Sex, religion and real harmony

Keeping husbands happy in bed may be one thing, but there’s a host of other issues society needs to tackle – and religion is often a good tool to have when handling those.

HERE we go again.

The Obedient Wives Club is back in the news. Not only has it spread its wings to Sabah, it has a new campaign going – it’s about sex and it’s about religion.

Me, I don’t have any hang-ups about either. Sex, I always say, is fine. And so is religion.

But call me old-fashioned - I much prefer to keep the two apart, well apart. And I belong to the religion that gave the world the Kama Sutra.

The ladies of the OWC, however, have their guns trained on other things - like homosexuality and gays and loose sexual mores.

I don’t quite know about homosexuality and gays (and I won’t stand in judgment of either) but the OWC may sure want to have a look into sexual mores.

A couple of days ago, there was this report about a teen girl who staged her own kidnapping so she could have a good time in a hotel room with her boyfriend and a few other young guys.

She wanted fun - and she almost got her father to pay for it as well.

And there have also been reports of young women putting their bodies on sale so they could buy themselves fancy handbags, perfumes, clothes and things.

Now, that’s the kind of stuff I think the OWC should be con­centrating on.

They could look into why young girls stray, or abandon babies. Or the perennial bohsia problem.

In the Petaling Jaya Selatan area, for instance, it’s common to see teen (and pre-teen) girls on motorcycles loitering about well into the wee hours of the morning.

Why they aren’t in bed, no one knows. Better not being in bed than being in bed with some stranger, I say.

But then, we can’t have knee-jerk reactions, either.

We can’t start crackdowns. Or draw up new laws (we have enough of those), set up special schools for girls and make sure girls and boys do not mingle or have separate queues at the local 7-Eleven.

And we can’t go the Iran way, either.

The Iranians thought they had the answer. They closed all shops selling Barbie dolls. Problem solved? Not really.

Barbie dolls may come in swimsuits. But there are also Barbies in sarees and Barbies in gowns of various designs, designs I wish I could afford to buy.

I should know. My 11-year-old has a whole bunch of them.

It’s about choices – and making the right ones, if necessary with help from others.

Now, if only the folk in the OWC would take their eyes and hands off their spouses and worry about the other thing they espouse - religion.

Religion may not be the panacea for all of Man’s ills. And there have been sects set up just for sex. However, religion, and in many cases, traditions, serve to keep society streamlined and gives sex its right place in our lives.

Religions may not always be right, but they usually have a purpose.

Religion teaches us not to hate and not to ostracise (although some people do both in the name of religion). It teaches us to abhor corruption and thievery.

What most really religious folk would want to see is a caring society, one that loves all, whatever their blemish or their belief. As a child growing up in Penang, the Prophet’s Muhammad’s birthday procession was something I always looked forward to, and not necessarily for religious reasons.

There was this man dressed in green (he was always dressed in green) who would, with a big smile, hand sweets to kids as he walked past. He didn’t care that we were not Muslims. We were all the same to him.

And every year, we kids would wait for the procession - and the sweets.

The old “thatha” (grandpa) at the Hindu Sabha was pretty much the same and kids of all faiths would flock there for the free tuition classes – and his sweet handouts.

Those were loving souls transcending religion. And next week, the great religions get to walk hand in hand again.

On Feb 5, the Maulud Nabi processions will hit the streets. Thousands of Muslims will march, singing praises of the Prophet.

The next day, it will be Chap Goh Meh, with Dondang Sayang singers on buses and floats in procession and orange-throwing damsels by the sea.

On the same day, the chariot of Lord Muruga will make its way from Penang Street to the Waterfall Temple, with hundreds of thousands of coconuts being broken along the streets. KL, too, will see a chariot procession to Batu Caves.

Feb 7 will be Thaipusam, the colourful song-dance-and-prayer festival of the Hindus, with the chariot returning the following day.

Four days of religious and cultural processions, four days when we can really see ourselves for what we are – a nation in harmony, no matter our religion, our traditions or our beliefs.

> The writer will be off to Penang again next week to be part of the Thaipusam festival. And of course, to watch the Maulud Nabi procession and the Chap Goh Meh happenings. -Star