama Islam Pahang should be more proactive in explaining to the public that the whipping for Syariah offences IS NOT the same as how it is done for the normal crime. I am not sure if they realize that Islam (in general) and Malaysia’s Syariah Law (in specific) is being attacked like nobody’s business, locally and internationally but I feel that they should absorb the attack and explain demystify all the misunderstanding that they have caused.

Another thing. Explain in ENGLISH! Take this opportunity to enlighten the Non Muslim about Islam. And I am sure there are numerous individuals / NGOs who are more than willing to help if you are not comfortable to write in English.

I’ll give an example. See how Muslim Professional Forum (MPF) has taken the pains to reply to this gentleman’s opinion. (Since I am not sure if The Star will publish MPF’s press release because of reasons only known to The Star’s Editor) I reproduce their press release below.

28th August 2009

While Mr. P. Gunasegaran ( No to whipping for drinking, 28 Aug 2009, Star ) and those in the similar vein are entitled to their freedom of expression, it nonetheless needs to be pointed out that his abrasive intrusion into the intoxicating whipping debate is in extreme bad taste and a blatant affront to Muslim sensitivity.

His high and mighty pronouncement ( read fatwa ) based on his secular theology and his one sentence reference to some unnamed Muslim scholar, makes him an overnight jurist ( read Mufti ) !

Despite 52 years of Merdeka, quite apparently and most unfortunately, the civilized and democratic values of mutual respect is sorely missing in our multi-religious co-existence. And as far as Muslims are concerned, there has been one too many Islamophobic sentiments snowballing by the day in the mainstream editorials, press reports and cyber portals.

Fed by deep-seated prejudice, and popular misconceptions towards Islam and the Shariah, the words "barbaric", "cruel", and "inhumane" are hurled without regard for the sensitivity of Muslims.

Barbaric, cruel, and inhumane are after all relative terms that are employed to demonize the other. This media onslaught, directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, attempts to belittle and humiliate the Shariah justice system, an entire institution whose place in our nation is legitimated by history and the Constitution.

What else does one make of the following headlines “and lets do away with a slew of outmoded, archaic laws in the statute books, both syariah and civil”. He further adds “there is real danger of disarray when man purports to speak for God”. I hasten to respond by asking - should we then let him (the editor) play God or better still be God ?

Islam, meaning ‘submission’- however awkward such a notion is to secular liberal thinking – is acceptance with a free conscience both the tenets of the faith and outwardly the injunctions of the Shariah which encompasses formal ritual worship and the regulation of personal and social mores based on sacred texts.

Believers of other faiths, liberal secularists and secular atheists need to understand that Islam is the governing principle in every aspect of a Muslim's life to a degree seldom seen in the adherents and practitioners of other religions. Islam is not just a matter of rituals and worship; Islam is a complete way of life. For those who cannot or will not accept the crucial importance of this most important reality in the life of all Muslims we can only say, hopefully without insult, please stay out of our business.

As Muslims we have no difficulty accepting that non-Muslims have different beliefs and live their lives differently than we do. Please show us the same courtesy.

His editorial among others, reflect the distressing trend that non-Muslims are making ill-informed, prejudiced and unwelcome comments on the religion of the majority of people of this country. This is very unhealthy, and dangerously crossing the lines of civilized discourse.

There exists a myriad of opinions on the issue of consumption of intoxicants. But the Muslim scholars are unanimous that the offender must be punished.

If the offence is considered under the jurisdiction of hudud (limits), as is embraced by the schools of thought of Syafie, Maliki and Hanafi, caning must be meted without exception. This being the stipulate of God for the good of the bigger society.

However, Al-Qaradhawi, the celebrated contemporary scholar, in consonant with the likes of At-Tabari, Ibn Munzir, As-Syawkani and Ibn Qayyim opines that this offence is within the domain of ta’zir (discretionary penalty). Thus, the judge may choose to forgive the first time offender or he may elect to cane the offender and would stipulate the number of canings. As alluded by others, the caning is unlike the brutal and vicious whippings as prescribed by the civil courts.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Zulfakar, who lectures Islamic criminal law in the International Islamic University of Malaysia, and Datuk Abdul Munir Yaakob, SUHAKAM commissioner, concurred that the courts acted within the State Shariah Criminal Offences Act notwithstanding the seven day remand order.

The Shariah court is part of Malaysia's dual justice system which has jurisdiction over Muslims and the decision of the Kuantan Shariah High Court must be respected as such That is the rule of law enjoyed by both the Shariah and Civil courts and outside interference would tantamount to contempt of court. The due process of appeal is open to the victim if justice is not done or seen to be done.

