RPK: The Rubicon has been crossed

UMNO, it seems, is fighting for it's survival. Is that so? Only the Malays will be able to answer that.

The real question is: Do the Malays want UMNO? Again, it's up to the Malays.

Who's fault is it? The 20+% Chinese? or the 60+% Malays?

Well, looking at the present mentality of their leaders & supporters, the minorities will end up paying the price so that UMNO remains in power... according to their logic, it's the Indian's fault (Hindraf), it's the Malay's fault (PAS & PKR supporters), it's the Chinese's fault (DAP & MCA), it's the Christians' fault (Kalimah Allah), but it's never their own fault.

There was UMNO Lama (v1.0), then UMNO Baru (v2.0), will there be a possibility for an UMNO 3.0 in the future?

And is DAP going to lead the fight on Pakatan's side? Since 95% of the Chinese supports DAP it would mean the Chinese against UMNO Malays.

Malays will be Malays, regardless of political affiliation. Most of them do not like the Chinese. Really. Don't believe me? Ask your Malay friends and if they are honest, they will confirm what I just said. The genuinely non-prejudiced Malays are actually a minority. Some Malays genuinely prefer to mix with other races because they are not judged or forced to conform like when they are among their peers. 

The relationship among the two races in general has always been based on benefits. Both races have never had a close relationship or affinity towards one another. But they have gotten along well because each minds their own business. For example, when Malays patronise sundry shops, they get to buy on credit. In business, the Malays can depend on the Chinese for the funds. and so on... Until today, most Malays still have the stereotyping that every Chinese is rich :)... (which is not true la)... So, the Chinese are tolerated. That is what is meant by "kongsi", the magic formula.

But one thing that other races do not understand about the Malays is that... never muck with their religion, Islam. That is the worst thing you could ever do... and the Chinese, especially, should be mindful of that, especially since DAP is most vocal. And religion was one of the contributing factors that spooked a lot of Malays back to BN last election...

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The Rubicon has been crossed

January 12, 2014

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Once you have crossed the Rubicon there is no longer any turning back. You have already crossed the point of no return. And looking at the developments of the Allah word (kalimah Allah) controversy, I would dare venture that this point has definitely been crossed.

This, I suppose, strengthens, if not proves, the theory I have been propagating the last couple of years leading to the recent May 2013 general election. And that theory is the 3R strategy is very crucial to Umno’s survival — and that it will become even more crucial after the general election when Umno wakes up to the reality that its future depends on the Malay vote and that it has lost the support of the non-Malays for good.

Yes, I know, I appear to get a hard on when I am proven right. I get an orgasm when I can say, “I told you so!” I do not deny that. I live for that moment and at my age, when I am pushing 64, there is really very little else to live for, if you know what I mean.

The main focus of this controversy appears to be raising questions: (1) Who should be blamed? (2) Why in the first place is this an issue? (3) Why does Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak not do something to solve this? (4) Why are Muslims interfering in the rights of non-Muslims to practice their religion? (5) Since when is Allah the monopoly of Islam? (6) Don’t the non-Muslim Arabs also use the Allah word? (7) Is not Allah the pre-Islamic name for God anyway? (8) Is this law fair and just? (9) Why can’t they amend or repeal this law? (10) Why did they not oppose this law back then before it became law?

Yes, the game of ten questions and playing the blame-game to seek a scapegoat to pin the blame on. Good questions those ten question but the wrong questions to ask. Even if you can find good answers to these ten questions that is still not going to solve the problem mainly because those are not the right questions to ask. You should be asking different questions instead, which no one is asking.

Sure, but that is only your theory, you may argue. That does not make it correct. Well, it depends on whether we are talking about Political Philosophy or Political Science. Both may involve the study of politics but the first is the study of ‘ought to be’ while the second is the study of ‘what is’.

You are talking about what ought to be (or Political Philosophy) while I am talking about what is (or Political Science). And herein lies the problem although you may think we are both talking about the same thing, meaning politics.

Now that we have crossed the Rubicon and there is no longer any turning back, looking behind (like asking those ten questions) is futile. The only option now is to move forward and win. And that was what Julius Caesar’s army had to do when they crossed the Rubicon River in 49 BC. They had to win or die!

And this, too, is the only option open to Umno in this game of 3R politics. Win or die! And since this issue has already crossed the point of no return, Umno will have to find ways of winning this battle or else Umno is dead in the water. And since they may be dead anyway come the next general election in 2018 or so, what difference does it make? Do nothing they die and do something they have a 50-50 chance of living or dying.

I have said this many times before. When in combat against a vicious enemy, never leave it wounded. Kill it! A wounded tiger is most dangerous. So do not wound it unless you can kill it. More people die from attacks from a wounded tiger than from attacks from a healthy tiger.

