Liberating the Liberals

"I like to bill myself as a liberal",
I once said to my disciples (OK, friends).

*a brief moment of silence*

It didn't take long before their faces turned green. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Anger? Could be.
Confusion? Perhaps.
But their greenish faces somehow, told me that they're horrified.
They are horrified by the "L- word.
The word that many people think that if you associate yourself with it, you are registering yourself for a first-class ticket to hell.

Really?

Why is it that we are so afraid of the L-word?

A possible explanation is perhaps the fear is driven by the term "Liberal Islam", the name given by 'mainstream' Muslims to a movement founded their brothers who apparently have a different understanding of Islam. An understanding that I do not necessarily agree with. In short, the word 'liberal' has been hijacked by a certain group of people who think they have the right to 'reform' Islam.

However, looking at how the word 'liberal' is defined; either in the social or political context;

Liberal (society) - Respecting & Allowing Many Different types of behaviour

Liberal (politics) - Believing in or allowing more personal freedom and a development towards a fairer sharing of wealth and power within society

I sincerely believe being a liberal person is mainly a positive thing. In fact, the L word is even mentioned in the Cabaran Wawasan 2020;
"Mewujudkan masyarakt liberal dan bertolak ansur, rakyat pelbagai kaum bebas mengamalkan idea, kebudayaan dan kepercayaan agama masing-masing dan pada masa yang sama, meletakkan kesetiaan mereka kepada satu negara"

So, tell me; are you going to let "Liberal Islam" steal the L-word away from you?

++++++++++++++

A few centuries ago, I did this test (which was supposed to 'measure' how liberal I am), and here's the result;

Based on your answers to the previous questions, your overall score on a conservative/liberal dimension of moral attitudes--compared with the general population--puts your percentile at 71, with the 99th percentile indicating the most liberal possible rating. Another way of explaining this is to say that out of 100 randomly-selected people, you will most likely be more liberal than 71 of them. * You tend to hold progressive/liberal values, but are more traditional on some aspects. * When it comes to social morals, you feel that society's current laws need to be more liberal and flexibile across the board. * You believe that government is too conservative and would prefer it to change several of its political and practices.

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