In this media frenzy, the irony has not been lost that Kartika herself has accepted the sentence and has refused appeal despite the suggestion by no less the Prime Minister himself. This underscores one of the objectives of the Shariah, to guide Muslims to be more observant of their religious obligations through remorse and repentance.

The controversy surrounding Kartika's sentencing also exposes the sometimes uneasy co-existence of the world views of Islam and that of modern secular society. Attempts to fit Islam into the secular world view is like forcing a square peg into a round hole.

Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). The U.S. Department of Justice Report on Alcohol and Crime found that alcohol abuse was a factor in 40 percent of violent crimes committed in the U.S. The British Home office reports a figure of 45% which rose to 58% in cases of attacks by unrecognized persons. We have not even begun to mention the primary role of alcohol in road traffic accidents, domestic violence, drug dependence, alcoholism, women and alcohol, adolescents and alcohol, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol and liver cirrhosis, alcohol and brain damage, alcohol and cancer risk, the causal link between alcohol and 60 different types of diseases etc.

God says in the Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 219 :

“They ask you concerning wine and gambling. Say: 'There is a great sin in both of them, and (some) profits for people; but their sin is greater than their profit …”

As Muslims, our absolute love and allegiance is to our Creator, whose infinite wisdom we do not question. Thus, it is completely unacceptable and reprehensible that any from amongst his creations, should instruct us otherwise applying their fallible human and secular opinions and standards.

Board of Directors

Muslim Professionals Forum

Dr. Mazeni Alwi

Dr. Jeffrey Abu Hassan

Dr. Shaikh Johari Bux

Haji Mohamed Ali Ghazali

Dato’ Dr. Musa Mohd. Nordin

Come On Jabatan Agama Islam Pahang! Fulfill your constitutional responsibility. Make 1Malaysia proud!

Blog adjourned.

Ramadhan Mubarak!

Praises be to the Him for allowing us to gain from this blessed month again. As I sat down and wondered aimlessly in my mind about my insignificant history, I realized that I have not been in one position for the last 5 Ramadhans! Talk about jumping ships, within 5 years, I have held 5 different positions.

Let’s recap for a moment.

• In 2005, I was still a final year student at IIUM when it was Ramadhan. If I am not mistaken, I was having my exams at that time.
• In 2006, I was a Legal Executive at the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA).
• In 2007, I was a Senior Assistant Registrar at the KL High Court (D6). Oh, and I celebrated Ramadhan and Raya with a cast around my right leg with an injured spiral fracture of the tibia bone.
• In 2008, I was a Magistrate in KL come Ramadhan. I also fasted with the Bride as my bride for the first time… thanks to her, I didn’t miss to many sahur… hehehe.
• In 2009, Ramadhan is here again with me being “The Special II” to the Big Boss.

AAAANNNNDDDDDD!!!!!
The stork should be dropping by any moment now with DOT!!!!!
Yippee!!!!

Anyhow, to all of my Muslim readers, May Allah reward us for our struggles to complete a perfect fast and grant us the Night of Power… Insya Allah.

“Allahumma Bariklana fii Shahri Ramadhan”
O Allah, please bless us during this Ramadhan Month…
Amen

Remember, the reward for reading of Quran in this month is to good to be missed!
Blog adjourned.

Trilingual Doa

Last week, I was nominated to lead the doa (prayer) for the Judicial Commissioner's Elevation and for the Second Judges’ Conference 2009.

Do you realise that whenever there is the doa recitation at the beginning of any ceremony, not many of us would pay attention to what was being read. Sometimes it is because the reading of the prayer can be sooo mundane. Others just do not understand what was being read. Some prayers are just too formal and general and are not practical for that specific occasion.

So I decided to change the typical stereotype doa and drafted one that is specific for both of the occasion. My intentions are simple; since the doa is for something that is universally good, I wanted to read a doa that everyone could understand and appreciate with no religious or race boundaries. A doa that is comprehensive and meaningful. A doa that could catch you in the heart when you hear it, understand it, digest it, and hopefully, if it is accepted, will certainly be beneficial to everyone!

Since both occasion involved judges, I drafted my doa in Arabic, translated some of it into Bahasa Malaysia and English with the addition of English prayers. (I am truly indebted to my dad who vet through the doa and perfected my draft). I also tried to recite it as though I was submitting before the Federal Court, haha.

