JUNE 12 — Living in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural society, can one not be troubled by the happenings in a different community than one’s own if those happenings touch on communities other than the one in which the happenings happen?

Before the promised return of the seized bibles had seen even a ray of light, and the dust had settled on the bride-snatching in a Hindu temple, we have the case of body-snatching from a Chinese funeral. There have been several other body-snatching cases in the past. Then we have the case of child-kidnapping in violation of a secular court order with the police standing by with folded arms on the excuse the kidnapper was exercising his right under the judgement of the religious court. 

When people question these happenings (I believe even some Muslims are questioning them), people are told not to have negative perceptions about Islam.

How not to for what we see is at complete variance with what we have read about Islam or have heard Muslims scholars say about Islam? 

Perceptions don’t come from heaven, or for that matter from hell. Perceptions are created by the actions and inactions of some people (even if a small group) that affect other people.

Take some examples. Police say street crime is not rampant, that it is actually going down. They blame the frequent reports of crime in the media for creating a psychological fear of being mugged, robbed, snatch-thefts, housebreaking, murders, kidnappings, rapes, etc.

But people see things happening around them that tell a different story. They interpret these things, not stupidly, but with common sense.  For instance, recently I saw how a small town store trading in used hawker-food booths had secured its premises using razor wire (see photo). What message does this sight give to those who see it? People have not seen razor wire being used this way. It is used by the military and riot police, on prison and drug centre walls. Does it indicate a low crime rate?

Add to this the recent statement by the Minister of Home Affairs that he is scared to ride his big bike on the streets as he is afraid that gangsters might shoot him. But he wants us to believe the streets are safe for ordinary people! Police produce statistics showing crime going down!

So what can one make of the bibles, bride, body and child snatching cases? Are such actions not against the very teachings of the religion the practitioners of which are carrying them out purportedly to protect the religion?

Just how do they ‘protect’ the religion? Why does religion need protection? Religion is not like territory that can be taken over by some other people, like territories that were overrun by foreign powers during the world wars, including the then Malaya. But Malaysian air-space was not protected from potential danger when the air-force radar showed an unidentified aircraft intruding our air space and it was deemed to be non-hostile and therefore case closed, NFA.   

Then there is the excuse about protecting the purity of the religion. How does one measure the ‘purity’ of a religion? If a person’s heart is not in a particular religion, how does keeping the body, dead or alive, in that religion, make it pure?

I recollect a Malay Muslim acquaintance telling me a few decades ago that if a Muslim converts a non-Muslim to Islam, the Muslim is guaranteed a place in heaven. He did not say what happens to the new convert.

Did the Prophet teach this? If this is what children are taught from a young age, then the idea becomes so entrenched in the mind that it becomes the purpose of their life, i.e. to secure a place in heaven by the guaranteed way which is to get a non-Muslim into Islam, dead or alive.

This is not meant to ridicule anybody, but for the pious and well learned in the religion to come forward and un-confuse the confused non-Muslims as to compulsion in Islam. Is there compulsion or is there not? If the Prophet did not lay down the rule on compulsion, then why do we see certain people fighting over the word “Islam” or “Muslim” written on pieces of paper?

Why is it when some paper describing someone has either of these words on it that the worldly guardians of the religion take it upon themselves to “protect” or “defend” the religion?  Whose place in heaven are they trying to secure, their own or that of the “non-believer”, dead or alive? Anyway, is it true that if a Muslims gets a non-Muslim into Islam, the Muslim is guaranteed a place in heaven? Where did the Prophet say this?   

Is it also not weird for men to make their own worldly laws to give themselves the power to enforce God’s laws? Did God authorise this?

*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.