Your choice to do or not to do

And if their children indulge in child porn, whom do you blame? Those who enjoy watching child porn? Of course not! It is the parents who should be blamed. How can we ban child porn just because parents can’t control and educate their children?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

When an MAS pilot who had child porn on his mobile phone was arrested in Australia, his father said it is not really that big an issue. He argued that what his son had on his mobile phone is what everyone else would also normally have on his/her mobile phone as well.

This particular father defending his son against the charge of having child porn on his mobile phone is the MACC chief, the anti-corruption agency that is being used to try to topple the Pakatan Rakyat government and the agency behind the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Understandably, Malaysians were outraged and whacked the MACC Chief, Ahmad Said Hamdan, for what he said. They felt that exploiting children for profit and pleasure was morally wrong, no matter what the law or religion might say about the matter.

In fact, one of the issues Islam-haters raise when they whack Islam concerns the story that the Prophet Muhammad took an underage girl, Aishah, as his wife. The fact that the Prophet was said to have had nine wives at one time and 11 in total was not as repugnant to these people compared to the fact that his last wife was just a child.

Of course, this is what the stories say although there are many Muslims who would dispute this story as unfounded and negative propaganda with the argument that they have not read this in the Quran -- and what is not in the Quran just can’t be accepted as fact and must therefore be mere myth. These people are of course labelled as ‘anti-Hadith’ but they would rather call themselves ‘pro-Quran’. ‘Pro’ is so much more positive than ‘anti’; don’t you think so?

I am sure there are many people who don’t understand what I am talking about. Never mind. Today’s piece is not about the schism in Islam between the various schools of thought. Maybe another time we can talk about that issue.

Okay, back to the child porn thing. So this MAS pilot had child porn on his mobile phone. So what? After all, it was for his personal use. It was not for public viewing. It is not like he was selling it to make money or something like that.

Why penalise this MAS pilot? Parents should look after their children. It is the parents’ responsibility to educate their children. If their underage children star in porn movies why blame others? It is the parents who should take the blame. How can someone be denied child porn just because there are certain religious fanatics who are against the exploiting of children for pleasure and profit?

If you don’t like child porn then don’t watch it. But don’t deny others their right and pleasure just because you are against it. And it is parents who do not control and educate their children that should be blamed, not those who watch child porn.

Yes, this is what rights and freedom are all about. Oh, and the same goes for wine, beer, liquor, gambling, prostitution and drugs as well. We should not ask for them to be banned. Look after your kids. Make sure they don’t indulge in all these activities. If they do then it is your fault. And just because you are a poor/bad parent does not give you the right to demand that wine, beer, liquor, gambling, prostitution and drugs be banned from your neighbourhood.

And if the local neighbourhood pusher tries to get your children hooked on any addictive substance or liquid, make a police report. The law forbids this. The Malaysian police will immediately spring into action and arrest the culprits. It is not like the Malaysian police are on the take and that for the right price they will not take action against criminals. The police will show these people no mercy. This has been proven thousands of times in the past.

Some Malaysians, for example, those parents in Taman TTDI Jaya, want the shops in their neighbourhood to stop selling liquor because this liquor is being sold to children. They must understand that it is the responsibility of parents to educate their children to not drink. They can’t pass this responsibility over to others. This is what parents do not seem to understand. And if their children indulge in child porn, whom do you blame? Those who enjoy watching child porn? Of course not! It is the parents who should be blamed. How can we ban child porn just because parents can’t control and educate their children?

I know some will now argue that we can’t compare child porn with children drinking, taking drugs or indulging in prostitution even though all involve exploiting children for profit and pleasure. Hey, a sin is a sin. How can we classify them into acceptable sin and unacceptable sin? It is not like we are forcing children to do all this. It is their choice to do or not to do. And it is the parents’ job to ensure they do not do. Banning is not the solution even if legislation does not work because enforcement is zero and because the police will close one eye for the right price.

This, Malaysians must understand.