Beer debate: Extremists drunk on toxicity

“In order to be a part of the totalitarian mindset, it is not necessary to wear a uniform or carry a club or a whip. It is only necessary to wish for your own subjection, and to delight in the subjection of others.” 

- Christopher Hitchens

Revoking the operating rights of beer brewers Heineken Malaysia Bhd and Carlsberg during the movement control order (MCO) period because of instigation by religious extremists is another example of the toxic religiosity that permeates this government.

I have used the quote that opens this piece before. It clearly articulates the mindset of religious extremists – of any religion – to control the polity, especially religiously diverse ones. After all, what is the point of religious supremacy, if you cannot demonstrate the superiority of your religion?

Keep in mind that demonstrating the superiority of your religion never involves feats of intellectual prowess in a market place of ideas, but rather the brute application of state-sanctioned force in the curtailing of an individual or collective rights.

The whole point of revoking the operating directive was not that it saves lives or consistency of polices. I am sure the preventive and health security measures of these places are far better than that of religious gatherings, not just because of the profit motive, but rather to demonstrate to the base that religious and racial prerogatives are “championed” by political operatives who do not have any other policy initiatives or policy successes to point to.

The question posed by Bersatu Youth should clue us in on the futility of this “debate” - "Thousands of halal businesses owned by the bumiputera have been impacted by Covid-19 and the MCO, particularly for small and medium enterprises.”

The distinction between “halal” and “haram” and the dog whistle of race (bumiputera-owned) makes it impossible to rationally discuss this issue. However, that is the point. When it comes to toxic religiosity, rationality has no place in the discussion.

The Bersatu Youth chief also posed this question - "Does the government consider beer and alcoholic drinks, which are clearly haram (forbidden), essential or critical?" 

Whether you consider alcohol an essential item is not the point. When something is deemed “haram” on religious grounds, any discussion, if such an item is essential, becomes moot. Ab initio the discussion on the “essentialness” cannot take place because the item is already considered “haram” by certain folks. Hence, any objective discussion is supplanted by religious discourse and those objecting to religious interference.

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is based on racial and religious supremacy. The problem here is that there are some in the government who believe commercial and economic interests would taper whatever toxic religiosity which could derail the gravy train, not to mention economic stability. P Gunasegaram has been right in making out the case from an economic stance.

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad attempted to work within the religious discourse by pointing out that Caliph Umar said to tax those who sold these supposedly “haram” items, not realising that he is making an economic argument instead of a religious one.

While I am sympathetic to Khalid’s stance, the need to shoehorn economic and social realities into religious dogma is like fighting with one hand tied behind your back. Fascistic elements within any religion do not give two hoots about the moderating influences, historical or otherwise, about their religion. All they care about is using the state to force others to submit to their dogma.

What PN failed to grasp is the reality of working with people who would take advantage of the situation to demonstrate how weak the Muhyiddin regime is. There is a lot more going on here than just revoking the operating licence during the MCO.

Another question posed - "Why was an exemption given to Heineken's beer factory when it is a haram business? Is it because the company has links to people with interest?” What would have been beneficial is if Bersatu Youth had named those people with interest and we could check if they were in any way connected to Bersatu through other commercial ventures.

Delighting in the subjugation of others is paramount in this display of brute force. Think about what PAS' Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (below) said: "What value is left for a Muslim who prays to God while they allow alcohol to flow freely when they could stop it?"

Here “value” is derived in shoving your belief systems onto others. Non-Muslim minorities in Muslim-dominated countries are told to be followers. Here is PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang’s variation of this theme - “Islam has to be the leader and ruler, those who are not of Islam must be followers (pak turut).”

Non-Muslims must be "followers". Followers who do not believe. Followers who are forced to submit. Followers who can never lead because they are not Muslims. Followers who have to submit to the religious observances of Muslims, even though they have their own religious beliefs which are not observed by Muslims, but in some cases restricted because they offend Muslims.

Some Muslims claim that people don’t understand Islam. Whenever someone claims that people do not understand their religion, it most often means that their religion has a lot to answer for. All religions have commonalities. Those positive commonalities make it possible for people of diverse religious faiths to play well with others. Call it evolutionary or spiritual but the result is the same, the receding of religious dogma and the acceptance of plurality of thought.

However, when people insist on pontificating about their faith or when the state defines religion, that is when the trouble starts. That is when people start claiming that their faith is misunderstood or that God made them the person to lead the faithful or there is some divine plan for all of us, even those who do not want to be subjected to any plan from up above.

This last part is made worse by the fact that those mortals who claim to understand God’s plan make up for the worst administrators on earth, not to mention the most bigoted, petty and hypocritical messengers that any divine being would be unlucky to have.

Folks like these always take advantage to pursue their agendas when the country is in crisis. As far as I am concerned, this is treacherous, but considering the nature of our government, it is to be expected.

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S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. A retired barrister-at-law, he is one of the founding members of Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan. - Mkini