And that is what Umno currently is. It is a badly wounded, vicious animal. You did not kill it in May 2013. You badly wounded it. And now you have told it that you are going to slit its throat come 2018. So this wounded animal sees visions of death over the horizon and it needs to fight to stay alive.

And, in such a scenario, you kill, or be killed.

I am surprised that many talk about Sun Tzu but not many practice Sun Tzu’s art of war. Sun Tzu taught us that the element of stealth and surprise are crucial in war. The Americans call it shock and awe.

Standing on top of the hill and shouting at your wounded enemy, while waving a sword, that you are going to come down from the hill to slit his throat is not what Sun Tzu taught us. There is no element of stealth and surprise, or shock and awe, in that although you may impress the pretty girls watching the whole drama.

Let both sides be warned. This has now turned into a duel to the death. And let the best combatant win. And in such a combat there are no Queensbury Rules. So if you have a weak heart, stay well away from the battlefield. - SOURCE

Selangor state govt must set aside differences with federal govt: Bible Society Malaysia

An update on the Bible-seizing drama... Basically, from what I gather, it's something like this...

1. The Selangor State Government and Pakatan Rakyat people says the Federal Government is responsible.

2. The Federal Government says otherwise, that it is a state matter.

3. DAP points the finger at Najib, insisting that the PM is responsible.

4. Federal Government says JAIS comes under the purview of Selangor state.

5. JAIS says it is not answerable to the State Executive or MB.

6.... etc... etc...

Both Muslims and Christians keep beating around the bush, avoiding the root of the problem, which is propagation/proselytisation/conversion. They would rather fight and argue over words, bibles, history, and whatnot, but are too cowardly to face the actual issue. In the meantime, the others will just have to live with it, while both continue to actively proselytise each other, as well as others of different religions.

But the main reason for playing up this issue, I believe, is political. It is a political hot potato, used to force Pakatan Rakyat into a crisis among its coalition partners. PAS is an Islamic party. DAP is led by mostly Christians. PKR... well, they can be whatever you want them to be hehehe... So, in a way, it's actually good that they are pressured to come out to state their stand on sensitive issues. Since they want to form the Federal Government, they must show the people that they can be trusted to co-operate effectively to maintain stability, harmony & peace among the multi-racial multi-religious population. Enough of sloganeering & rhetorics.

Anyway, RPK has posted a rather interesting piece with regards to this... What he says makes sense and I believe it is quite accurate...

The 1,000-year old turf war

What begs answers is (1) why was this 1988 law and that Article in the 1957 Constitution never challenged and opposed earlier and (2) why is the government eager to implement this law after so many years of this law being ‘silently’ around?

The challengers say they never challenged this law earlier because it had never been used before so it was not a problem until today, while the authorities say they never needed to use this law in the past because the Christians have always behaved themselves and never tried to convert Muslims to Christianity...

...I remember writing, ten years or so ago, that many Malays want to leave Islam to become Christians. ...

...If Muslims want to leave Islam to become Christians then it is the fault of the Muslims and not the fault of the Christians. Something must be wrong with Islam or the Islamic education...

...the National Registration Department (NRD) who revealed that they had received thousands of applications from Muslims requesting to change their Muslim name to a Christian name....

...The NRD, said this man, normally delays approval and instead ‘sends someone’ to talk to these people to try to convince them to remain Muslims. Some are even sent for ‘religious rehabilitation’ so that they can be ‘re-indoctrinated’. Eventually, many leave Islam quietly without applying for a change of name on their IC out of fear of being taken in for ‘religious rehabilitation’.

So Malaysia actually has many ex-Muslims who are now Christians but will remain in the closet just like gays because if they were to come out of the closet they would become a target.... - SOURCE

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Members of the Bible Society of Malaysia.

The Bible Society of Malaysia said the Selangor state government must set aside its differences with the federal government to resolve the "Allah" issue. 

SHAH ALAM: The Bible Society of Malaysia have had their statements taken from JAIS, the state Islamic authorities, who seized more than 300 copies of Malay-language bibles earlier this month because they contained the word “Allah” to refer to God.

The Bible suppliers do not know when or if the holy books will be returned.

It is now up to the Selangor state government to find a resolution.

The Bible Society said the opposition-run state government must set aside its differences with the federal government.

It feels old state laws that ban non-Muslims from using “Allah” in religious contexts need to change to keep up with federal enactments -- specifically Prime Minister Najib Razak's 2011 10-point solution, which had allowed Christians to import and distribute Malay language bibles containing the word “Allah”.

