I could not believe my eyes when I read the following articles in various news portals:
1. Christian leaders condemn claims trying to usurp Islam where organisers of a Christian meeting in Penang denied today allegations from pro-Umno bloggers that they were conspiring with the DAP to supplant Islam’s position as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.
2.Anwar dubs Utusan shameless ‘Umno tabloid’ for Christian Malaysia report where Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim accused Utusan Malaysia of lying and confusing the public in its report today claiming Christian leaders were conspiring with the DAP to abolish Islam as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.The article said that in a hard-hitting statement posted on his blog today, Anwar accused the Umno-owned daily of spreading lies and slander, raising concerns that such an article could create further confusion among Malaysians.
3. Pembela asks police to probe Utusan’s Christian Malaysia report which said that the police should investigate Utusan Malaysia’s report that Christian leaders were conspiring with DAP to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as official religion, Muslim groups said today. According to the article, the Muslim Organisation in Defence of Islam (Pembela) said an immediate investigation was needed to determine the validity of the news article.
4. Pembela blames ‘aggressive Christians’ for Muslim siege mentality which said that the Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela) accused Christians of strategising an elaborate plan to ensure that more and more Muslims leave the faith, which is illegal in Malaysia.
Pembela president Dr Yusri Mohamad said the Christian community’s demands over the “Allah” issue as well as the Alkitab row proved that they wanted to convince Muslims to embrace Christianity and abandon Islam.
5. ‘Everlasting peace’ only under Malay rule, says Perkasa where right-wing group Perkasa declared today that Malaysia can only have peace and political stability under a Malay-majority government. Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali told non-Malays today to stop questioning Malay rights, saying it would only make the country’s dominant majority threatened.
6. A response to ‘Making Christianity the official religion’ — Organisers of the Unashamedly Ethical Conference, Penang where the writer said that he Christian community in Penang is disturbed by unwarranted and unsupported claims and allegations as contained in the write-up “Making Christianity the official religion” in the blog “The Thirteen Million plus Ringgit Guy Ramble ….”
While it is true that several Christians and pastors gathered together at a hotel in Macalister Road for dinner, the gathering was never with the intention to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia nor was it with a vow to have a Christian prime minister.
7. KDN pandang serius usaha jadikan Kristian agama rasmi di mana dilaporkan bahawa Kementerian Dalam Negeri memandang serius pertemuan paderi dari seluruh negara yang dikatakan membincangkan agenda menjadikan Kristian sebagai agama rasmi negara selain melantik Perdana Menteri di kalangan penganut agama itu. Mengikut laporan itu, menterinya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata, beliau turut terkejut dan sedih dengan pendedahan terbabit kerana dikhuatiri boleh mencetuskan ketegangan serta perbalahan antara kaum khususnya penganut Kristian di negara ini.
8. Hisham: Agenda To Make Christianity Official Religion A Serious Matter where Bernama reported that Home Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has described as serious a purported meeting of pastors in Penang allegedly to discuss making Christianity the official religion of the federation. I hope the Minister will get to the bottom of this case and nib the problem in the bud before it worsens further.
To me, it is a storm brewing in a tea-cup all because of that ONE article in Utusan Malaysia.
There have been far too many incidents whereby certain reports in that portal triggered negative reactions from various groups in our society.
A journalist has a very heavy responsibility to tell the truth and NOT distort reality. At all times, a journalist should observe and uphold journalistic principles, ethics and guidelines (which you can seeOVER HERE. In doing so, the writer or the MSM must take pains to ensure that any article does not hit out at the beliefs, ideals and rituals of any religion or group so that he/she can maintain harmony in society.
According to THIS REPORT, Utusan had carried out a front-page article today titled “Malaysia, a Christian country?” (Malaysia, negara Kristian?), based entirely on blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers. The report said that the bloggers had charged the DAP of sedition for trying to change the country’s laws to enable a Christian to be prime minister, pointing to a grainy photograph showing what they described to be a secret pact between the DAP and pastors at a hotel in Penang on Wednesday.
1. Were the two writers of the article present at the event held at a hotel in Penang?
2. Were the bloggers who wrote those articles present at the same event in Penang?
3. Is there documented evidence e.g. video recordings/MP3 recordings/photographs etc to support whatever claim they made in their articles?
The photograph in that blog shows some people praying for others. Do they have recordings of that prayer to support their allegation?
