Ayah Pin in front of his masterpieces.
Payung(umbrella)
The Teapot And The Vase
One Massive Teapot
Ariffin Mohamed aka Ayah Pin
Sky Kingdom (Malay:Kerajaan Langit) A commune founded by Ariffin Mohamed.
Ariffin Mohamed or Ayah Pin is the founder and leader of "Sky Kingdom" spiritual commune in Malaysia. It is unclear as of 2005 whether he claims to be God , as some journalists report.The commune, based in Besut, Terengganu Darul Iman was demolished by the government of Malaysia in August 2005. As of 2006, Ariffin Mohamed resides in exile in Narathiwat, Thailand.
Ariffin Mohamed or Ayah Pin is the founder and leader of "Sky Kingdom" spiritual commune in Malaysia. It is unclear as of 2005 whether he claims to be God , as some journalists report.The commune, based in Besut, Terengganu Darul Iman was demolished by the government of Malaysia in August 2005. As of 2006, Ariffin Mohamed resides in exile in Narathiwat, Thailand.
Just over the border from Terengganu. 18 members of the Sky Kingdom commune remain at the mercy of the Malaysia's Higher Shariah Court, with 40 having received leniency upon renouncing the group.Sky Kingdom attracted worldwide massmedia attention in mid 2005, over concerns about efforts by the Malaysian government to suppress its followers as apostates from Islam.The controversy was whether sharia law infringed on religious freedom.
Freedom of religion and belief is considered by many to be a fundamental human right. It is also a guarantee by a government for freedom of belief for individuals and freedom of worship for individuals and groups.... under Article 11 of the Constitution of Malaysia
The Constitution of Malaysia, comprising 181 articles, is the supreme law of Malaysia.
The Constitution of Malaysia, comprising 181 articles, is the supreme law of Malaysia.
This attention was coupled with considerable bemusement over followers' central objects of veneration, which include a large cream-coloured teapot, prompting local and foreign media to dub the sect as the "teapot cult".
Sky Kingdom communeThe six-acre, 33-building complex was located near the village of Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, in the Besut district of Trenganu Darul Iman.... (some 400 km north of Kuala Lumpur )and 20 km from Jerteh
Sky Kingdom had existed on the site since the mid-1980s, though the group itself dates back to the late 1970s. Before the commune was demolished, the group supported itself through rubber
tapping and religious tourism and confectionery production.
FollowingThe Malaysian government has described the "teapot cult" of Sky Kingdom as one of 22 "heretical" Islamic "sects" or "cults" in Malaysia, which altogether have an estimated 22,800 adherents.Most estimates of the numbers of followers of Sky Kingdom put them at several thousand, though this number would heavily depend on the criteria used for inclusion. As few as 25 now live on the commune, down from about 120 prior to the demolitions. Followers are mostly Malays (Malaysian Malay)but also include Africans, Indians and British believers. One adherent is from New Zealand.Besides Malaysia, members are also said to be located in Singapore
Beliefs and practices;
A Muslim by birth, Ariffin Mohamed, also known as Ayah Pin (Ayah is a common honorific meaning "father"), claims to have direct contact with the heavens and is believed by his followers to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Buddha, the spiritual teacher in the ancient Indian subcontinent and the historical founder of Buddhism....,Shiva (a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedas scriptures of Hinduism. Shiva is the supreme God in Shaivism, one of the major branches of Hinduism practiced in India...., and Muhammad,the historical founder of Islam..... Moreover, devotees of Sky Kingdom believe that one day, Ayah Pin will return as the Imam Mahdi.The Mahdi, in Islamic eschatology, is the prophesied redeemer of Islam, who will change the world into a perfect Islamic society before Qiyamah..... His followers consider him the king of the sky, and the supreme object of devotion for all religions.A major emphasis of the Sky Kingdom religion is ecumenical dialogue and inter-religious harmony. People of different religious backgrounds have joined. Ayah Pin has visited several Hindu Temples - expressions of tolerance which were used against him in court - and the group once hosted a visit by a Christian group, a rare move by Malaysian standards.Ayah Pin accepts the existence of angels as well as a class of Malaysian forest fairies called Orang Bunian (Orang Bunian are a species in Malay people legends, similar to elves.They are said to exist in large communities, mimicking human social structures, with families and clans.....
Ayah Pin is reported as claiming to be a god the deity believed by Monotheism to be the supreme reality. He is believed variously to be the creator, emanator, substance or at least the sustainer, of the universe..... Sky Kingdom also emphasizes the importance of spiritual healing as well as dream interpretation.(Dream interpretation is the process of assigning meanings to dreams. Various systems of dream interpretation have assigned meanings in terms of future events , in terms of chance events during the night, and in terms of unconscious mental activ....)
