By Hafidz Baharom
The recent occurrence in Taman Medan did not show the best about Islam. If anything, it showed how miseducated the Malaysian Malay community can be.
The 50-odd people who protested at Taman Medan. (Pic from The Star)
To the 50 in Taman Medan, if seeing a cross on a building was enough to shaken your faith, I suggest you go to a mosque or surau and pray for your weak belief.
Instead, some advised them to take to the street and bully the church to take it down.
Honestly, I am so angered by this stupidity that perhaps we should make an exception and apply hudud on these 50. Because if truly their faith in Islam was shaken by a cross on a shop lot, then perhaps it best a death sentence befalls them for Being apostates.
Islam can do without them. In fact, Malaysia can do without them. Perhaps we may even cut some government expenditure wasted through BR1M.
And if any political party is truly found to have backed this stupidly and religiously demeaning exercise, I pray they lose all upcoming elections in the state of Selangor as penance for their idiocy.
Not only was the Taman Medan protest in bad taste, but in accordance to section 298A of our Penal Code, it is illegal. As such, our authorities cannot take light of this situation. They must act.
And unlike the earlier case of Ibrahim Ali, there is video to prove their actions, and the cross has been taken down to show that their threats were taken seriously.
As such, Nancy Shukri can’t say they didn’t mean it this time around.
More thoroughly though, Malaysian Muslims must take note at the fact that our country is now being threatened by those who look at our faith in the most stupidly superficial way, and we must speak out against it.
We see it not only in our treatment of Christians, but also the way we treat our fellow Muslims. Never has our religion agreed with threatening death or violence against those who speak out against hudud, the content of Friday sermons or even for not wearing a headscarf.
Faith in Islam is determined by the personal actions with intent by each individual. It is not determined by how you attack others, how you protest against crosses on buildings, let alone see crosses in Marie biscuits and the “poco-poco” dance.
What makes you a Muslim is determined in your prayers, paying your zakat, going for your hajj if you can, fasting for the month of Ramadhan and saying the shahada.
What makes you a faithful Muslim is holding steadfast in the articles of belief; believing in God, the Angels, the Prophet, the Koran, the principles of Qada and Qadar (basically every action will have a reaction), and the end of days.
Now wherein these teachings come the belief that a cross can suddenly inspire someone to leave their faith in Islam and should be protested lies nowhere in these edicts.
Neither do the threats of violence against those venturing an unpopular opinion, I might add.
If they were Coptic Christians some might even argue that they were People of The Book.
But to the church that became the victim of bunch of stupid, bullying and maybe even politically motivated Muslim mob, I extend my apologies as a Muslim, even if I’m not exactly the pinnacle of piety.
Put your cross back up. The cross is your symbol, so wear it with pride. You have every right to put it on the building, provided you have the licenses for it.
You are not propagating your Christianity to the masses. You are practising your constitutional right to practice your faith.
And if any Muslim tells you otherwise, you call up an ustaz to beat them with a rotan, wielding a Koran and telling them to read.
It is high time Malaysia puts an end to religious discrimination and bullying.
Hafidz Baharom is a social commentator. His views do not necessarily represent The Rocket.