Alhamdulillah, it turned out pretty well (or so i think...) Many said it was the first time they heard a doa in BM and English and felt that they could understand better. I also had Chinese and Indian listeners who complimented the doa saying that finally they could understand and see the universal goodness in the doa. One said, "I am a devout Hindu but that was a good sermon! It must be your IIU training!"... Even the Big Boss complimented the doa.

I'm glad that some slight translation could have a huge part in promoting the universal goodness of Islam. So, I would like to share the substantial part from both doa’s with you all. Tell me what you think…

Judicial Commissioner's Elevation:

Ya Allah, Engkau telah menyatakan bahawa Engkau menjawab segala doa hamba-Mu

أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

Yang bermaksud: “Aku memperkenankan permohonan orang yang berdoa kepada-Ku.”

Maka kami mengangkat tangan berramai-ramai untuk memuji Mu dan menyatakan hajat kami agar Engkau merahmati Majlis Pelantikan Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman kami pada pagi ini.

O Allah!

Please guide and Bless our newly appointed Judicial Commisioners so that they are able to make just decisions coupled with equity and Ihsan as how you have ordained us when you revealed in the Quran:
إِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاء ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition.”

· Therefore, we pray that You make them wise and increase their patience.
· Make them good judges and managers and enhance their knowledge and understanding.
· Open their heart to see the truth and grant them the courage to apply it.
· Lead them to do good and help them not to hesitate in preventing evil.
· Demystify their vision to detect falsehood and guard them constantly from going astray.
· Remind them if they have forgotten and assist them when they are in need.
· Continue to drive them to be more learned than they are now.
· Shower them with Your infinite mercy and let them share it with those who appear before them.
· Assist them in fulfilling their oath of office and reward them for doing so.

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا
“Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error.”

رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الأبْرَار
“Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous.”

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost.”

O Allah, the Order of everything is determined by You as you have revealed:

إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
“Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, "be", and it is!”

As you have elevated these distinguished individuals, we pray that you maintain their Independence, preserve their Integrity, protect their modesty and guard them against all temptations.

Verily, You are the Protector, the Sustainer, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the Most Merciful and the One who accepts repentance.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّار
"Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire!"

Second Judges Conference:

Ya Allah, Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, Engkau telah menyatakan dalam Quran bahawa Engkau menjawab segala doa hamba-Mu apabila Engkau turunkan ayat berikut:

أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

Yang bermaksud: “Aku memperkenankan permohonan orang yang berdoa kepada-Ku.”

Maka kami mengangkat tangan beramai-ramai untuk memuji Mu dan menyatakan hajat kami agar Engkau merahmati Persidangan Hakim-Hakim Kali Kedua Bagi Tahun 2009 ini.

O Allah,

· Provide us the means to achieve a successful conclusion from this gathering.

· Channel our thoughts clearly and allow us to communicate effectively.

· Decorate us with the proper conduct so that we humble ourselves with more knowledge.

· Give us the strength and stamina to fulfill the mandate that is expected from us and O Allah… reward us for doing so.

Allahummar zuqna fahman nabiyyin wa hifzal Mursalin Birahmatika Ya Arhama Rahimin
Which means: O Allah! Grant us the understanding of the Prophets and the Memorization power of the Messengers and Bless us for You are the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate!

Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has taught us that “The position of only two persons are enviable: the person whom You have bestowed wealth empowering him to spend it in the way of righteousness, and the person whom You gave wisdom with which he adjudges and which he teaches to others”

Oh Allah, Please make us among those worthy of envy.

Assist us in our quest to further improve the Malaysian Judiciary.

Verily, You are the Protector, the Sustainer, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the Most Merciful and the One who accepts repentance.

I did not include the opening and ending of the doa and I omitted the repeated verses in the second doa.

Anyhow, All praises are to Him and may He accepts our prayers and be Merciful to all our souls...

Ameen...

Blog Adjourned!

The Freedom Of Security

This was my reply to some queries about having a gated community (“G&G”) on Facebook. I thought I’d share it with you all.

Salams,
1. I will attempt to state only the basics and not go into detailed authorities as I have not much time to do the necessary research. I start by stating that hukum exist in two ways. (1) Halal, which can further be divided to mubah or wajib or makruh and (2) Haram. As we are well aware, there is no such prohibition from the Quran / Sunnah / Ijma’ / Ijtihad of a valid scholar (since we are in Malaysia, I would further restrict it to the Ahli Sunnah wal Jamaah as it is the most accepted view in Malaysia) for gating a community. On top of that, I rely on a general Islamic legal maxim, (which can also be located in the Majelle Islamic Legal Maxim if I am not mistaken) that “Everything is permissible until there is a prohibition”. So G&G is not haram. I think we can agree on this point.