Lee Min Choon, president of the Bible Society of Malaysia, said: "The federal government has kept to the 10 points. This problem is a problem of the state. If the Selangor state government is prepared to embrace the 10 point formally, we'll be happy to forget about legal action because that would be a good enough, in our opinion, a good enough securing of the rights of the Christian community.”

Three Bible society members, including its president Lee Min Choon, met JAIS officials accompanied by a representative from the prime minister's department.

After more than two hours of having their members’ statements taken, the Bible Society has urged the Christian community in Malaysia to remain calm.

The Selangor government had directed JAIS to defer to the Home Ministry.

But the federal government has passed the buck back to the state and the Sultan of Selangor, who also oversees religious affairs.

There remains strong opposition from certain Muslim groups, which marched to JAIS headquarters.

Jamal Md Yunos, spokesperson for Muslim groups, said: "The Home Ministry may have approved the Bibles in different languages but this is for states where there are now religious enactments.”

More than 100 people delivered a letter of support for JAIS, commending the body for seizing the Bibles, and also warning the Selangor government against defying the Sultan's wishes. - SOURCE

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After Al-Kitab seized, DAP reminds Najib of 10-point solution

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua called on the prime minister to remember his own 10-point solution when dealing with the Allah row. — Picture by Choo Choy May

PETALING JAYA, Jan 2 — The DAP urged Datuk Seri Najib Razak today to intervene on the Selangor Islamic authorities’ raid against a bible distributor here, saying the prime minister could use the 10-point solution he mooted in 2011 to settle the “Allah” row.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) raid of the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) earlier here today was not in line with the spirit of Islam.

“The leadership of this country needs to put its foot down and stop the entire circus over the term ‘Allah’,” Pua told reporters at the Damansara police station here today.

“It is up to Najib to stop this based on his own stamp of moderation, including the 10-point solution,” added the Petaling Jaya Utara MP, referring to the Cabinet decision in 2011 that allowed the Malay-language bible - the Al-Kitab - to be freely distributed in both the peninsula and East Malaysia. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/after-al-kitab-seized-dap-reminds-najib-of-10-point-solution#sthash.llqSYsuE.dpuf

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Govt allows import and local printing of Bible in all languages

PETALING JAYA: The Bible can now be imported into the country in all languages including Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia and in the indigenous languages.

It can also be printed locally and there is no requirement for any stamp or serial number.

These are part of a 10-point solution developed by the Government after being in dialogue with Christian groups, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

He hoped the solution would be received positively by Christian groups.

Below is the full statement by Idris on the 10 points provided to the media.

The Government confirmed that it has been in dialogue with the Christian groups to look into their specific requests on the Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia Bible and also other religious issues. Taking into account the polarity of views of the different religious groups, including the Muslims, the Government decided on a 10-point solution.

1. Bibles in all languages can be imported into the country, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia.

2. These Bibles can also be printed locally in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. This is a new development which should be welcome by the Christian groups.

3. Bibles in indigenous languages of Sabah and Sarawak such as Iban, Kadazan-Dusun and Lun Bawang can also be printed locally and imported.

4. For Sabah and Sarawak, in recognition of the large Christian community in these states, there are no conditions attached to the importation and local printing of the Bibles in all languages, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia and indigenous languages. There is no requirement for any stamp or serial number.

5. Taking into account the interest of the larger Muslim community, for Peninsula Malaysia, Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, imported or printed, must have the words “Christian Publication” and the cross sign printed on the front covers.

6. In the spirit of 1Malaysia and recognising that many people travel between Sabah and Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia, there should be no prohibitions and restrictions for people who bring along their bibles and christian materials on such travel.

7. A directive on the Bible has been issued by the Ketua Setiausaha (KSU) of the Home Ministry to ensure proper implementation of this cabinet decision. Failure to comply will subject the officers to disciplinary action under the General Orders. A comprehensive briefing by top officials, including the Attorney General (AG), will be given to all relevant civil servants to ensure good understanding and proper implementation of the directive.

8. For the impounded Bibles in Kuching, Gideon, the importer can collect all the 30,000 Bibles free of charge. We undertake to ensure the parties involved are reimbursed. The same offer remains available for the importer of the 5,100 Bibles in Port Klang, which have already been collected by the Bible Society Malaysia (BSM) last week.

9. Beyond the Bible issue, the Government wishes to reiterate its commitment to work with the Christian groups and all the different religious groups in order to address inter religious issues and work towards the fulfilment of all religious aspirations in accordance with the constitution, taking into account the other relevant laws of the country. In order to bring urgency to this work, the Prime Minister will meet the representatives of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) soon to discuss the way forward.

10. The Christian Ministers in the cabinet will meet on a regular basis with representatives of the various Christian groups in order to discuss their issues and work with the relevant Ministries and PM in order to resolve them.

