When reason is absent and zealotry clouds the mind, people will be quick to direct their anger on a scapegoat, without even knowing why.
The truth behind Gaysec’s accusations…is that there are no truths in it.
We received news earlier today of the so-called Ops Ramadhan by online vigilante group Gaysec, which claimed to have unmasked anti-Islam online personality Sitt Al-Wuzara. This has prompted a frenzy among the zealous of the Malaysian Muslims who have continued to harass the accused Arlene Tan, who is also one of our readers and volunteers.
They have released this so-called report on the “real identity” of Sitt.
The only trouble with this is that Gaysec obviously has done nothing to unmask Sitt. Their revelation was nothing but baseless allegations and a mish-mash of URL links thrown in for safe measure, not unlike inferior students padding up their overdued assignments with useless references.
To call what they did “hacking” is a joke, when all they did was Googling and releasing personal info of Arlene, rather than putting a clear link between her and Sitt.
Let’s take a look at the “evidences” put forward by Gaysec, and you will realise that none of them has linked Arlene with Sitt:
Links/referral
- http://unmsia.com/about/
Why, this is our About page. Okay. - http://www.facebook.com/unmalaysia?sk=wall
And…our Facebook wall. - http://www.thenutgraph.com/non-malay-pm-how-possible/
An article on news site The Nut Graph, on the possibility of non-Malay PM, where Arlene has commented. - http://www.cpps.org.my/sub_page.aspx?catID=1&ddlID=34
A page on CPPS showing Arlene’s occupation. - http://twitter.com/#!/ArleneTan
Arlene’s Twitter account, which is hardly active. - http://twitter.com/#!/sitt_alwuzara3
Sitt’s latest incarnation of Twitter account. - http://www.box.net/shared/h0abwfzksw
Map of CPPS - http://ja-jp.facebook.com/unmalaysia?sk=wall&filter=1
Again, an alternate link to our FB wall. - http://capmalaysia.multiply.com/reviews/item/1
- http://capmalaysia.multiply.com/photos/album/15/CAP_2007#photo=7
Both are links to Arlene’s blog - http://www.facebook.com/pages/HELP-Kartika-Sari-Dewi-Shukarno/116947506453
A FB page supporting Kartika, where Arlene had commented. - https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=22863906024&topic=9628#topic_top
A discussion on FB group Malaysian Atheists, Freethinkers, Agnostics and their friends. - https://docs.google.com/View?id=dd7xmg4h_34hsc3bffm&pli=1
A copy of Apostates in Malaysia in Google Docs. - http://friendlyatheist.com/2010/02/20/can-you-help-a-malaysian-atheist/
A post in well-known atheist blogger Hemant Mehta, where Sitt has commented. - https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_117676498244829
A FB group called Murtads in Malaysia and Singapore - http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:eSOZb3QQGgcJ:www.facebook.com/unmalaysia/posts/124462110900156+https://www.facebook.com/unmalaysia+Sitt+al-wuzara&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=my&source=www.google.com.my
- http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:j6RlGtlvWc0J:https://www.facebook.com/unmalaysia%3Fsk%3Dwall+https:/
/www.facebook.com/unmalaysia+Sitt+al-wuzara&cd=17&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=my&source=www.google.com.my - http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FDbu_luRSoAJ:zhcn.
facebook.com/unmalaysia/posts/117294968307862+https://www.facebook.com/unmalaysia+Sitt+alwuzara&
cd=19&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=my&source=www.google.com.my - http://www.google.com.my/#q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Funmalaysia+Sitt+alwuzara&
hl=en&prmd=ivns&ei=RtDwTeK4Js_yrQeA44wa&start=0&sa=N&fp=1&biw=1600&bih=777&cad=bhttps://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=134487079954056&id=22863906024
- http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JbffVVVujAAJ:www.facebook.com/unmal
aysia/posts/124988457512891+Unscientific+Malaysia+sitt&cd=22&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=my&source=
www.google.com.my - https://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=168415122635&start=440
All the above are Google web caches of our FB page - http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FupNxDlKgMJ:
www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/04/06/ok-for-non-muslims-to-quote-the-quran/+Sitt+Al-
Wuzara+facebook.com&cd=35&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com
This is a broken link. - http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=22863906024&topic=9628&perpage=30&post_index=31
&start=-1&post_id=68858&hash=ff92abd95587bbc59795b2575593440e&_fb_noscript=1
This is a duplicate link of one of the above. - http://malaysiandefenceleague.wordpress.com/
A blog called Malaysian Defence League. - https://makcikhajjahsittalwuzara1001.wordpress.com/
One of Sitt’s many blogs.
