Is this 1Malaysia?

Yesterday, a teacher from Penang phoned me yesterday sounding upset.

Apparently, a couple of Muslim pupils had obtained Deepavali cards to send to their friends and their tuition teacher.

A teacher, however, found the students with the cards and confiscated the greeting cards and passed it to the religious teacher.

The pupils were told that it was against their religion to send such greeting cards as it amounted to celebrating the festival. They were warned against such practices.

I wasn’t sure quite what to do as the teacher concerned had requested anonymity and told me not to mention the name of the school.

So I consulted a trusted Muslim friend of mine. He was horrified that such a thing had happened and told me I should write about it so that others are aware that pupils are being taught such things in schools by overzealous teachers and to nip such tendencies in the bud.

Mind you, this can happen in any religion when there is lack of appreciation for ‘The Other’ and religious zealousness is carried a step to far.

Perhaps, for the benefit of such teachers, the Education Department or the political leadership would like to clarify what they think of pupils sending greeting cards to their friends of other faiths.

- anilnetto