Hasan Ali: The man who craved to be the Selangor MB?

Hasan Ali, a Selangor state executive councillor and also a former director of BTN, has insulted the intelligence and religious honourableness of Malays and Muslims with his allegations that the Christians are all out to convert the Malays. His discourse on this issue has sparked indignant retorts from Christian leaders and moderate Muslims.

Hasan is insane to think that a Muslim could be converted to Christianity by just reading or listening to the Bible. Analogously, are non-Muslims converting to Islam in droves after listening to the daily Azan from the mosque and Koranic verses being read on television? If Hasan claims to be highly educated in Islam, could he participate in a comparative discourse on religions when he fears the Bible?

University students – Muslims and non-Muslims - are exposed to Books and Scriptures of all religions these days. Shall the universities then stop offering Comparative Religions as a course for students just because of Hasan Ali’s small-mindedness and his vague hypothesis on conversion? Or is it that Hasan’s own religious foundation is so shaky that he fears the Bible?

Understand the content of the Bible and Books of all religions

Hasan must be a pathetic Muslim and it is suggested that he takes a cue from the late Ahmed Hussein Deedat (1918 – 2005), a scholar, who was well-versed with both the Koran and Bible. It is an insult to Muslims and the Islamic faith if one were to imply that when a Muslim listens to Bible readings he would eventually be converted. A Muslim, if possible, should read and understand the content of the Bible and Books of all religions and compare them with the content of the Koran to strengthen their faith in Islam.

This effort would not in any way diminish a Muslim’s faith in Islam. The problem with most Muslims is that they read the Koran but are not able to understand the meanings of verses written in Arabic. This religious superficiality has made many Muslims scared of Books of other religions as they are mostly written in a language they could read and understand. Hassan should instead preach the Muslims to read the Koran and make them understand the meanings of the Koranic verses to strengthen their faith in Islam. This would help the Muslims shield their faith when exposed to Books or Scriptures of other religions.

Malaysians in general do not have to be agonized by the few religious zealots who are politically motivated to pit the Malays against Christians. Pro-government media would never do justice even to Islam. They are capable of using instruments of faith to spin and highlight tales to hoodwink the rural Malay population into thinking that Christians are all out to convert the Malays.

UMNO only wants votes from these rural people and their exploitation here has nothing to do with Islam or Christianity. They spread spiteful lies inexorably to win over the less educated Malays. UMNO’s manoeuvrings here are to try to undermine the state government of Selangor and the Opposition at the national level. Not all people are buying the tales, though.

The people are aware that race, religion and royalty would be used by UMNO to propagate a culture of fear in the people and try to make them vote BN in the next general election. The people are not that dim-witted this time around. The silent elegance of the people towards this bogus claims and misinformation is not making UMNO pleased. UMNO expects some form of melee or chaos in society to justify their bad deeds but – much to their chagrin – this is not happening.

Promoting an evil political agenda

Christian bashing has become a way of life for some dodgy religious and political characters that they believe by doing so would unite the Malays. Christian bashing is rife in the state of Selangor just because the state is under Pakatan rule. They have not triumphed, though. Their insane conduct has failed to undermine the harmony of Malaysians. There are some political and religious zealots whose intent is to create bedlam in society to promote their evil political agenda on behalf of the Barisan Nasional and UMNO. This has not worked either, as they get no reaction from mature Malaysians.

These political bigots would try by all means to create mayhem in society. Stomping on a cow-head in a demonstration, firebombing churches, throwing a pig carcass into a mosque compound – all these have worked against them. They expect some ugly incidents, fireworks or response from the people following those slipshod episodes. It propitiously did not happen, as the majority of Malaysians are not that naïve to fall into UMNO’s trap.

In 2006, the mufti of Perak, Harussani Zakaria, spread the rumour that a church in Jalan Silibin, Ipoh was conducting a baptism ceremony for Muslims. About 200 Muslims gathered at the church to protest against ‘apostasy’, forcing the police to be called in. This incident however did not lead to any ugly religious feud. The people were aware of the folly here. It was the mufti who spewed out the venom without any empirical evidence that any PhD student should know when writing a dissertation. Anyway, since he does not have any academic qualification the people were willing to forgive him.