Ayah Pin used to conduct "sessions" on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings. According to a witness, the sessions began with a special ritual whereby followers would usher Ayah Pin from the main building to a concrete boat in the compound in which he would lie. His followers would then start chanting for him until 4:00 am. The witness also noted that the followers were not locals.After this ritual, a lengthy question-and-answer period will take place, with Ayah Pin seated on a dais facing an audience. Hymns would also be sung during the session. It is noted that the musical group in the commune has produced a musical CD.
Symbols The Besut commune features some structures which represents symbolism reflecting the ideology of the sect. Some notable symbols include a two-storey high cream coloured teapot with matching blue vase, costing 45 million Malaysian Dollars(Ringgit). The teapot is said to symbolise the purity of water and "love pouring from heaven". It is the earthly model of a celestial prototype. According to Ayah Pin, it was inspired by the dreams of one of his followers, and reflects a similar vessel in the sky which God uses to shower his blessings on mankind. Followers who visits the commune for the first time have to drink "holy water" from the vase which is "perpetually" filled by the teapot.Another notable feature in the compound is an equally large yellow umbrella, which offers "a place for people to take shelter beneath God." It is said that this can also be associated with the nine planets in Hinduism."Other symbols present include an ornamental fishing boat, identified with Noah's Ark.According to the Bible, Noah's Ark was a massive boat built at God's command to save Noah, his family, and a core stock of the world's animals from the Flood...., and a crescent moon icon symbolizing people without a religion, including the Orang Asli (Asli is a general term used for any indigenous groups that are found in Peninsular Malaysia.... (indigenous peoples of peninsular Malaysia) and the aforementioned Orang Bunian.
Symbols The Besut commune features some structures which represents symbolism reflecting the ideology of the sect. Some notable symbols include a two-storey high cream coloured teapot with matching blue vase, costing 45 million Malaysian Dollars(Ringgit). The teapot is said to symbolise the purity of water and "love pouring from heaven". It is the earthly model of a celestial prototype. According to Ayah Pin, it was inspired by the dreams of one of his followers, and reflects a similar vessel in the sky which God uses to shower his blessings on mankind. Followers who visits the commune for the first time have to drink "holy water" from the vase which is "perpetually" filled by the teapot.Another notable feature in the compound is an equally large yellow umbrella, which offers "a place for people to take shelter beneath God." It is said that this can also be associated with the nine planets in Hinduism."Other symbols present include an ornamental fishing boat, identified with Noah's Ark.According to the Bible, Noah's Ark was a massive boat built at God's command to save Noah, his family, and a core stock of the world's animals from the Flood...., and a crescent moon icon symbolizing people without a religion, including the Orang Asli (Asli is a general term used for any indigenous groups that are found in Peninsular Malaysia.... (indigenous peoples of peninsular Malaysia) and the aforementioned Orang Bunian.
History:
Ariffin Mohamad, the leader and founder of Sky Kingdom, was born in 1943 in Beris, Kampung Besar Bachok, Kelantan Darul Naim. In 1953, Ariffin became seriously ill and he alleged that an angel had visited him. 20 years later, the angel returned and Ariffin began his spiritual career. In 1975, a spiritual group was formed in Bagan Lebai Tahir, Butterworth, Penang.Whether Ariffin was the founder is unclear; during this phase he may have been a follower of Hassan Tuhan (also known as Anak Rimau), apparently another claimant to divinity.Around the mid-1980s, the Sky Kingdom commune was formed on its present site in Besut. Some reports state that the office of Islamic Affairs declared the group to be deviant at this time. In 1995, Sky Kingdom's signature building projects began, as per divine revelation. Two years later, Local Religious Affairs council (Jawatankuasa Fatwa Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Melayu Terengganu) issues a fatwa
against the group. Around this time, four adherents were arrested for renouncing Islam.However, they were later freed on grounds that as ex-Muslims Malaysia's sharia
