Don’t let extremists spoil our Ramadan

The holy month has become a cultural touchpoint for all Malaysians to celebrate.

COMMENT

By Scott Ng

Many non-Muslims in Malaysia have always looked upon the holy month of Ramadan as a period for celebrating togetherness with our Muslim compatriots. Of course, if we’re totally honest with ourselves, a large part of that celebration involves our love of food.

The Ramadan bazaar is an example of Malaysian unity at its finest, with all races enjoying one another’s company in the crowded streets as they shop for food in the late afternoon and savour the rich aromas wafting in from everywhere.

Perhaps no season shows the solidarity of Malaysians as well as Ramadan does. During the month, we all arrange our lives around the fasting hours. The tradition of breaking the fast with friends and family has become something of a social event for Malaysians across racial and religious boundaries. The dinner table is something of a sacred place where we can meet over our common love for Malaysian food.

While extremist groups often make the usual noises in order to emphasise our religious and racial differences, the fasting month is, on the whole, much quieter than other months of the year. Even our politicians refrain from being overtly bombastic out of respect for the season.

That is why it’s so disturbing to hear Jaringan Muslimin Pulau Pinang chairman Mohd Hafiz Noordin demanding that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng skip buka puasa events in the state.

While it is heartening to note that even Umno and MCA figures have condemned Hafiz’s belligerance, we fear that his comments will embolden other extremist factions to use the holy month for political leverage.

Even more disturbing was the assault upon the Penang Chief Minister’s information officer, Zaidi Ahmad. He had dared to question the protestors that Jaringan had assembled outside a mosque.

Zaidi was merely asking for proof of the accusations brought against Guan Eng and the Penang state government over the gazetting of fatwas in the state. Apparently, Hafiz’s men decided it was better to silence Zaidi than to come up with cold, hard facts and good reasons for the protest.

That truly bodes ill for political discourse in Malaysia, although it has always had a Trumpian tone to it anyway. We fear that people like Hafiz and his lot will, like supporters of the US president, twist and turn facts in order to justify the indulgence of their baser instincts.

Thankfully, all is not lost. By and large, Malaysians will still enjoy Ramadan together. Some non-Muslims in offices, colleges and schools all over Malaysia will even join the fast in solidarity with their Muslim friends. Others will do their best to respect the hard work their countrymen do even as they endure the hunger pangs that come with the fast. Muslims all over Malaysia will still invite their friends to berbuka, and later on, to Hari Raya. That will not change no matter how many Hafizs pop out of the wormwood.

Ramadan in Malaysia is a multicultural experience that we all go through regardless of political affiliation and religious background. While being a beautiful part of the Islamic faith, Ramadan has become a uniquely Malaysian experience that all of us participate in, and we won’t allow words like those of Hafiz’s to take away its holiness.

Scott Ng is an FMT columnist