Dato Sri Idris Jala said, “I hope this 10 point solution will be received positively by the Christian groups as being fair and reasonable. We have to look for a solution that deals with the Bible issues and also put a way forward to handle other issues raised by the Christian groups”.

“I think the Bible issue is very unfortunate, and in the spirit of Lent, it is time for sacrifice, reconciliation and forgiveness.

"In our history as a young nation, we achieved a lot in a short period of time, but we have our shortcomings.

"The Government and our civil servants are not perfect as indeed all human beings are “beautifully imperfect” in the eyes of God.

"And for all our shortcomings in handling the Bible issue, I hope the Christians would find it in their hearts to forgive us.

"In my Church at SIBKL, we have been praying for a Christian revival to take place in our country. For all the hurt that exist as a result of our differences, I believe that we need healing, forgiveness and reconciliation in this country.

"The Bible says in Matthew 18: 21-22 “ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”. - SOURCE

Religion: The Lack of Respect

Recently, I've posted on Zaid Ibrahim's take on conversion here: Zaid: Crackdown on conversions the way out of ‘Allah’ impasse

Today, I would like to expand a little more on the subject of religious conversion.

The chart above is taken from Buddhanet.net, which shows number of adherents in terms of percentage. The chart below presents the estimated absolute numbers.

Both Christianity & Islam are the world's largest religion, in that order. Adherents from both claims that their respective religion has been growing in numbers. I don't doubt it, since the world population is expanding, it's natural. But there's another important factor which has contributed to the growth, which is conversion through proselytisation.

Conversion

In light of the recent controversy surrounding the restriction of non-Muslims to use the word "Allah" which is one of the 35 words (or more perhaps?) in the list, it is imperative that we get to the root cause instead of the symptom.

As mentioned in Zaid's article, the root cause has always been conversion & proselytisation, which he suggested to be made illegal, and to which I very much agree.

Firstly, banning words will not solve the problem. Because the problem did not arise from words.

Secondly, even if the ban is lifted, it still would not solve the problem. Because the problem is not with the freedom to use those words.

We have to first ask why was this restriction implemented in the first place? Conversion.

Both would not agree to this because both wants to continue with proselytisation. And each wants to have the advantage, the upper hand... the higher ground. Which is why nobody seems to be interested to comment on Zaid's article.

This is what makes Malaysians the greatest hypocrites in the world... they would rather focus and debate on the religious scripts, history, language, who did what first, etc... chasing their own tails.

Apparently, this is not a new issue but dates back to the 80s...

MALAYSIAN BISHOPS RESPOND TO RESTRICTIONS ON BIBLES, ´SENSITIVE WORDS´ ISSUE

The bishops of Malaysia, responding to an attempt by the government to prohibit Christians from using certain words deemed sensitive to Muslims, say Christians have a right to use them all.

"Our Catholic bishops have taken up this matter and our stand is that we have the right to use all 16 words," said a report issued June 14 to Catholics by the Catholic Research Center here.

The report also listed incidents since a 1981 gazette notification banning the Alkitab (Indonesian-language Bible). This and subsequent events, it said, form a "concerted plan to deprive Christians of their rights to practice their faith freely, as guaranteed in our Constitution."

Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) and Bahasa Malaysia are similar.
After correspondence between Archbishop Soter Fernandez of Kuala Lumpur and the Home Affairs Ministry, the banned words were reduced to four.

"However, we are still adamant, and insist that we guard our right to pray and use whatever words we have in the Alkitab," the report said.

According to the report, Catholic Sabah, newspaper of Kota Kinabalu diocese in East Malaysia, received a letter in February from the Home Affairs Ministry prohibiting use of certain Arabic words in Christian publications.

Officials enclosed alternative words for Christians, as follows:

Prohibited words Alternative
1. Al-Kitab (Bible) Baibel
2. Allah (God) Tuhan
3. Firman (say) Berkata
4. Rasul (messenger) Utusan
5. Syariat (teachings) Ajaran
6. Imam (believe) Percaya
7. Kaabah Tidak ada gantian
8. Ibadah (worship) Amalan
9. Injil Baibel
10. Baitullah Tidak ada gantian
11. Wahyu (revelation) Revelasi
12. Nabi (prophet) Prophet
13. Syukur (praise) Terima Kasih
14. Zikir (remembrance) Mengingat/menvebu
15. Solat (pray) Sembahyang
16. Doa (implore) Memohon

The 1981 ruling stated: "The printing, publication, sale, issue, circulation or possession of the Alkitab in Indonesian is prohibited, as it is considered prejudicial to the national interest and security of the Federation."

In 1982, the Council of Churches in Malaysia (CCM) wrote to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, asking him to lift the ban.