Is there any statement to show that the writer of those articles was also the photographer and was also present at the event to bear witness that what they said is the truth?
4. Did the two writers of the Utusan Malaysia article HERE verify whatever information that was in the blog to ensure that what they wrote is the truth?
5. Did those who took offense to the Utusan article and are now lambasting the Christian community in Penang verify the information with:
a) Utusan Malaysia
b) The said bloggers
Did they then cross compare the information with THOSE WHO WERE THERE AT THE EVENT?
Did they ask for EVIDENCE of those claims or are they just reacting to the written word?
Now if there is NO evidence to PROVE those allegations, what are the authorities going to do with Utusan Malaysia?
While writing this post, I took the liberty of calling up one pastor whom I know and asked him to make some clarifications. He confirmed he was there at the event which was attended by pastors, DAP members and other invited guests. He clarified that it was an ordinary meeting and at one point 10-12 pastors gathered to pray a prayer of blessing on four persons. The gathering was not organized to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia nor was it with a vow to have a Christian prime minister.
As announced in THIS ARTICLE, the pastor confirmed that the dinner was held to honour several pastors from Sarawak who were in Penang for the Unashamedly Ethical marketplace conference held this morning. Such fellowship dinners are common amongst Christians and are part and parcel of the Christian custom of love and fellowship.
He said that at one point, about ten or twelve pastors gathered around prayed for the four pastors. The photograph in the blog which first carried the article as quoted by Utusan Malaysia is of that prayer and NOT that of any secret pact. He was truly saddened that the whole incident has been distorted and so far from the truth. He wondered if it was because ignorance about how some Christians pray that led to the distortion of the scenario behind the photograph.
As we all know, any journalist or writer should be fair, balanced, truthful,inspiring and meet the needs of common consumers of the news. One should write to portray an accurate picture of reality and not spin just for any agenda. One must write to create an environment of understanding within the society and not to divide its members! But what do we have here? Some get away with almost anything!
Every single news report should be carefully written to observe accuracy and exclude any undesirable and provocative issues or any distortion of reality. If not, words carelessly spoken or written can divide instead of uniting members!
When will they understand and observe the moral dimension of salience in journalism?
May this situation be resolved amicably and not blown out of proportion by any evil character!
1. Christian leaders condemn claims trying to usurp Islam where organisers of a Christian meeting in Penang denied today allegations from pro-Umno bloggers that they were conspiring with the DAP to supplant Islam’s position as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.
2.Anwar dubs Utusan shameless ‘Umno tabloid’ for Christian Malaysia report where Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim accused Utusan Malaysia of lying and confusing the public in its report today claiming Christian leaders were conspiring with the DAP to abolish Islam as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.The article said that in a hard-hitting statement posted on his blog today, Anwar accused the Umno-owned daily of spreading lies and slander, raising concerns that such an article could create further confusion among Malaysians.
3. Pembela asks police to probe Utusan’s Christian Malaysia report which said that the police should investigate Utusan Malaysia’s report that Christian leaders were conspiring with DAP to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as official religion, Muslim groups said today. According to the article, the Muslim Organisation in Defence of Islam (Pembela) said an immediate investigation was needed to determine the validity of the news article.
4. Pembela blames ‘aggressive Christians’ for Muslim siege mentality which said that the Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela) accused Christians of strategising an elaborate plan to ensure that more and more Muslims leave the faith, which is illegal in Malaysia.
Pembela president Dr Yusri Mohamad said the Christian community’s demands over the “Allah” issue as well as the Alkitab row proved that they wanted to convince Muslims to embrace Christianity and abandon Islam.
5. ‘Everlasting peace’ only under Malay rule, says Perkasa where right-wing group Perkasa declared today that Malaysia can only have peace and political stability under a Malay-majority government. Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali told non-Malays today to stop questioning Malay rights, saying it would only make the country’s dominant majority threatened.
6. A response to ‘Making Christianity the official religion’ — Organisers of the Unashamedly Ethical Conference, Penang where the writer said that he Christian community in Penang is disturbed by unwarranted and unsupported claims and allegations as contained in the write-up “Making Christianity the official religion” in the blog “The Thirteen Million plus Ringgit Guy Ramble ….”
While it is true that several Christians and pastors gathered together at a hotel in Macalister Road for dinner, the gathering was never with the intention to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia nor was it with a vow to have a Christian prime minister.
