‘Wasatiyyah’ leader takes back seat in laundrette row

YOURSAY | ‘Will his minister set up a ‘mesra Muslim’ laundromat franchise in 1Malaysia?’

Mufti: ‘Narrow-minded’ Muslims-only laundrette will lead to extremism

Aries46: Whatever religious tenets expounded to justify Islamic extremes that divide our multicultural way of life and its establishments into Muslim and non-Muslim enclave in the name of Islamic superiority and exclusivity is illegal, illogical and will not stand up to scrutiny.

It will be pooh-poohed as we have a common monetary system that does not differentiate between its halal or haram sources. Do those that support the Muslim-only laundrette realise that the money that supports the business could by itself be more haram than the so-called soiled clothing of non-Muslims?

And this brings into focus a whole lot of questionable multicultural realities that Muslims have lived with and continue to as a way of life in multiracial Malaysia.

It is tragic that the beleaguered Umno/BN regime stands by while the extremists are allowed to tear up the nation to gain a foothold into mainstream politics.

Vijay47: Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, long gone are the days when we non-Muslims saw you as an isolated voice of reason and sanity in an ocean of turbulence being made mad by Muslim fanatics.

You run with the hares when you please and hunt with the hounds when you choose. So-called Islamic leaders and scholars like you are the cause of the devastating hell we are plunging into by your lukewarm condemnation of increasing extremism or even tacit support to what is taking place.

In that sense, your colleague Zakir Naik is at least honest and sincere in the evil he preaches. I have always held that Islamic demands are worsening by the day and there seems to be no one, least of all that prime minister we are cursed with, to come out strongly and put an end to these terrifying excesses.

Can there be any man in the whole world who would hold that he would attend to only "Muslim" clothes? Not surprisingly, we already have some rushing to his defence.

Were Muslim Malaysians living in sin all these decades when we mixed freely, sat, ate, and lived together, ignoring our differences and celebrating our similarities?

What we thought impossible as recently as perhaps just a year ago is now haunting us with frightening frequency. We cannot even imagine what some Muslims of such piety would device tomorrow, and they have no cause for reluctance when PM Najib Razak's and the government's concern seems to be anything but the nation's well-being.

Yet in the midst of all this lunacy, Muslims of this breed seem to harbour no hesitancy in welcoming non-Muslim money. What is even more shocking is that you expect us to respect you.

Wong Fei Hoong: This is how far Malaysia has gone under PM Najib Razak's rule. While the world has evolved and changed for the better, Malaysia is still talking about dogs and cats, paint brushes and now laundrette.

HaveAGreatDay: Thank you, Asri, for giving non-Muslims a view that is sensible and practical. Of course, if the laundrette owner and the Johor mufti choose a more extreme interpretation of their religious practices, it is their choice and right.

But Asri has raised a very pertinent point: in our multi-racial and multi-religious society, where would they stop?

RR: The government over the years have spent billions of ringgit for proper teaching of Islam to Muslim Malays.

Who is to take the blame when muftis themselves are shocked by this idiotic behaviour of some Muslims? Naturally, the government of the day must take the blame for not nipping such fanaticism in the bud.

Abasir: Sponsored muftis (is there any other variety?) may be expected to wholeheartedly support this ludicrous "mesra Muslim" enterprise or appear to mildly disagree, depending on the ‘brand’ they have chosen.

But what about the followers of Malaysian Official 1’s (MO1's) moderate Islam (wasatiyyah) who are all supposed to be in his cabinet?

Will the minister who scurried to set up Mara Digital to show Chinese Malaysians a thing or two, now get inspired to step up a "mesra Muslim" laundromat franchise in 1Malaysia?

Fair Play: I suppose the place where most of the contamination will occur is the hospital where patients Muslims and non-Muslims eat, sleep and clean themselves in the same ward. So, should there be Muslim and non-Muslim hospitals, or more specifically halal and non-halal hospitals?

And more importantly, what about Muslim and non-Muslim doctors and nurses? When it comes to splitting hair, the list could go on. This is the pathetic Malaysia we are living in now and God only knows for how long.

Hplooi: Returning malice with malice will lead to civil war. No, we should not boycott Malay shops. We would only be giving in to the bigots.

After all, my favourite nasi lemak stall is still my comfort food and the pakcik (sometimes the makcik) recognise me as a regular (even his son now calls me uncle).

Anonymous 2341511439892780: Just imagine our dollar notes and coins being touched by all kinds of non-Muslims. The taxes collected involved collections from alcohol, massage services and other non-halal items.

Should we separate the notes and coins between Muslims and non-Muslims?

ConstitutionIsSupreme: Yes, unless and until those who think like the Johor mufti and Islamic advisor also demanded that there be ringgit notes and coins for Muslim only, they are in my opinion are not sincere and very political in their view/action.

Kangkung: Ironically, they call for separate drinking cups, separate laundrette but not separate collection of Muslims and non-Muslim taxpayers' money.

Anonymous_3fe4: Indeed, what will they think of next? Hotel kitchen lift. Done. School cups differentiation. Done. Now laundrette.

Next time, I think even the seats in all halal restaurants might be separated.- Mkini