The CCM said it "denies Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians their fundamental right of practicing their religion, since the Alkitab is the only version of the Holy Bible available to them for their daily devotions and public worship."

The letter and request for a meeting received no response, but the government amended the notification to say, "The above prohibition shall not apply to possession or use in churches of such publication professing the Christian religion throughout Malaysia."

This, the report says, meant the Alkitab and Perjanjian Baru (Indonesian-language New Testament) may only be used in Christian church buildings.

Possession, use or distribution in homes, shops or any other place would thus be illegal and liable to punishment.

CCM representatives, including then-Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Selvanayagam of Kuala Lumpur and Jesuit Father Paul Tan, Catholic Research Center director, met the day following the 1982 amendment.

Then-Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Musa Hitam did not attend, but Datuk Rozhan Kuntom, meeting chairperson, said Musa Hitam would lift the ban, on condition that the Alkitab not be circulated among Muslims.

"As stated, according to the provision in the amended order," the report said, "Christians (were) not even allowed to buy their Alkitab from shops, nor allowed to possess their personal copies in their homes."

Church leaders met with Home Ministry officials in 1982 to discuss the amended order, and in 1983 several of them, including retired Archbishop Dominic Vendargan of Kuala Lumpur, signed a memorandum regarding the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia, the Alkitab and related matters.

"Christ-ians are in fact unable to purchase and therefore use the Alkitab in the performance of their religious exercise, due to the prohibition of their sale throughout Malaysia," the memorandum said.

"More and more of us Christians are using Bahasa Malaysia in our daily devotions and in our Church services, but are greatly disturbed and distressed because of this constraint placed upon us by the respective ban."

"It is almost two years now that Christians have not been able to purchase the Alkitab locally," they wrote.

In 1984, the Christian Book Center in Sibu City, Sarawak, East Malaysia, received a letter informing them that copies of the Alkitab and Perjanjian Baru ordered by them would be destroyed.

Christian leaders in Kuala Lumpur urged Musa Hitam to stop the destruction of Christian Scriptures, saying "the Christian Community in Malaysia regards this as a sacrilege."

After a letter was sent by Archbishop Fernandez and other Church leaders, a meeting was held with Deputy Home Affairs Minister Kassim, who decided:

1. The Alkitab copies held in Sibu customs would not be destroyed, but Perjanjian Baru copies held in Johor customs would be returned to Singapore.

2. The government would allow Christian leaders to appoint agencies importing the Alkitab, provided the government was informed.

3. The list of words such as "Allah," forbidden to non-Muslims, would be compiled and given Christians.

After further meetings, 10 outlets throughout Malaysia were authorized to buy the Alkitab and Perjanjian Baru from Indonesia.

But, the report says, the agreement did not filter down to minor officials.

In 1984, 450 copies of the Alkitab, 200 copies of the Perjanjian Baru and 1,860 other Christian books were confiscated in Sabah.

Kuala Lumpur Church leaders again protested to Home Affairs.

"And so, as far as the importation and distribution of the Alkitab and Perjanjian Baru is concerned, where do we stand? Only 10 authorized ´agencies´ appointed by Christian Churches are permitted to import them," the report said.

- SOURCE (It's a Catholic site by the way...)

I think it is common knowledge that both Christians & Muslims have been very active, if not aggressive, in their proselytisation efforts. However, in Malaysia, it is illegal to proselytise to Muslims, but not the other way round. In fact, as I've highlighted before in previous posts, the rights of Muslims (and the converts) reign supreme over other religions.

So, if both Islam & Christianity is expanding, then which religions are declining? My guess would be the Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus, and other minority religions.

Respect

Why are some people so eager to convert others to their religion? Is it because they think they are answering a higher calling, and made it their duty to do so? Or perhaps, deep down, it is actually a lack of respect towards other religions?

And nobody does it with more zeal and passion than some new converts, whom in their warped sense of logic, feel that it is their duty to ridicule & insult their own community's traditions, culture & religion, often to the delight and amusement of their new found "brothers"... in the likes of Ridhuan Tee, Ann Wan Seng, et al. Ask yourselves, is that the right thing to do? Why do they hate their own so much?

It is no wonder that there are so many cases of body snatching for Muslim burial, child conversions and custody issues. They feel that it is their duty, and right, to claim the body for an Islamic burial despite the protests from the family members of different faith, causing untold misery and sadness to the family. So, much for compassion.

On the other side, we have the evangelist Christians, born again Christians, or other smaller denominations like Jehovah's Witness, etc. building a vast network of members and churches within the country and without. You will hardly find a Christian family who have family members from different faiths. If a member converts, they will make it their duty to convert the whole family and their relatives as well.