7. KDN pandang serius usaha jadikan Kristian agama rasmi di mana dilaporkan bahawa Kementerian Dalam Negeri memandang serius pertemuan paderi dari seluruh negara yang dikatakan membincangkan agenda menjadikan Kristian sebagai agama rasmi negara selain melantik Perdana Menteri di kalangan penganut agama itu. Mengikut laporan itu, menterinya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata, beliau turut terkejut dan sedih dengan pendedahan terbabit kerana dikhuatiri boleh mencetuskan ketegangan serta perbalahan antara kaum khususnya penganut Kristian di negara ini.
8. Hisham: Agenda To Make Christianity Official Religion A Serious Matter where Bernama reported that Home Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has described as serious a purported meeting of pastors in Penang allegedly to discuss making Christianity the official religion of the federation. I hope the Minister will get to the bottom of this case and nib the problem in the bud before it worsens further.
To me, it is a storm brewing in a tea-cup all because of that ONE article in Utusan Malaysia.
There have been far too many incidents whereby certain reports in that portal triggered negative reactions from various groups in our society.
A journalist has a very heavy responsibility to tell the truth and NOT distort reality. At all times, a journalist should observe and uphold journalistic principles, ethics and guidelines (which you can seeOVER HERE. In doing so, the writer or the MSM must take pains to ensure that any article does not hit out at the beliefs, ideals and rituals of any religion or group so that he/she can maintain harmony in society.
According to THIS REPORT, Utusan had carried out a front-page article today titled “Malaysia, a Christian country?” (Malaysia, negara Kristian?), based entirely on blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers. The report said that the bloggers had charged the DAP of sedition for trying to change the country’s laws to enable a Christian to be prime minister, pointing to a grainy photograph showing what they described to be a secret pact between the DAP and pastors at a hotel in Penang on Wednesday.
1. Were the two writers of the article present at the event held at a hotel in Penang?
2. Were the bloggers who wrote those articles present at the same event in Penang?
3. Is there documented evidence e.g. video recordings/MP3 recordings/photographs etc to support whatever claim they made in their articles?
The photograph in that blog shows some people praying for others. Do they have recordings of that prayer to support their allegation?
Is there any statement to show that the writer of those articles was also the photographer and was also present at the event to bear witness that what they said is the truth?
4. Did the two writers of the Utusan Malaysia article HERE verify whatever information that was in the blog to ensure that what they wrote is the truth?
5. Did those who took offense to the Utusan article and are now lambasting the Christian community in Penang verify the information with:
a) Utusan Malaysia
b) The said bloggers
Did they then cross compare the information with THOSE WHO WERE THERE AT THE EVENT?
Did they ask for EVIDENCE of those claims or are they just reacting to the written word?
Now if there is NO evidence to PROVE those allegations, what are the authorities going to do with Utusan Malaysia?
While writing this post, I took the liberty of calling up one pastor whom I know and asked him to make some clarifications. He confirmed he was there at the event which was attended by pastors, DAP members and other invited guests. He clarified that it was an ordinary meeting and at one point 10-12 pastors gathered to pray a prayer of blessing on four persons. The gathering was not organized to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia nor was it with a vow to have a Christian prime minister.
As announced in THIS ARTICLE, the pastor confirmed that the dinner was held to honour several pastors from Sarawak who were in Penang for the Unashamedly Ethical marketplace conference held this morning. Such fellowship dinners are common amongst Christians and are part and parcel of the Christian custom of love and fellowship.
He said that at one point, about ten or twelve pastors gathered around prayed for the four pastors. The photograph in the blog which first carried the article as quoted by Utusan Malaysia is of that prayer and NOT that of any secret pact. He was truly saddened that the whole incident has been distorted and so far from the truth. He wondered if it was because ignorance about how some Christians pray that led to the distortion of the scenario behind the photograph.
As we all know, any journalist or writer should be fair, balanced, truthful,inspiring and meet the needs of common consumers of the news. One should write to portray an accurate picture of reality and not spin just for any agenda. One must write to create an environment of understanding within the society and not to divide its members! But what do we have here? Some get away with almost anything!
Every single news report should be carefully written to observe accuracy and exclude any undesirable and provocative issues or any distortion of reality. If not, words carelessly spoken or written can divide instead of uniting members!
When will they understand and observe the moral dimension of salience in journalism?
May this situation be resolved amicably and not blown out of proportion by any evil character!
-masterwordsmith
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