A 'real Malay', Kadir Jasin thrashes convert Ridhuan Tee's taboos on CHURCHES & PIGS

KUALA LUMPUR — Recounting a life the exact opposite of the sanctimony described by controversial writer Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, former New Straits Times chief editor Datuk A. Kadir Jasin today rebutted the former’s attack against Muslims visiting non-Muslim houses of worship.

In a post on his blog today, Kadir said he was moved to comment on the National Defence University senior lecturer’s apparent criticism against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to the church of the Holy Family and the Sri Maha Mariammam temple in Klang as the points of contention were near to his heart and part of his growing up.

“I entered a church when I was studying in the St Michael primary and secondary schools in Alor Setar. Not to pray, but for shelter from the heat. I also went to churches to pay my respects to deceased Christian friends,” he wrote.

This continued when Kadir went to New Zealand to pursue his studies in journalism, where he stayed with a priest for a week.

“At his home, I learned of the ‘grace’ or prayer before meals, which went: ‘Bless, O Father, Thy gifts to our use and us to Thy service; for Christ’s sake, Amen’.”

Pigs not created by Allah? Then by whom?

In his commentary piece yesterday, the Muslim convert Ridhuan sought to depict Malay-Muslims as once so devout that they would shun even the flies that have come in contact with pork that is considered “haram” (forbidden) in Islam.

But Kadir recounted a childhood that did not feature the purportedly strict adherence as claimed by Ridhuan.

Instead, he said pigs were not unusual at the village where he grew up, and sometimes escaped the pens in which they were kept by Chinese villagers.

The animals were also a familiar sight at a nearby Siamese village between Tanah Merah and Kubur Panjang in Kedah, as the residents there also domesticated pigs.

“Pigs entering the village were a usual thing then. We chased them out or we let them be as long as they did not damage the crops or get too close to our homes.

“In fact, my grandmother also managed to barter because of the pigs,” Kadir added.

1Malaysia, yet nothing but total silence from Najib

Pointing out that visits to non-Muslim houses of worships were not alien to multicultural Malaysia, Kadir noted for instance Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s regular appearances in conjunction with non-Muslim religious festivities.

“So what is wrong with a potential candidate speaking in a church or visiting a temple ... this is 1 Malaysia,” he continued.

In a piece in Malay language daily Sinar Harian yesterday that appeared targeted at Anwar, Ridhuan yesterday lambasted Malays for willingly going to non-Muslims worship sites.

“Extraordinary! Previously it was difficult to get Malays to enter churches or temples, and they would even avoid walking outside if they could help it. In markets, they would avoid passing or looking at pork and the pork seller.

“Such was Malays concern for their way of life,” he wrote.

Although Anwar was not specifically named in the article, Ridhuan’s warning for Kajang candidates not to sell out their religion came a week after PKR’s nominee for the March 23 by-election spoke in a church there and a day after he visited a Hindu temple in the constituency. - Malay Mail