2. If it is not haram, then is it just permissible or encouraged or discouraged?

3. In answering my question above, let me highlight that the objective of the Syariah is to protect five basic values i.e.:

1. Religion
2. Life
3. Lineage
4. Property
5. Intellect

The priority may not be accurate though but Religion is numero uno for sure. Whatever things that we intend to do must be to protect those five rights. G&G in a way protects at least 2 of the basic rights (property and life) [unless you wish to include lineage as G&G could stop a rapist from raping our women but this is just stretching it too far.] So G&G does not disturb the remaining 3 rights as it is irrelevant.

4. Considering that the crime rate in this neighbourhood has been on the rise since last year (1 in 3 houses has been hit), having G&G certainly helps to protect one’s property. Some may have the protection zikr and doa’s but that is certainly not enough. There certainly must be ikhtiar on our part when we seek for His protection right? We cannot leave our car unlock and pray to Him that nobody steals it. We need to lock it and park it appropriately. Just like G&G, we must first lock our houses, (have alarm system if possible), have G&G and then pray to Him to protect us as we have done our level best to protect our house. This is our ikhtiar. Kalau nak jadi jugak lepas tu, itu luar bidang kuasa kita.

5. The fact that we may no longer have beggars begging at our houses does not mean we cannot give charity elsewhere. Besides, not all of us who are staying at here are rich. Some admitted that they couldn’t afford the RM100 and their neighbour actually paid for that house’s G&G. So, G&G certainly does not portray a higher living standard. The houses remain the same. Plus, G&G is not the first of its kind. Many other areas have gated community as well. Even condominiums charge service charges for security. As much as it might hurt the feeling of beggars not being able to beg at our houses, the safety of our neighbourhood should be our main priority. That RM100 spent to further protect our house is a necessity and not a luxury. Again, considering that the rise of crime rate, investing in G&G could be deemed as a better way to spend. Any surplus in one’s cash flow can be channeled for charity.

6. Even the Prophet dug a longkang around Yathrib (Madinah) during the Battle of Khandaq. It was to protect the women (lineage), property, life and religion against transgressors. Some of the Jews also supported the idea of a longkang.

7. Thus, considering the current threat of robbery, I humbly feel that beefing up our security should be an encouraged move. I stand to be corrected.

Blog adjourned.

The Naughty Boy...

Here is a common situation. We all know that stealing a motorcycle is an illegal act right? Now, say a 15 year old boy was caught by the police, red handed, stealing a motorcycle. He is then brought to the police station. He must be produced before a Magistrate for a remand order, if the police could not complete investigation within 24 hours. Most of the time, the police would not be able to complete investigation. They’re the most common reason that they would give me back when I was a Magistrate was that they need to gather further evidence (even though the boy was caught red handed!).

So this means that the boy will be in jail before the expiration of 24 hours and would continue to be in jail for usually another 1-4 days depending on the number of days the Magistrate decides to give.

This is the criminal procedure practiced in Malaysia. Ask any lawyer and he should be able to tell you this. If he can’t, tell him it’s elementary and ask him to refer to section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The procedure should be the same for any crime committed by the 15 year old. *Any crime*.

When I was younger, I would play football at the field behind my house. My football mates were all Chinese save for a few. I would play with them until it was around 7-7.15 pm. They would continue until it was really dark. I had to rush back home before Maghrib prayers. This is because, my dad had a strict house rule that everyone must be home and ready for Maghrib prayers together. I was late a few times. Or to be more accurate, I was early a few times. (Sometimes you miss the time when you are lost in the football excitement) That was when I could feel and see some red lines caused by the whipping sound of a belt or a cane or a hanger or anything that could be reached and suitable to be used. Mom once used a remote control… everything was bluury after the tight *SMACK*…

Could I tell my dad not to discipline me when all I did was to get back home slightly later than his house rules timing? It’s not even a crime!

My dad would have told me not to whine if I am disciplined for something which I brought on to myself. I knew I would be in trouble if I got back late. The fact that I got back late meant that I would be in trouble. Would it be wrong for my dad to discipline me when I took no precautionary to be early for Maghrib? Could my brother or sister say, “For God’s sake Father! What is in your mind for hitting such an adorable child who just got back home slightly later than what was expected….” Although I’m quite sure my brother would have the same lines and fate if he had the nerve to say that.