Why? Because they think that it is their divine duty to "save" you. Because they think that your religion is false, fake, and you will be condemned to eternal hell. So much for respect.

The fact is, there is no freedom in religion. On one hand, they demand freedom, on the other, they restrict freedom. Humans can't deal with freedom of religion.

Death

Death is often the main motivation and factor that drives a religious conversions & proselytisation. Because it is the one thing that humans fear the most. Death. The more important teachings are forgotten or neglected. Adherents are more concerned about what happens to them after death, rather than the present. And it is because of this fear & uncertainty that drives humans to seek refuge in religions. Religions that promises forgiveness for all sins, an eternal life and a wonderful place specially just for them, will attract the most followers.

Why do we see so much negative issues in religion these days? So many bad things are done in the name of religion. A religion is judged  by the actions of their followers. When religion is exploited, you will see the terrible things done which reflects negatively on that religion.

We won't see the true virtues and values of religions in politics, in the news, in wars, rallies, protests, conflicts, etc. We don't see it in powerful politicians, the rich and powerful, big corporations. Instead, we see the goodness in our everyday lives, on a personal level, in the community level. We see acts of kindness when someone offers a seat to and elder, care for abandoned animals, rendering help to the less fortunate, across race and religions.

That, my friends, is how religions are meant to work, on a personal level. Providing guidance to do the right thing, to know right from wrong. It's what you do with what you already have, that is important. It's the intention that's important, not the amount.

So are the Buddhists worried about death? Whether we end up in heaven or hell?  I think not...

Like they say... go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company... :)

Tensions rise ahead of planned protests in Malaysian Bible dispute

Tensions rise ahead of planned protests in Malaysian Bible dispute

Catholic weekly ‘The Herald’ editor, Pastor Lawrence Andrew

While churches in Malaysia deny propagating Christianity to the Muslim community, Muslim organisations are planning a protest outside churches in and around Kuala Lumpur.

KLANG: While churches in Malaysia deny propagating Christianity to the Muslim community, Muslim organisations are planning a protest outside churches in and around Kuala Lumpur.

Organisers of the protest on Sunday say they are holding it to defend the exclusive use of the word, "Allah", meaning god in Islam.

Religious tensions are on the rise in predominantly Muslim Malaysia after a state Islamic religious authority raided a Christian distributor earlier in the week.

The authorities seized hundreds of Malay language Bibles and arrested two people for allegedly propagating Christianity among Muslims.

Churches and Christian lawyers say the accusations are baseless and demand that the authorities show proof.

They feel that their right to religious freedom, as guaranteed under the federal constitution, has been compromised.

"There is no evidence that the church has used the Alkitab (Malay language Bible) to propagate the faith to Muslims. There is no evidence at all. If there is evidence, the authorities must bring those to light," said Francis Pereira from the Catholic Lawyers Association.

"The people who come to our church are people who come to worship. We are not calling to Muslims, ‘come over, come over, join us’. No. We are not doing such things. And we have never done that. It's ridiculous," said Lawrence Andrew, parish priest at St Anne’s Church.

Many Malaysians are concerned with what they see as a rise in Islamisation.
Last year, a court of appeal ruled that a Catholic weekly could not use the word "Allah" in its Malay publications.

More recently, churches in the state of Selangor were reportedly ordered to stop using the word "Allah" in their prayers.

The Sultan had decreed that the word "Allah" was exclusive to Islam, which is the official religion of the state.

But some churches are refusing to comply. They say that the state Islamic religious authority, better known as JAIS, cannot dictate what churches can and cannot do.
"The constitution guarantees every person who professes his religion to practice it in freedom,” said Father Lawrence.

“We have only one constitution so when people divide the nation into two, we are saying we have to have two constitutions? We are having a separatist movement within the country? They must be charged in court for that.”

Some Muslim leaders, including those from the ruling party UMNO, have labelled Father Lawrence a traitor for going against the Sultan.

Non-Muslims in East Malaysia -- which is predominately Christian -- are allowed to use the word "Allah" but the word is still off limits to non-Muslims in West Malaysia.
The church of Our Lady of Lourdes has been the target for Muslims, who are planning a protest outside the church on Sunday.

There are some 400, mostly East Malaysians, of Christian faith regularly attending services there that are conducted in the local Malay language.

The police have given assurance that no protesters will be allowed to go near the church and that all the services and prayers can be conducted as per normal. - SOURCE

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Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam

Archbishop Pakiam prays that PM will remember where he came from

Archbishop emeritus Murphy Pakiam (pic) has urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to cement his own call for an end to Muslim-Christian hostility by withdrawing Putrajaya’s legal challenge against the Catholic Church’s use of 'Allah.' The Archbishop, retired recently and now administrator of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, made the call in response to Najib’s speech at the National Christmas Open House in George Town, Penang when he called on followers of the two faiths to set aside their differences and seek common ground.
"What did he say? Even if the world talks and laughs about this 'Allah' issue, Malaysia will not allow (its use by non-Muslims), we (government) will defend the exclusivity of its use.