Pray tell, which one of the links above has proved the real identity of Sitt?
Photos
What is interesting is that someone has seen it fit to put a photo of Arlene with members of Unscientific Malaysia.
Our readers might remember this photo from Taylor’s College Hear Us Out 6 conference where Arlene volunteered for our Scepticism: Tools Against Bullshit workshop. (We took this photo because we were excited to met Marina Mahathir — who was the keynote speaker — by the way)
It’s a bit funny when a screenshot of the unrelated Eng Wai Ong’s FB profile turned up too.
If you’ve spent some time reading this post, you would realise how obvious it is that Gaysec don’t even have a single evidence to link Arlene and Sitt, and all they did was releasing Arlene’s info to direct the anger to her. How many just accepted Gaysec’s accusation blindly though? Unfortunately, too many.
It is sad to see that Gaysec had dedicated their time to defame someone without concrete proof under the guise of patriotism and Islam, and we’re outraged by this continued harassment towards Arlene Tan.
[Update (August 9, 2011)]: Arlene Tan has released her statement on this issue in various online outlets:
I am saddened by this situation as this is really a sick act by a bunch of people who love to simply accuse without any proof.
For the record, I am absolutely not Sitt Al-Wuzara and I have never known this person before. I was not even aware about this issue until 3 days ago where I got an alert by some Facebook friends that I was being wrongfully accused. The first time I ever read her blog was also 2 days ago when I had to show evidence to the police.
For your information, I have made a police report against GaySec and anyone else for the wrongful accusation, for posting my personal details in public, and for encouraging the public to harrass me, including making death threats at me.
Dear friends, please let us spread the truth during this holy month where it is not merely avoiding from eating and drinking, but most importantly avoiding from spreading lies and fitna, as well as seeking truth and enlightenment.
[Update (August 10, 2011)]: Azwan Ismail has released a statement on his reply to Sitt and his involvement in the MAFA FB group:
On Wednesday, 3 August 2011, I received a Facebook message from Arlene Tan regarding recent accusation by some people saying she is the real identity of a person called Sitt Al Wuzara. This is my explanation (the same one that I gave to Arlene):
About one year ago, there was a person called Sitt Al Wuzara posting in the ‘Malay Atheist?’ forum thread inside the Malaysian Atheists, Freethinkers, Agnostics & their friends’ (MAFA) Facebook group. I replied to his/her posts. I believe his/her posts have somehow been deleted, leaving Arlene’s post, originally between my post & Sitt’s post, as the next one. But still you can see the ‘deleted’ sign. Simple as that. Therefore, I did not reply to Arlene’s post, and did not refer Arlene as Sitt Al Wuzara. I also don’t know Sitt Al Wuzara & his/her real identity.
I only know the existence of Sitt Al Wuzara in that ‘Malay Atheist’ forum thread & checked out his/her blog once (and if I’m not mistaken, I noticed in that blog that actually he/she claimed himself/herself as a Christian). I decided not to continue arguing with him/her after that and also have not been following his/her activities until the recent accusation against Arlene Tan.
I hope people stop spreading lies regarding Arlene Tan as she is innocent & just a victim of situation. It can be considered as fitnah. Like me, she joined MAFA & took part in the forum for a healthy & open-minded discussion (however, I have recently deleted my posts in the ‘Malay Atheist’ forum thread, and removed myself from MAFA, to avoid further unwanted issues). Joining MAFA also doesn’t mean you’re atheists, freethinkers, agnostics, etc. Everybody can have their say there.
Again, I want to highlight that Arlene Tan is not Sitt Al Wuzara, and I also still don’t know who Sitt Al Wuzara is. Accusing Arlene Tan as Sitt Al Wuzara is totally stupid, baseless, and unislamic too.
[Update (August 13, 2011)]: GaySec has finally conceded that they’ve made a mistake and released an official apology to Arlene Tan.
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