CHRISTIANS ARE HURTING

KOTA KINBALU : Leaders involved in the debates on religion in Malaysia should stop behaving as if the Christians have no feelings and no rights as Malaysians, said State Reform Party (STAR) here.

In a statement, STAR Deputy Chairman, Daniel John Jambun said it’s high time Christians came forward and assert their rights as Malaysians in matters concerning their faith.

“It is ridiculous that many non-Christian leaders are talking about various religious issues as if the Christians are emotionally dead about matters affecting their religious rights,” Jambun said. “There is longstanding assumption among politicians at the national level that no matter what you say about the Christians, they wouldn’t dare respond to assert their rights. It’s high time this is stopped.”

He said it is a clear case of condescending, taking for granted and outright bullying for Muslim leaders to oppose the use of “Allah,” to prohibit or control the distribution of the Indonesian Alkitab, to arrest non-Muslims in khlawat cases, and to proclaims fatwahs (decrees) affecting the non-Muslims.

“Now the situation is reaching a critical level with PAS insisting on the implementation of hudud in the whole of the country and to turn Malaysia into a theocracy,” Jambun asserted. “The government should make a strong stance and treat these inflammatory religious proclamations as seditious and threat to public peace and national harmony.

“Initially, hudud was just for Kelantan and there was assurance it wouldn’t affect non-Muslims. But we all know that the implementation of hudud will defitnitely affect all Malaysians because as a people, we interact and there will be circumstances in which non-Muslims will be entangled into the draconian syariah law.

“The Muslims and non-Muslims people of Sabah who have lived in harmony before PAS’ came into the picture, are now being rattled by religious issues raised by PAS and Perkasa. The fact that the people of Sabah had been assured of religious freedom in Malaysia as documented by the Keningau Oath Stone, is now meaningless. The Christians in Sabah here now feel they are being harassed and denied their rights.”

Jambun assured he has no intention to interfere in Islamic affairs, but just to express the feeling of numerous people who have called him to voice out their grievance over the “spiritual colonialization” by PAS and the bullying of Christians by some insensitive political leaders. He said he respects everyone’s rights to their beliefs and religious practices but such respect and rights should also be accorded to Christians as well.