"This is not a man who was educated in our Catholic school. By talking like that, you are just a bickering politician. I am praying that Allah will enlighten him to become a statesman," the Malaysiakini news portal reported him as saying today.

Najib was educated at St John's Institution, adjacent to the Archbishop's house where the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) annual Christmas high tea was held today.

Pakiam said Najib was the one who should not stop preventing Christians from using the word 'Allah'.

Pakiam used Najib's experience in school as an example of how the Christian community had helped Najib as a boy in a Catholic school and respected his Muslim faith.

"From a small boy, from primary school until form 3, he (Najib) was there (St John's Institute).
"When it came to catechism (classes), his mother was disturbed because he was a small boy going to a (Christian) religious class.

"But his mother had confidence in our brothers and phoned Brother Matthew who said: 'Please don't worry, we will see that he doesn't go in'," the portal reported.

As such, Pakiam said he hoped Najib would do his duty and serve all Malaysians.
"You think I am not angry? But he is the prime minister, so I have to pray to God to please help him do his duty for the whole country and not just Umno," he said.

The Court of Appeal had in October overturned a High Court decision which ruled that the Home Ministry's ban against Christian publication The Herald from using the word 'Allah' was unconstitutional.

The Church is now appealing the decision at the Federal Court in the hope of reinstating the High Court's ruling.

Pakiam added that Najib's insistence of exclusivity for the word 'Allah' was inciting right-wing groups against the Christian community.

"He knows the law. He knows the judgment the judges gave and he (Najib) is saying: 'Oh, it's allowed there (Sabah and Sarawak), but be careful in peninsula. Don't stir this up. You are playing with fire.'
Legal experts have questioned the government's move to permit the use of the word 'Allah' in East Malaysia, yet continuing defending the Court of Appeal's decision.

The Court of Appeal had ruled that the word 'Allah' was "not an integral part of the Christian faith", a decision that affects Christians in both East and West Malaysia. - December 25, 2013. - SOURCE

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It seems that times have changed... these days, everyone blames the Prime Minister for everything. Yup. It's either the government's fault, or the ministers', or the opposition's (depending on the state you are residing, coz the opposition in one state is the government in another.). Sometimes correctly sometime not. However, there's one thing in common regardless of the position one takes in any issues. Respect, actually it's the lack of. There's just no more respect in society. There's no manners, no ethics, no respect. Are Malaysians heading back to the stone age?

This issue has been playing on for a few years already. Frankly, it looks like those involved have no intention whatsoever to find an solution. It's winner takes all. All or nothing. No compromises.  Then how do we expect to find a solution?

Now, even religious leaders & religious groups, have become radical.

Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) & Selangor UMNO planned a protest outside churches, which were called off. Stupidity has no limits.

Selangor Umno chief shelves church protest, other Muslims vow to rally on

Selangor Umno chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — Amid public backlash, Selangor Umno chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar has cancelled a planned demonstration outside a Klang church tomorrow but warned that other Muslim groups are likely to hold gatherings to protest the Christian use of the word “Allah”.

When are these politicians going to stop?
Do they have limits?
Do the people still want to be goaded and led by these politicians?
Do the people from various faiths want their religious leaders to take radical stand?

We just love to play up race & religious issues don't we?

Just a reminder... There's a limit before everything comes crashing down. When it happens, nobody can stop it. The people should not depend on politicians to save you coz they are the ones who started it in the first place. And they will be the first ones to disappear when the SHTF. We've already seen this all over the world.

Is peace, harmony & stability important anymore? Or is winning all that matters?

Society can co-exist peacefully if left alone. Any issues can be solved when we have wise community leaders. Because at the very basic level, the needs of every community is the same... food, shelter, education, jobs, health, etc. But if issues are intentionally played up, creating tension & insecurity in society for an extended period of time, it eventually breaks down.

In the name of politics, youths are radicalised. In the name of politics, different races are pitted against each other. In the name of politics, religion is exploited.

At the rate things are going, even if we manage to avoid conflicts, Malaysian society will reach a point where it won't be hospitable anymore, especially so for the minorities.

What does the future hold?

Different races will be more divided, not that it matters anymore because by then, 90% of the population will be Malays & Bumiputras. You see, all these racial & religious issues are merely distractions and in some cases misplaced pride. It's always about the money. Wealth. Don't believe me? What is the NEP about? Why Buy Chinese Last campaign? ASB? Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Program (read here > BEEP)? (Now we know it costs 32 Billion to keep the PM's job) hehehe...

