April 20 — A news report read: “In a rebuke aimed at Muslims mourning the death of veteran opposition politician Karpal Singh, a leader of Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) stressed today that infidels go to hell when they die. Isma central committee member Mohd Hazizi Ab Rahman, called on Muslims to be more discerning when they pay their respects”.
Is it Isma’s business whether a non-Muslim goes to heaven or hell? Who gave Isma the authority to mind other people’s business or “menjaga tepi kain orang”?
Where in the Koran are Muslims prohibited from showing respect to a dead person? Even the Prophet is said to have stood up when the funeral procession of a non-Muslim passed by. Does Isma deny this?
If by Isma’s authority a Muslim must not pay last respects to a non-Muslim, what about the following:
- Should a Muslim allow a Kafir teacher to teach his children?
- Should a Muslim consult a Kafir doctor and take medicines from him/her?
- Should a Muslim engage a Kafir lawyer to defend him over some charges?
- Should a Muslim engage Kafir contractors to build mosques?
- Should a Muslim buy shares in Kafir businesses?
- Should a Muslim accept the blood of a Kafir when an emergency transfusion is needed to save a life?
- Should a Muslim allow a Kafir to live next to him, opposite him, or close to him?
- Should a Muslim use the same toilet used by a Kafir?
- Should a Muslim sit on a chair that a Kafir had sat on?
The list can go on.
Why are a few bigots so hell bent on preventing Muslims and non-Muslims from living in harmony?
Who has gone to heaven or hell and come back to describe these to the living?
If heaven is meant only for the Muslims, why did God create peoples of so many faiths?
These bigots are painting the picture that God is the greatest sadist of all beings, hence he created non Muslims to burn them in Hell and enjoy their screams, while Muslims could commit all kinds of sins, and yet by virtue of being Muslims, their place is in heaven.
Or, are the bigots saying that different Gods created the peoples of the different faiths! Well then, can they tell us how many Gods are there?
These bigots are gutter politicians and are dragging a religion of peace and love into the gutter with them. If they are not stopped, it means they are being condoned and encouraged to go on.
More Khairie’s are needed to tell these bigots to just shut up before they further damage inter-ethnic relations that have been so cordial in the past. Malaysia will be a better place without them.
**This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
