Don’t let Badrul scupper church and temple visits

 

Critics of the “Jom Ziarah” programme to visit other houses of worship have forgotten what Prophet Muhammad said about seeking knowledge “as far as they could reach, and to seek it at all times”.

Why should one man, Bersatu member Badrul Hisham Shaharin, known as Chegubard, be allowed to scupper the “Project Article 11” programme? On March 13, he used social media to accuse Impact Malaysia, an agency under the youth and sports ministry, of running a “Christian evangelist” programme.

Why is the whole nation forced to its knees and made to accept Badrul’s warped analysis of the “Jom Ziarah” initiative?

If that was not bad enough, knee-jerk reactions by other clerics followed. They were fearful of losing their Muslim flock to other religions.

We have reached a new low in our level of stupidity.

Learning about others

The “Article 11” programme was designed to increase awareness about Malaysia’s diverse society. Under its “Jom Ziarah” plan, Malaysian youth would be taken to visit different houses of worship, to see how all religions share many things in common.

Many older Malaysians learnt about other religions in this manner, when as young children, they were taken by their parents to visit the houses of worship of people of other cultures and faiths. They went for weddings or funerals, or to watch children being baptised.

Those who attended mission schools had no qualms about visiting temples or churches, and the Muslims among them have remained Muslim.

Little faith?

Why are today’s Malays very insecure and have little faith in themselves and their fellow Muslims?

How on earth did a very simple and effective idea to educate our young and allow them to appreciate the shared values and challenges faced by the various religions, suddenly become a “lethal plan to influence Muslims to embrace another religion”?

This is the sort of backward thinking that will retard the overall progress of our youth, stunt their learning, and prevent any form of assimilation and integration.

When will the Malay mind be allowed to open, and flourish?

Revenge politics

Badrul’s attack was clearly revenge politics because in the past few weeks, senior leaders in Bersatu have been arrested and will soon face charges of money laundering and corruption.

Therefore, anything that its party leaders can seize and hurl towards the government to bring it down, will be used. This is just another dirty party political tactic, designed to harm Anwar Ibrahim.

Badrul then caused more conservative and insecure individuals in society to over-react. The next to panic was the chairman of the Selangor Islamic religious council.

He said that elements to attract Muslim youths to study or acquire knowledge related to other religions besides Islam can subtly and unconsciously influence Muslim youths towards these other religions.

Closed minds

When will Malaysian youth be allowed to leap into the 21st Century, instead of being dragged back by politicians and clerics who refuse to allow the Malay mind to prosper, to become inquisitive and critically analyse things?

The Muslim, young or old, who steps into a temple or church, then likes what he sees, and subsequently decides that he wishes to become a non-Muslim, does not have a strong grounding of his own faith.

Who do you blame? Him? His parents? His religious teacher? Society? Politicians?

The Muslim who steps into a house of worship, then asks lots of questions, in an effort to know more and understand why the person of another faith does what he does, is acquiring knowledge. This is part of education.

Dirty politics

The Malay child starts his religious indoctrination early. It begins at home, with his parents. As he gets older, a religious teacher may be engaged to teach him how to read the Quran and learn the basics about Islam via stories of the prophets.

He may attend religious classes outside of school hours. If at the end of this he appears to falter and wants to embrace other religions, then Malaysians must question why and how easily it is to conquer the Malay mind.

When will this nonsense stop? It looks daft when Muslims are stopped from entering churches or temples in Malaysia, but not when they travel overseas.

Badrul is playing dirty politics by hijacking the “Jom Ziarah” programme. His plan must be stopped, if Malaysia is to progress. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT