Christian bashing: 'Semua' okay, Hisham?

'The home minister is only awake when things are published that are detrimental to one class of people and a certain religion.'

Christians and prostitution: Sinar Harian says sorry

Ferdtan: Sinar Harian is playing guerrilla tactics: ambush, then run. To apologise, saying that it was an error and putting the apology in page 8, is certainly not sincere.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who has been so quick to draw his gun at issues like The Star's recent Ramadan food supplement issue and the cow-head demonstration - seems to have lost his tongue once again, at a such a convenient time.

So who is next in line to take potshots to 'ambush and run' at the convenient target - the minority group professing the Christian faith.

This type of propaganda is akin to telling deliberately repeated lies enough times and audacious enough to be believed by the masses. Joseph Goebbels of Nazi Germany would be proud of such tactics.

Disbeliever: Sinar Harian, the damage has already been done. I believe your apology is not sincere because basic journalistic ethics require the editor to verify the report before publishing.

You published the article in mala fide (bad faith) but then again, one thing is for certain: you will get away scot-free, the home minister will turn a blind eye.

If it had been Malaysiakini or The Malaysian Insider or even The Star(as in its recent food supplement issue), Hishammuddin would demand an explanation and probably take action against them.

Armageddon: Is it that easy? Offend someone and just say sorry the next day?

Rick Teo: The home minister is sleeping on his job. He is only awake when things are published that are detrimental to one class of people and a certain religion. When it affects other people and their religion, it's 'semua okay'.

Paul Warren: Sinar Harian, what would you want done to any other publication that, say, published the Prophet Muhammad cartoons? Would you accept a mere apology?

Argonist: It is up to the Christian organisations to collectively sue the newspaper for the abject lies and filth.

An apology should not be accepted and if the government minister says it is not getting involved as it would be infringing upon the right to free speech of Muslim newspapers, I suggest the Christian newspapers or magazines reply to this onslaught with a rebuttal.

Dood: We are all awaiting Hishammuddin's response to the apology and will expect no less (to be fair, of course) that he tells Sinar Harian that the apology is "not enough", and more need to be done, and that Christians are angry and upset over it.

We are also awaiting Perkasa's response and expect them to burn copies of Sinar Harian and hand over memorandums to the newspaper's representatives.

Tailek: Don't hold your breath waiting for Hishammuddin and Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali to say anything. They only know how to aggravate the situation, not resolve it.

People Power: As a Malay, my respect to the Christians, who have taken the beating without much of violent protest except just to voice out displeasure. No thanks to the Home Ministry for keeping quiet, not to mention how incompetent our home minister is.

This example set by the Christians is really walking the talk. If it happens that another newspaper publishes a similar article on Islamic faith or the Malays, the so-called 'defenders of faith and race' will bay for blood.

43Hours: Bashing Christians is no good for 1Malaysia - remember, 50 percent of the bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak are Christians.

Anonymous: Nothing on religion should be published without extensive research and cross-checking of facts.

It is unethical to write such articles in a publication that has wide circulation. Having said something that is false and then merely saying sorry is not good enough.

I have lost faith in local mainstream media. The way that they are behaving, none of us should read and watch them.

Chicharito: I used to read Sinar Harian when it was first launched as its coverage in politics was beyond the norms of Berita Harian orUtusan Malaysia. Now, not anymore.

Snoopy: It's alright to bash Christians. We accept it for the sake of unity. Go on, keep at it. We are not going to burn your 'paper' or take to the streets in protest. By the way, why is there no comment from the Home Ministry and the PM? Is this 1Malaysia as we see it?

DannyLoHH: Recalling the recent blunder committed by The Star, where we see bigots burning the newspaper in the name of defending Islam, I have yet to see Christians going out onto the streets shouting bloodshed and arson over Sinar Harian's malicious slanders.

What was done by Sinar Harian is many times worse than the editorial error of The Star, but the Christians do not react in the same manner. Not yet, at least. I pray that the Christians will keep their level-headedness.

The apology from Sinar Harian is not sincere, especially when the apology is buried on page 8, considering the scale and the viciousness of the malice against the Christians in the slander.

If Sinar Harian was sincere in apologising, they should have published the apology on their front page, not bury it deep in page 8.

Dr Irwan Jusoh: The Home Ministry should act consistently by revoking their licence as it is the norm when Islam is ridiculed by other publications.

Anonymous_4056: When a prostitute repented and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior, Jesus accepted her, and we Christians too will accept her. In the same way, we too accept ex-drug addicts.

So Sinar Harian, we accept your apology. It is good to get to know the values of other faiths so as not to display our ignorance. Let us not be quick to throw stones at others for we too live in glass houses.

David Dass: I am not sure what Sinar Harian has achieved. Most people would have thought the article was trash anyway and not believed in it. In fact, most people would have known that it was designed to stir up trouble.

That did not happen. Most of my Malay friends are ashamed of theSinar Harian article. They are not responsible for the article. All Malays cannot be held responsible for the irresponsible acts of a few. Just as all Indians or Chinese cannot be responsible for the irresponsible acts of a few Indians or a few Chinese respectively.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he was prime minister used to get top civil servants to each carry an egg during a kind of retreat in Langkawi to make the point that race relations was a fragile thing and it took sensitivity and hard work to keep the balance.

It seems to me that there are many who should be made to learn that lesson. Stability and harmony are essential for the social and economic advancement of this country.

Onyourtoes: We are hypocrites to say that we are forgiving. We are helpless and pathetic, period. Forgiveness should be readily given when wrongs are committed unintentionally or mistakenly.

Can you in all honesty think that Sinar Hairan made those remarks unintentionally and without malaise? Please grow up.

How about, without a reason, I say your mum is a whore and then immediately followed by 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it'? This was what Sinar Harian did.

We do not have the power of Home Ministry but certainly we can resort to other means - boycott the paper, don't do business with the paper, don't supply anything to the paper. At least, that is what we can do. - Malaysiakini