The same mufti claimed that between 100,000 and 250,000 Muslims had renounced Islam. He actually became a political tool to some interested parties to cause a ruckus in society. Right-minded Malays – majority of them – just ignored him. The irony was, no action was instituted against those who spread the false information.

Clichés that most people would prefer to ignore

All sorts of silly rumours have been mooted to suggest that there is a conspiracy to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. Just recently, Hasan – who has a doctorate – claimed that the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) had discovered an audio device which had been used to proselytize Muslims in Selangor.

Hasan claimed that the solar-powered hand-held audio Bible had been discovered by JAIS during its investigation into the “proselytizing” of Muslims in Selangor. Supposedly, the hand-held Bible was also used to preach and the word Allah had also been used in a Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible. The “research” seemed to reveal that there were efforts by the Christian community to convert Muslims by setting up welfare groups, giving financial aid and other forms of assistance to single mothers, the poor and the elderly. Some of these issues have become clichés that most people would prefer to ignore.

JAIS is extraordinarily working extra hard these days with a sole purpose of tarnishing the Selangor government under Pakatan rule. They were rather passive to all the delinquents involving Muslims in the state when the state was under Barisan Nasional. JAIS is more often than not hooted by the people of Selangor who are aware of their sinister motive. As far as politics is concerned, the people would without hesitant still vote for Pakatan Rakyat in the next state or general election. Thanks to JAIS for playing a helping role here.

Hasan has failed in his thesis

In most cases, Hasan has not been able to furnish any evidence for his premeditated claims, but went into a discourse with a selfish intent to infuriate the Malays. He was short of concluding his thesis by identifying the number of Malays who became Christians through those implements or variables he suggested being used to proselytise.

In other words, his so-called “research” must be an imaginary one. It came with no empirical evidence so unbecoming of a scholar who holds a PhD. This is an insult to the intelligence of any PhD holder from any established university. What he meant by “research” turned out to be a fad or just hearsay. From the Islamic point of view this is defamation – a fitnah – as it is not methodically and empirically verified in his case studies. Hasan could not produce any corporeal, tangible or significant evidence of conversion and this is academically flawed and also is tantamount to defaming others in the eyes of Islam.

There are laws in the country to punish those who try to proselytize Muslims. If indeed there was evidence, then the culprits attempting to convert the Muslims should be prosecuted. But thus far we have heard of no case of this nature.

Hasan has thus failed in his thesis. This is evident enough that some people could be “educated” but could at the same time be ignorant and religiously bigotry. Educated Malays these days no longer accept faith based on blind indoctrination but demand conviction based on facts and reasoning. The modern, learned Malays and others seek tangible evidence to support their belief. Hasan, in this case, has failed the better Malays.

There in fact is a hidden agenda to all this issue concocted by some “religious” and political personages. Some of these so-called “religious” zealots are politicians who are using Islam for political gains. As we all know most politicians serve the devil rather than God. For this reason true Muslims should not fall trap in this ambush. When they do, they are serving their own very personal and constricted interest of seeking favour or power at the expense of their faith in Islam.

Stop being arrogant

Those religious bigots who use religion for political gains are belittling Islam and this is an embarrassment to all right-thinking Muslims. The Christians do help the marginalized groups such as single mothers and the handicapped. Christian organizations would always be the first to extend their unconditional help to any disasters that occur in all countries – Muslim or non-Muslim, including Malaysia.

We have not heard a single case of a Malay converting to Christianity in this country due to this aid. JAIS and Hasan should emulate the good deeds of the Christians in helping the poor and marginalized Malays, Muslims and non-Muslims instead of demonizing them. They should emulate the good deeds of all people irrespective of their race or religion and stop being rhetorically offensive and arrogant.

Thousands of Malays have attended Christian schools, they said prayers with the Christians, they were sent to Christian countries to study and yet there is no empirical evidence that even a single Malay has converted to Christianity because of a Christian preacher. Malay children in the country as young as four years old are sent to nurseries run by dedicated Christians without any inkling in their parents’ mind that their children would be converted. The faith of the Muslims is primordially buttressed and it cannot be so easily swayed. The only empirical and noteworthy evidence we have on the Malay and Muslims who were exposed to education in Christian countries is that, in general they have become good Muslims who are tolerant of other races and religions. The same cannot be said of those who did not go through secular education.

