Who will protect the Christians and other non-Muslims in Malaysia?

Malaysia has always had a hard time trying to brand itself. What is Malaysia really? Are we secular? Are we a moderate Islamic nation? Or are we the most Muslim nation in South East Asia, beating even Indonesia in our religious fervour?

This over-obsession in trying to identify the nation's religious stand seems to be preoccupying the minds of our parliamentarians. There is over-emphasis on the matter given by the news, religious NGOs and arm-chair critics.

Yes, Malaysians are born critics and this characteristic has really come to the fore this past year. And the closer the country gets to an election, the greater the need to fan a religious and racial flame. It is as though the barometer for votes rises with the temperature of religious and racial zeal, or over-zeal.

Sick and tired of these religious pretenders

As if Ibrahim Ali and his Perkasa was not enough, we now have a wannabe religious champion in the likes of PAS leader Hasan Ali, who has taken over the mantle of being the boy-who-cried-wolf especially when it comes to anything to do with Muslims being proselytized by Christians. Is there a deeper motive behind all this fear-mongering by these leaders? Are they really concerned with the welfare of the community?

The likes of Hasan Ali can merely speak and postulate but fall short when proof is needed for their claims. Yet, they see nothing wrong in taking up the time of state assembly by raising a heated discussion in the august House. While other nations are steeling themselves for a coming global economic recession, Malaysia is too busy wondering if Muslims will convert because of a so-called 'solar-powered hand-held talking-Bible device'. Imagine!

Eventually, all this fear-mongering will hit a tipping point, and unlike what is hoped for, we end up having as leaders people like Hasan Ali and JAIS and UMNO. Indeed, the citizens of Malaysia are tired.

Impunity

Enough is enough. The only people whose faith seems to be at edge are those in Barisan Nasional and UMNO, or opportunist politicians like Hasan Ali and Ibrahim Ali. The rest of the nation is faithful to the convictions within their hearts.

Individuals like Hasan Ali do not just insult the intelligence of Muslims but every other citizen who holds to a system of belief. What Hasan Ali is really saying is that Malaysians are a bunch of people who easily swayed by careless talk or assumptions or spin by the ruling authorities.

"Talk is cheap. Where is the proof. There are more than ample laws to punish those that try to proselytize Muslims so if Hasan Ali has evidence, put it on show. Don't just accuse, that is hardly fair," Rev Thomas Philips, the vice chairman of inter-faith group MCCBCHST, told Malaysia Chronicle.

“I find it amusing this man can carry on with impunity the way he has the last few months - that is, continually spawning gratuitous fear among Muslims that their faith is in danger of subversion from Christians,” said Bishop Paul Tan, the head of the Catholic Church in the Malacca-Johor diocese.

Even Najib studied at 'St Johns'

Maybe Hasan Ali needs to be reminded that in our nation's history, most of the founding fathers were schooled in Christian establishments where they too were exposed to Christian ethics and manners. Yet, our founding fathers remained Muslims till they died and none of them converted just because they were exposed to Christian literature or teachings.

Instead, Hasan Ali should ask himself; is he personally troubled or phobic with the probability that a new order is on the verge of governing Malaysia? What will happen when the Malays realize that BN has been pulling their leg all along with its barrage of non-stop warnings that Islam was being threatened?

But at the end of the day, in a nation that protects its Muslims through the Federal Consitution, it is the Christians, Buddhist, Hindus or Taoist who have much to fear.

For it is the minority believers who have been given the wrong end of the stick. Under the current laws, retribution can be leveled against the minority for acts against the majority.

But who would protect the minority believers should the majority believers one day decide to force them into submission? Can Hasan Ali please answer this? Otherwise, he should just keep his mouth shut.

Malaysia Chronicle