JULY 25 — It was Edmund Burke who once said: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Finally, the voice of a true Muslim is heard, when Professor Dr Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi, a veteran academic who teaches architecture at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, wrote his views in his article “Not the Islam I know...”
As a non-Muslim, I have seen enough of the religion of Islam as portrayed by the intolerance of people in the likes of Umno Baru, Perkasa and Jati. Over a molehill, the perpetrators such as Ibrahim Ali, Hasan Ali and Zulkifli Noordin could make it into a mountain.
What I know, for a fact, is that none of these organisations is portraying the true teaching of Islam as taught by the prophet. At worse, they portray the worst of Umno’s “Melayu pantang dicabar.” In a modern society, where we are talking rational, such a culture is no longer relevant. Umno Baru, which has its roots in Dr Mahathir Mohamad, will find that the more it creates a ruckus out of everything, the more it will be alienated from the rest of society.
Even when complaints were raised regarding people like Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin, the Umno president himself remained silent. The law’s long arm of enforcement did not even touch these “protected” species. There is a sense of injustice that the Christian and the Hindu communities in this country feel, and I believe if these complaints had been raised to the prophet himself, he would have acted justly.
Over the issues in recent days, such as the Alvivi bloggers’ posting as well as the Vatican envoy’s comments on the Allah issue currently in the Court of Appeal, which Mohamad Tajuddin had raised, I like to add a few things to what he had mentioned.
As a Chinese, I would not condone first of all the sex blogging by the Alvivi couple. However, in my opinion, they did nothing that deserves denial of bail. This is why their lawyer should bring the matter up for review by the higher courts. Compared to what Ibrahim Ali did when he uttered words that were, in fact, seditious in nature, but no punishment was meted against him.
Mohamad Tajuddin might want to know that besides beef, pork and chicken, there are two other versions of bah kut teh that are available. One is what I call the vegan style, using mock meat; the other is the true vegetarian style, with only vegetables and the herbal tea. In one case, they try to differentiate it by using a different name, but the concept is basically bah kut teh. If vegetarians can eat it, Muslims can certain enjoy the true Chinese delicacy unique only in Malaysia. In the same restaurant where the vegan bah kut teh is served, there is also “fish”, “chicken” and char siew made of mock meat (basically soya).
If you care to look at the Alvivi couple’s posting again, they were basically saying, “Selamat Berbuka Puasa.” It’s different if they had insulted Islam, but they were just being plain naughty. Judging from their age, this couple did not mean any harm to anyone. Years ago, I remember our Muslim friends would tell us, “Please have your lunch,” when they are fasting; nowadays, even posting a photograph of food on Facebook would rile up some Muslims. I have chided one of them, telling her off, “It’s not meant for you. Why, is the world revolving around you?”
Sometimes, it makes me wonder about the true meaning behind the Ramadan month, if someone has made up his mind to fast, yet is unable to control himself from the temptation of food; instead, he blames others as being insensitive for eating in front of him. This is, I believe, the hidden reason behind the Seri Pristana school in Sungai Buloh. Christians and Hindus have the habit of fasting, but to us, it is a test of personal strength.
On the Vatican’s envoy fiasco, this is about co-existing with each other in a democratic country. It is about being a good neighbour instead of trying to turn a molehill into a big mountain. Mohamad Tajuddin might be able to tell us that in the Quran, when Prophet Mohamed met a group of Christians he told them: “Your Allah and our Allah is the same.” He did not say: “Your God and our Allah is the same.”
If even the prophet had referred to the God that the Christians worshipped as “Allah”, what version of Islam is Malaysian Muslims practising? As far as I can recall, the issue first started with Dr Mahathir when he first came to power.
And, if it is true that one of his sons had shares in a liquor company in the Philippines, what has Dr Mahathir done to show that he is an example of a good Muslim father? However, I am reminded time and again what Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman had said about the young Mahathir that if Umno took him in, it would be a great mistake. I am not surprised that what we are reaping today is the result of one man’s work of dismantling the pillars of justice, media independence and, even at one stage, the special privileges accorded to the Malay monarchy.
One place I can still find the religious tolerance is in Kelantan, where PAS is in control. The well-respected Tok Guru Nik Aziz is known for his great humility. In certain parts of Selangor, such as Kuala Kubu Baru, I can still find some Malays eating in a Chinese restaurant. These are also PAS Malays who are religious, but know how to respect other communities and their beliefs.
Therefore, I like it when a Muslim like Mohamad Tajuddin speaks up against the injustices done in the name of Islam. This is not about being gleeful, when you see a Muslim fighting another Muslim; instead, you begin to realise that what doesn’t match your own conscience or rational thinking is not even the true teaching of Islam.
It is time for more Muslims to speak up against the things that their fellow Muslims have done in the name of Islam. As a Muslim, if your religion is being misrepresented or even abused by people who claim that they are zealous, you have the right to speak up. This, I believe, is more effective to inculcate racial and religious harmony in the country compared to trying to push down someone’s throat about the glory of one’s civilisation, especially when the views presented are being overplayed by certain parties with vested interest.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