Hasan ought to be aware that with the Internet accessible to almost all Malaysians of all races and religions users would be able to access almost everything on any religion in this world. One does not need the solar-powered hand-held device to learn about Christianity. One could download or have access to almost anything on religion from the internet – including the Bible or the Koran.

Hit and run accusations against the Christians

If JAIS and Hasan fear that followers of Islam could be proselytized by Christians using high-tech devices then Muslims would soon be deprived of the use of computer and the Internet. Is this the kind Muslim society JAIS and Hasan would want to promote? Apparently, both JAIS and Hasan lack knowledge of what makes a person hold close to a faith. Their dogmatic reasoning on proselytising is insulting the minds of Malays and Muslims. Hasan should be left alone, ostracised and stranded on an uninhabited island moping.

As, in all probability, Hasan would not be elected again in the next state general election. He could not get the support of the non-Muslims and the enlightened Malays. His wry statement implying that Christians are using audio Bibles to spread their religion to Muslims and his other sardonic comments on Christians may not bode well with the non-Muslims. His continuous habit of spawning gratuitous fear among Muslims that their faith is in danger of subversion from Christians is not going to sway the enlightened Malays either.

Hasan’s hit and miss accusation on the Christians is not going to undermine religious harmony in the country. Neither would there be any religious polarisation in the country just because of Hasan’s persistent stand on this inconsequential issue. JAIS only plays to the political tune of UMNO, and as for Hasan is concerned he is all alone now.

Bringing indignity to their office

It could be the Bible, the Torah or the 700-verse Bhagavad Gītā Scriptures. If a Muslim’s faith is sturdy no other Holy Books or Scriptures could induce him to convert to another religion. What is being done by JAIS and Hasan is to, with intent, create apprehension, antagonism and detestation against the Christians and their faith in order to unknot our amity and unison as Malaysians.

JAIS and Hasan are knowingly playing politics but they have failed to sway the minds of the people. The people of Selangor are wise enough to read their minds. They are aware of the fact that Hasan is using religion to instil fear and hatred in the Malays by claiming that their religion was under threat. His indirect way to manoeuvre the Sultan of Selangor into an odious position is not going to work, not even to undermine Khalid Ibrahim’s headship of Selangor. Pro-UMNO media, on the other extreme, is only making use of Hasan’s superficial analysis of religious matters to divert the nation’s attention from all the endemic corruptions going on in the BN government.

JAIS and Hasan should stop their dirty discourse on matters of religion and seek to be more deferential befitting their religious grandee. As they are bringing indignity to their office and losing their decorum, they could never be looked upon as respected religious body or leader.

Wanted to be the MB

Also, indirectly, Hasan has a calculated intent to provoke the Selangor government and PAS into responding to his many daft accusations. PAS and Pakatan leaders are not that immature to react to all these political gimmicks. Opportunely, there are more humble people in Pakatan who are more intelligent and more informed about Islam and other religions. They do not have to react or respond to Hasan’s invalidated superficial theories.

Reprimanding Hasan would be a political meat for UMNO. Perhaps this is what UMNO hopes for. It suffices to appreciate that the people of Selangor know that Hasan is not driven by faith but politics on this issue.

JAIS’ other aim is to indirectly undermine Pakatan and woo voters to vote for UMNO using fear tactics. JAIS is infested with many officers still loyal to UMNO. Many would think Hasan is a threat to PAS and is in league with UMNO. After all, it was Hasan who had earnestly wanted to become the MB of Selangor in 2008 when Pakatan won the state.

He was alleged to have tacitly worked with UMNO and the former MB of Selangor to install him as the MB if he and other PAS members agreed to form a unity government. Hasan is now a desperate man in the political doldrums out of his own making. Nevertheless, he still has the fervent hope to become the MB of Selangor one day. But before this could happen, the electorate would surely want to get rid of him in the next general election.

Malaysia Chronicle