'Allah' ruling - what are we going to do about it?

I like the saying "Don't get mad, get organised".

I find repetition and predictability extremely boring, but I cannot help but belabour this point (this will unlikely be my last article to do so) because its relevance to an extremely influential part of Malaysian society screams at me daily.

One of the main reasons I like the saying is because it replaces the better known "Don't get mad, get even." Such a sentiment is certainly understandable among people who feel like they have been wronged. Nonetheless, it is a sentiment that if practised universally, can only lead to the Gandhi-esque conclusion of leaving the whole world blind.

I imagine there are many people who are extremely mad about the Allah ruling. The question is, as always, what are we going to do about it?

Avoid the trap

I think our first prerogative should be not to fall into the traps that have been set for us.

Race and religion play such a strong role in our country's politics for one simple reason: the ruling coalition consists of race-based parties. What has followed from this is five decades of the powers-that-be trying to convince Malaysians that every problem in this country is either a racial or religious one. How else would politicians justify the existence of their race-based parties?

As a result, generations of Malaysians have grown up suspicious of other races that they have been brainwashed into believing are always ‘out to get them'.

So, step one is to refuse to fall into this trap. Yes, the court judgment may have been disappointing, but we must never blame it on "all the Muslims," or "all the Malays." These groups of people are not responsible for what is happening.

A clear, strong reminder of this is the more reasonable position that PAS has taken with regards to the issue, in saying that Muslims cannot prevent others from using the word ‘Allah'.

I think this indicates an approach to religion that is more focused on core values, as opposed to an approach that prioritises politically motivated fear-mongering. This is a good thing to keep in mind whenever some of us talk about ‘Malays' or ‘Muslims' in Malaysia.

Step two is to refuse to fall into the trap of despair, also known as the "Kalau tak suka, sila keluar Malaysia" trap.

Adhering to a painfully predictable script, one group of people havealready quoted that exact sentiment to people who are "not happy" with the judgment.

I wrote at length that this fits into a larger plan to make those who vote against BN to feel so uncomfortable in Malaysia that they feel compelled to migrate, thus changing the electoral landscape and demographic in favour of BN.

It's all about politics
This court judgment is only the latest in a long line of disappointments about Malaysia.

We want change. We've wanted change for a heartbreakingly long time. Step three is to think very carefully about how we are going to make the change happen.

Of all the words in that last paragraph, the most important one is "we". If only one thing can be promised, it is this: that no change will happen if you and I leave making change to others. We've seen what happens when we leave the political arena to politicians. It hasn't worked.

I think it is safe to say that while very many people were disappointed by the court ruling, almost no one was surprised.

There seems to be a wide perception that the judiciary has once again been subservient - directly or indirectly - to political powers, especially with the upcoming Umno elections.

This is the first reason that we should focus on political change; if all other government institutions are taking their cue from those holding power, then it is those whom we should work on changing.

The second reason is that despite what they want you to believe, it is the political sphere that we have the most influence over, and the biggest ability to change.

I have argued that the real problem does not lie in the judiciary, or even what some call Muslim insecurities. Even if they were, these are things that are difficult to change from the outside, so to speak.

(That said, increased efforts by non-Muslims to allay the fears of Muslims can go a long way - especially regarding proselytisation in Muslim communities. It is less about who "should" make the first move, and more about who is willing to sacrifice some pride and make the first move for the greater good.)

Need to sacrifice

Anger is a natural reaction, and emotions are not something we can generally control. What we do after the anger however, is something that is completely within our control. Will we rant, full of sound and fury, or worse yet, start making emigration plans? Or will we better apply ourselves and adjust our strategies to more successfully bring about justice and harmony?

If my analysis is correct and this is at its essence a political problem, then it is never too early to start thinking carefully about GE14.

What is clear is that we need to do something different. I think a good place to start is to thinking of a campaign in terms of a five-year period, instead of a five-week one.

If we employ the same strategies, I think we can expect the same results. I for one think it's time to explore radically new approaches, especially in terms of rural strategy and political organisation.

How? This is the part where I play the same song again and again, by quoting this article and this website.

Aidiladha is a celebration of an event that is part of the heritage of all three Abrahamic faiths - Jews, Christians and Muslims; it is a celebration of willingness to sacrifice. If we are to move forward from where we are, I think the very least we will need to sacrifice is our comfort zones. It is time to think differently, and act differently.

Let us not fall into the trap of division and hatred. This is not an issue of Muslims against non-Muslims, no matter how much they are trying to make us feel that way. This is about cooler heads versus unscrupulous politicians. Let's work together on some new ideas on how to get the latter replaced.

---

NATHANIEL TAN is enjoying a short break. He tweets @NatAsasi.