EXTREME BIGOTRY is why we reject free Qurans

The chairperson of the Hidayah Centre Foundation, Nicholas Sylvester Muhammad Abdullah, is reported to have said that there’s no harm in non-Muslims touching Qurans, and doing so does not automatically convert them, as there is no compulsion in Islam.

However, we hear of conversions of children under suspicious circumstances. We hear of dead bodies being snatched. We know that one cannot opt out of Islam like one can opt out of other religions. Court cases have been fought over one’s right to leave Islam. So much for “non-compulsion”.

Then the president of The Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) Firdaus Wong Wai Hung holds up translated copies of other holy books including Buddhist scripture and the Al-Kitab, stating: “We do not feel anxious over this, I don’t know why some non- Muslims are anxious.”

Well, Perkasa president wanted to burn the bibles. There are words in the Quran that non-Muslims in Malaysia are prohibited from uttering. By giving the free Qurans isn’t it putting those forbidden words in the mouths of the non-Muslims? Why?

The reason non-Muslims feel anxious is because the above “re-assuring” statements that there is nothing wrong for Muslims to hold the religious books of others and that holding the Quran does not make one a Muslim automatically, are not made by persons of the standing of Perkasa, Isma, Ridhuan Tee and their ilk.

Muhammad Abdullah

Perkasa, Isma, Ridhuan Tee and a few others have made themselves out to be authorities on Islam; non-Muslims will not have reason to feel anxious only when we see them holding up the holy books of the other religions and hear them saying that it is perfectly alright for Muslims to hold, keep and read the holy scriptures of the others, and that non-Muslims who take the free copies of the Quran will not be prosecuted or persecuted for not taking care of them as holy books should be taken care of.

Non-Muslims, too, would like to share their holy scriptures with their Muslim brethren so that while the non-Muslims understand Islam, the Muslims would understand the other faiths in this multiracial nation. This is reciprocal education: what is wrong for all Malaysians to know the religions of each other, while holding steadfastly to their own religions?

Anyone who is steadfast in his own religion will not automatically become converted upon holding or reading the holy books of other faiths. Malay-Muslim children who were in the Christian missionary schools in the 50s and 60s did not become Christians although they were immersed in Christianity.

So it will be good for Nicholas Sylvester Muhammad Abdullah and Firdaus Wong Wai Hung to start by dispelling the anxiety of Muslims about holding the holy books of the other faiths, for charity begins at home. As there is no compulsion in the other faiths either.

To say that the free Quran translations are meant to help non-Muslims understand Islam is a very lame excuse – it is more like a red herring.

How many Malaysians will be able to understand the very deep meaning of religious texts, given that most of them are firstly, not avid readers and secondly, their command of the languages is not up to holy-scripture level?

A much easier and really effective way of convincing non-Muslims that Islam is a religion of goodness and peace is for the religious authorities to ensure that Muslims practice the virtues of Islam in their daily lives. Sadly, not all are practicing these virtues, what with corruption so rife, stealing of public money by “stupid” government servants who pay exorbitant prices for government procurement, scam investment schemes that rip off the innocent, rising crime, baby dumping cases, drug taking, mat-rempits, etc.

It is the living religion, in daily practice by its adherents, that shows others the goodness or otherwise of its teachings. It is this practice that makes others anxious about it or makes them comfortable with it. If others are anxious about it, then please look at its practice and eliminate those things that give rise to anxiety about it.

There are a lot of good Muslims who have no anxiety about mixing with their non-Muslim neighbors and friends. But why are they being told that they should not wish “Merry Christmas” or attend the celebrations of the non-Muslims?

Seeing is believing, reading is not. So don’t bark up the wrong tree.

Show the world through daily deeds and words that Islam is a religion of goodness and peace and the non-Muslims will automatically be convinced about it despite not reading the Quran.

Non-Muslims had no problem about Islam until the rise of some bigots in very recent times. Please address this bigotry, the root of the problem. - FMT