Apparently, there are people who would have the nerve to say that... I read it somewhere. However, in considering that when he said such stuff he was under immense preassure, i'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was too tired and stressed to gather the right words at that point of time...

I guess, sometimes when we are emotional, even the basic common sense doesn’t seem to make any sense… And it will lead us to give funny statements to reporters.

I’d better go catch some sleep now.

Blog adjourned.

Wisdom Tooth

I have been wondering, why in the world do they call those four back molars which grows when you are about 15-25 years old, causing you much pain and grievance, with no particular use, not grow straight and eventually disrupts your teeth arrangements… Wisdom tooth.

I remembered telling my mom that I was feeling much discomfort with my jaw and when she peeked into my mouth, she said that it’s just my wisdom tooth growing and it just shows that I am going to be wiser.

That tooth did not “mature” at one go. It took more about a decade to fully develop, out of tangent and filled with cavities as I did not realise that I missed to brush it every night. The moment it was fully grown, I realized that I couldn’t eat sweet stuff anymore as I had electric shots whenever chocolate melts around that area.

I went to my dentist not once, but THREE TIMES, only to be told that he could not find any holes or cavity in my teeth. Then I went to my cousin, who is a “pakar bedah mulut” and she spotted that my wisdom tooth was as the problem and I had to take it out. She was right.

Back to the naming game… why is it called a wisdom tooth. I read about it somewhere in the net and it said that since wisdom tooth only grew when you are more matured, hence it is assumed that you are wiser when you get it. It’s like a sign telling you that you are now ready to be a wiser person.

I realize, after discussing it with mum and the Bride, it is called wisdom tooth because of the pain and discomfort it causes us when it is growing.

Such pain and discomfort will extend for about 7-10 years when the tooth is coming out and there is nothing much that we could do but bear such pain as part and parcel of growing up / older. Bearing this pain and discomfort, requires much patience. This is where wisdom comes in.

The wisdom behind having a wisdom tooth, to my mind, is the ability to practice to be patient and bear all the pain and discomfort of having a useless tooth developing in your mouth. It grants you the opportunity to be patient and not gnaw at anyone you meet at the cafeteria, in your office or even at home. I feel that if you can tolerate such pain for 10 years, then patience will be like a habit to your personality and it will be easier to be patient (and not melenting tak tentu pasal) when something is not right.

In that sense, even if you have to extract the rotten wisdom tooth in your mouth, the fact that you endured such pain and discomfort during the 10 years it took to grow, would have given you enough training on how to be a wiser person. You probably have to endure another 20-30 years of collecting invaluable experience with much patience before you could actually be a wise man.

So, good bye my top left wisdom tooth. Although you are not needed anymore, but thank you for growing in my mouth. It was very uncomfortable for you to have been there but I needed the constant training.

BECAUSE OF YOU OH ROTTEN TOOTH, I HOPE I CAN BE A WISER PERSON!

Tooth adjourned!

One DPP's Point of View

Following my post on Revisiting The Past, a good friend of mine who is a senior by rank and a DPP, emailed me the following comments. I thought I'd share it here with you all...

"There are many things that can be discussed here but I just would like to highlight one point. By the time the police bring a case over to the AG Chambers, it has been investigated. Yes, maybe they should have advice the police to have the appliance / instrument gazetted etc but police force uses new tools everyday. Unless a DPP is posted at Bukit Aman and have everything requiring his approval before being put into operation, then it would be a folly to think that the AG Chambers could keep track of what another department would or intend to do.

Once investigated, (i.e. IP completed) no one could change the clock backwards. The system in Malaysia is that the Prosecution does not get to see what the investigation do until it is too late. The US system is slightly different as District Attorneys get to go on the ground and be involved in the investigation and gathering of evidence.

If, apart from the instrument which was not gazetted, the Prosecuting Officer (who is from the Traffic Contingent in Edmund Bon’s case and not a DPP) has succeeded in proving every other ingredient of the offence, I am proud of them because they did what justice demanded of them i.e. bringing to the attention of the court what the evidence were. They have done justice despite losing the case because of a (fatal) technicality.

For us, winning or losing is secondary to doing justice. Once we have done our best and justice (as per the circumstances) is done, our conscience is clear.

I understand it may be hard for some people (apart from DPPs) to understand this and rest assured, if we believe that justice has been done, we curse no one. Allah be our witness."

Blog adjourned.