court no longer enjoys jurisdiction over them.In 2001, Ariffin renounced Islam. The Sharia court accused him of contravening Section 25 of the Enakmen Pentadbiran Hal Ehwal Agama Islam 1986 (Administration of Islamic Religious Affairs 1986), stating that his teachings and beliefs were false, deviant, corrupting and threatening to the public peace (membawa ancaman kepada ketenteraman orang awam serta merosakkan akidah.) He pleaded guilty to the charge of "belittling Islam" (menghina Islam), and is jailed for 11 months and fined RM 2,900. The Religious Affairs Office hoped that Ariffin's arrest would prevent the movement's growth; however, Sky Kingdom continued to attract new followers from among university students and Orang Asli.On July 18, 2005, a group of masked vigilantes attacked the group's headquarters, smashing windows and torching buildings. Two days later, 58 followers were arrested , and on July 31, three of Ariffin's four wives were also arrested in Kelantan Darul Naim. Ariffin escaped arrest and remains at large. 45 of these face charge of failing to observe the government fatwa,(i.e. for continuing to be members of a sect declared as deviant), which carries a fine up to RM 3,000 or two years in prison. One of those arrested faced an additional charge of "humiliating Islam" (for claiming not to be a Muslim). Court cases promise to revolve around the issue of religious freedom, which is theoretically guaranteed by the Malaysian constitution.On August 1, 2005, officials of the Besut Land Office destroyed Sky Kingdom's various buildings, citing Section 129 of the National Land Code (which punishes unauthorized construction with land confiscation). The titular landowner is Ariffin's first wife, who apparently failed to appear in court for a hearing on the matter. On September 1, 2005, at a hearing, a trial date for 45 followers accused of violating the government fatwa is set for three days beginning December 18 this year. All of the accused are represented by Wan Haidi Wan Jusoh of Ubaidullah Aziz and Co, who unsuccessfully petitioned the court to order his name blacked out by the media. The group had previously experienced great difficulty in attracting legal representation, presumably owing to attorneys' fear of reprisals or negative publicity.As of 2007, after wide media coverage, the original Hulu Besut commune, now down to 24 members, has reportedly chosen a new leader—a former police chief inspector in his 30's. The group is suspicious of visitors, and routinely turns out the commune's lights whenever a car approaches at night, in order not to be found.
against the group. Around this time, four adherents were arrested for renouncing Islam.However, they were later freed on grounds that as ex-Muslims Malaysia's sharia
court no longer enjoys jurisdiction over them.In 2001, Ariffin renounced Islam. The Sharia court accused him of contravening Section 25 of the Enakmen Pentadbiran Hal Ehwal Agama Islam 1986 (Administration of Islamic Religious Affairs 1986), stating that his teachings and beliefs were false, deviant, corrupting and threatening to the public peace (membawa ancaman kepada ketenteraman orang awam serta merosakkan akidah.) He pleaded guilty to the charge of "belittling Islam" (menghina Islam), and is jailed for 11 months and fined RM 2,900. The Religious Affairs Office hoped that Ariffin's arrest would prevent the movement's growth; however, Sky Kingdom continued to attract new followers from among university students and Orang Asli.On July 18, 2005, a group of masked vigilantes attacked the group's headquarters, smashing windows and torching buildings. Two days later, 58 followers were arrested , and on July 31, three of Ariffin's four wives were also arrested in Kelantan Darul Naim. Ariffin escaped arrest and remains at large. 45 of these face charge of failing to observe the government fatwa,(i.e. for continuing to be members of a sect declared as deviant), which carries a fine up to RM 3,000 or two years in prison. One of those arrested faced an additional charge of "humiliating Islam" (for claiming not to be a Muslim). Court cases promise to revolve around the issue of religious freedom, which is theoretically guaranteed by the Malaysian constitution.On August 1, 2005, officials of the Besut Land Office destroyed Sky Kingdom's various buildings, citing Section 129 of the National Land Code (which punishes unauthorized construction with land confiscation). The titular landowner is Ariffin's first wife, who apparently failed to appear in court for a hearing on the matter. On September 1, 2005, at a hearing, a trial date for 45 followers accused of violating the government fatwa is set for three days beginning December 18 this year. All of the accused are represented by Wan Haidi Wan Jusoh of Ubaidullah Aziz and Co, who unsuccessfully petitioned the court to order his name blacked out by the media. The group had previously experienced great difficulty in attracting legal representation, presumably owing to attorneys' fear of reprisals or negative publicity.As of 2007, after wide media coverage, the original Hulu Besut commune, now down to 24 members, has reportedly chosen a new leader—a former police chief inspector in his 30's. The group is suspicious of visitors, and routinely turns out the commune's lights whenever a car approaches at night, in order not to be found.
A sad group of peaceful people terrorised by the government of Malaysia.
An unmitigated victim of the current war on terror.
Now, US of A, what do you have to say about this ?
(Picked this from AbsokuteAstronomy.com)
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