It's mind boggling that a building is seen as an insult to the Malay community.
By P Ramakrishnan - FMT
Some bigots and zealots acting in the name of Islam have brought disrepute to a religion known for its tolerance and accommodation.
Some 50 Malays protested against the building of a church in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, because the site lies within a predominantly Malay/Muslim area.
According to Ishak Maarof, the head of the pro-tem committee against the construction of the church, it would be an insult if the four-storey church is built in a Malay/Muslim location. How could a building be insulting? It is mind boggling.
They even insinuated that the church was being built with the hidden agenda of converting the Muslims to Christianity.
This is a slanderous claim without basis. Are they actually insisting that the faith of the Malays is so shallow and fragile that they can be so easily converted? How many Malays living near a church have been converted to Christianity?
They took offence that the four-storey church could be seen from the Federal Highway and the new LRT extension line. So what is the problem? Are they seriously suggesting this would shake the faith of Muslims?
Their protest and hollow claims do not hold water. In fact they come across as people incapable of rational thinking and reasoning. They may not even have a proper understanding of Islam. They are just mischief makers out to create disharmony and discord among Malaysians.
It has been recorded that the Holy Prophet had indeed, in his compassion, allowed Jews to pray in a mosque. That wasn’t considered as desecration. The Jews praying in the mosque did not upset any Muslims. They reflected the tolerance and accommodation that is part of Islam.
We have been told that, according to the Qur’an, Islam allows the right of other religions to exist and their adherents to practise their faith. We have been told that Islam is a tolerant religion.
If that is indeed the case and if it is the true interpretation of the Qur’an, we expect the ulamas and the religious personages to condemn the protest of these 50-odd misguided Muslims who are against the building of a church in Bandar Sunway.
Why have those guilty of this recalcitrant behaviour not been taken to task and reprimanded for giving Islam a bad name?
The ulamas and muftis must project the true teachings of Islam and expose these imposters as unIslamic in their conduct.
But they have not done so. Their silence is very disappointing because they are in a position to right a wrong, but regrettably they have not done so. In this respect, we are absolutely disappointed that Islamic scholars have failed to stand up for the truth.
As a result, the false claims of these zealots on religious grounds to deny a place of worship for the Christians convey intolerance and bigotry in the name of Islam. Their outrageous conduct and the silence of the ulamas and religious scholars can mislead the public into wondering whether the tolerant aspect of Islam is true. People wonder why it is so difficult for the ulamas and religious scholars to defend the injunctions contained in the Qur’an?
Keadilan has come out strongly to support the right of non-Muslims to have a place of worship which is respected in Islam.
What about PAS? What about Umno? Is their interpretation of Islam different from Keadilan’s?
What has the Prime Minister to say? Is this the moderate Malaysia that he has been talking about? When extremism and intolerance lifts the ugly head of hatred and threatens our harmony and unity, isn’t it the duty of the PM to speak up against these troublemakers? Why is he maintaining his silence? Doesn’t he realise that his non-action creates the impression that he condones this bigotry for political purposes?
What is our citizenship worth when we cannot even have a place of worship at a convenient place? Is this fundamental right subject to the tolerance of certain Malays? Isn’t this a right enshrined in the Federal Constitution?
This happens when people are not properly educated. According to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Russian novelist, historian and critic, “It’s an universal law — intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.”
P Ramakrishnan is an Aliran exco member
Some bigots and zealots acting in the name of Islam have brought disrepute to a religion known for its tolerance and accommodation.
Some 50 Malays protested against the building of a church in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, because the site lies within a predominantly Malay/Muslim area.
According to Ishak Maarof, the head of the pro-tem committee against the construction of the church, it would be an insult if the four-storey church is built in a Malay/Muslim location. How could a building be insulting? It is mind boggling.
They even insinuated that the church was being built with the hidden agenda of converting the Muslims to Christianity.
This is a slanderous claim without basis. Are they actually insisting that the faith of the Malays is so shallow and fragile that they can be so easily converted? How many Malays living near a church have been converted to Christianity?
They took offence that the four-storey church could be seen from the Federal Highway and the new LRT extension line. So what is the problem? Are they seriously suggesting this would shake the faith of Muslims?
Their protest and hollow claims do not hold water. In fact they come across as people incapable of rational thinking and reasoning. They may not even have a proper understanding of Islam. They are just mischief makers out to create disharmony and discord among Malaysians.
It has been recorded that the Holy Prophet had indeed, in his compassion, allowed Jews to pray in a mosque. That wasn’t considered as desecration. The Jews praying in the mosque did not upset any Muslims. They reflected the tolerance and accommodation that is part of Islam.
We have been told that, according to the Qur’an, Islam allows the right of other religions to exist and their adherents to practise their faith. We have been told that Islam is a tolerant religion.
If that is indeed the case and if it is the true interpretation of the Qur’an, we expect the ulamas and the religious personages to condemn the protest of these 50-odd misguided Muslims who are against the building of a church in Bandar Sunway.
Why have those guilty of this recalcitrant behaviour not been taken to task and reprimanded for giving Islam a bad name?
The ulamas and muftis must project the true teachings of Islam and expose these imposters as unIslamic in their conduct.
But they have not done so. Their silence is very disappointing because they are in a position to right a wrong, but regrettably they have not done so. In this respect, we are absolutely disappointed that Islamic scholars have failed to stand up for the truth.
As a result, the false claims of these zealots on religious grounds to deny a place of worship for the Christians convey intolerance and bigotry in the name of Islam. Their outrageous conduct and the silence of the ulamas and religious scholars can mislead the public into wondering whether the tolerant aspect of Islam is true. People wonder why it is so difficult for the ulamas and religious scholars to defend the injunctions contained in the Qur’an?
Keadilan has come out strongly to support the right of non-Muslims to have a place of worship which is respected in Islam.
What about PAS? What about Umno? Is their interpretation of Islam different from Keadilan’s?
What has the Prime Minister to say? Is this the moderate Malaysia that he has been talking about? When extremism and intolerance lifts the ugly head of hatred and threatens our harmony and unity, isn’t it the duty of the PM to speak up against these troublemakers? Why is he maintaining his silence? Doesn’t he realise that his non-action creates the impression that he condones this bigotry for political purposes?
What is our citizenship worth when we cannot even have a place of worship at a convenient place? Is this fundamental right subject to the tolerance of certain Malays? Isn’t this a right enshrined in the Federal Constitution?
This happens when people are not properly educated. According to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Russian novelist, historian and critic, “It’s an universal law — intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.”
P Ramakrishnan is an Aliran exco member
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