Are dogs cleaner than Buddhists?

If a dog were to accidentally stray into the surau would you also ask for the surau to be demolished, especially if it pissed on the carpet? And if we do not need to demolish the surau (because a dog strayed into it and pissed on the carpet) then why not? Is a dog cleaner than a Buddhist?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Nazri: No need to demolish surau used by Buddhists

(MM) - A Cabinet minister today questioned the need to tear down Muslim prayer room in Johor that was used by Buddhist tourists, noting that the controversy was already resolved.

Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the country should move on to other matters, observing that a group representing the Buddhists in Malaysia had already issued an apology.

“I am not an expert on Islam but I think this is something we have resolved, what is not elok (good) until it needs to be demolished?” the minister of tourism and culture told a media conference after launching the Red Carpet wax museum in i-City here.

“There’s already an apology by the Buddhist council, we move on,” he said.

“I don’t agree,” he later said, when speaking on the demolition of the surau. 

(READ MORE HERE)

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I must admit that I was pretty surprised to read The Malay Mail news report above. I don’t remember reading anywhere about the call to demolish the surau in Johor that had been ‘defiled’ by Buddhist tourists who prayed in it.

I did, however, read the news report about His Highness the Sultan off Johor ordering an investigation into the matter, the proposal to cancel the PR status of the tour operator (or was it the hotel operator) who allowed this thing to happen, the arrest of the tourist guide, and so on.

Wow! What a huge brouhaha over nothing. It makes one wonder whether these people are so free and have nothing to do with their time. Aren’t there more pressing problems to worry about?

I already wrote about prayer rooms all over the world being shared by all the faiths (READ HERE). Some smart arses then responded by arguing that a surau is a surau and a multi-faith prayer room is a multi-faith prayer room and that they are both not the same.

What else are you going to argue? That a fowl is a fowl and a chicken is a chicken and that they are both not the same? Is not a chicken also a fowl? In fact, a fowl can also be a hen, rooster, capon, pullet, poultry, etc. So what do you mean they are not the same?

A surau is a prayer room. It is not a mosque. You cannot do your Friday prayers in a surau. You also need not do your sembahyang sunat masjid in a surau. I know one renowned ustaz (preacher) in Kuala Terengganu who smokes in a surau, as do some of his congregation. You cannot smoke in a mosque. It is haram (forbidden). Are you telling me that this renowned ustaz is a deviant? In fact, he is quite famous.

Asking for the surau to be demolished just because some Buddhists prayed in it is the height of stupidity. Apa sudah jadi ni? We are becoming a nation of idiots. If a dog were to accidentally stray into the surau would you also ask for the surau to be demolished, especially if it pissed on the carpet? And if we do not need to demolish the surau (because a dog strayed into it and pissed on the carpet) then why not? Is a dog cleaner than a Buddhist?

Sheesh! I don’t think I want to talk about this any further. If I layan (entertain) these idiots I might become an idiot.