In short, why do the Malays need to build a protective wall around themselves? Money! Always was, always will be. The worst nightmare for the rich Malay elites is the day their poor fellowmen come for them, which is why the Chinese bogeyman is part of their protective wall. But as usual, instead of questioning honestly why the Malays still form the majority poor, the blame is deflected to the Chinese... But before the Malays start accusing the Chinese, please bear in mind that whatever the Chinese have (the fortunate ones at least - there are still poor Chinese around in case you haven't noticed), whatever they own, they worked & saved & paid for it. They did not get it for free ok?

I'm digressing...

Alright... so... where does all these lead to? In the near future, the divide among the Malays & Bumiputras will become more apparent. Specifically, the wealth disparity within their community. Today, it's already visible but just camouflaged by noise. If today the government is already stretched thin having to continue with the affirmative policies, imagine what it will be like as the population grows in years to come. Guess where the money will come from? The rich Chinese? I doubt you will find many then.

And also, as a result of the growing numbers of Muslim Malays, Islam & it's culture will dominate & permeate every aspect of life, from education to career & industry. The only reason Malaysia has been able to maintain & project it's current image in the past is due to the multi-racial composition of her population. Once Malaysia becomes more mono-racial, everything will change. There are statistics, forecasts, all sorts of data & charts out there that you may use for your own analysis. From my observation, it will be an uphill task to go the middle way. Just ask the Sultan of Brunei - Brunei to bring in tough new sharia law (Now, let's be honest and don't say that the possibility has not crossed your mind.. hehehe).

Today, we often hear stories from the older generation, those from the generation before independence, describing a totally different society & way of life back then. What's the difference between then and now? Take note of the constants & difference, and we will be able to more or less gauge what's in store in years to come. Minorities, especially, should take note. Whatever you are happy & unhappy about, the change you are trying to make, your hopes & aspirations of what the country ought to be... is it real or imaginary. And do you really have the power to make it happen? At what cost?

The truth is, how the future pans out, largely depends on the Malays themselves. From now onwards, the question is, "Apa Melayu Mahu?"

And with that, we shall begin the New Year which will see many beginnings, continuations and endings, from now on, and in years to come...

Zaid: Crackdown on conversions the way out of ‘Allah’ impasse

Zaid: Crackdown on conversions the way out of ‘Allah’ impasse

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — Stronger anti-conversion and proselytisation laws will let Putrajaya address Muslim apostasy and allow the Christian use of “Allah” to end a growing standoff over the Arabic word, former minister Zaid Ibrahim said today.

Accusing Putrajaya of having taken the “lazy way out” in 1988 by banning non-Muslims from using the Arabic word for God, Zaid said the government could still return religious ties to how they were before the now-soured interfaith relations and “widespread animosity” between the Muslim majority and the Christian community here.

“If Christians say ‘Allah’ is integral to their Scriptures and their faith, then let’s accept that and move on. Equally, Christians should affirm that they will respect the rights of Muslims to practise their faith undisturbed,” the former Umno leader wrote in a blog posting today titled “The way to end the ‘Allah’ row”.

“No one should engage in deceitful, coercive or unlawful activities to convert anyone else — it’s not only illegal but morally repugnant,” he added, acknowledging fears by the Muslim community of alleged conversion attempts directed at them.

Earlier in his blog post, Zaid said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should recognise that “Christians consider the use of ‘Allah’ to be integral to their faith despite the ‘finding of fact’ by the Court of Appeal that it was not”.

Najib should also have a special sitting with the Malay rulers to solve the “Allah” controversy and revisit the 1988 decision to ban non-Muslims from using the Arabic word for God, Zaid said.

Pointing to the “repeated public display of utter confusion” by the government on the effects of the ban, Zaid said the conflicting opinions amounted to “international embarrassment” and needs to be stopped with clear discussions by the country’s leaders.

“The prime minister and the Malay rulers must discuss this issue with detachment and clarity. They should begin by returning to the pre-1988 status quo,” he wrote.

The former law minister said that a review of the then Home Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar’s reports and consultation of the religious departments in different states would show that there was “real concern” prior to the 1988 ban that certain Christian evangelists “were aggressively converting Muslims”.

The ban only served to treat the symptoms rather the real problem of Muslim conversion, he said, referring to the federal government and the state religious authorities' ban.

“It merely gazetted a few regulations banning the use of some words and thought the problem would go away. The state religious authorities took a similar route by passing laws to prevent ‘Allah’ and other words of Arabic origin from being used by non-Muslim. They thought this would stop the process of conversion,” he said.

Anticipating the outrage of the Muslim community over the reversal of the 1988 ban, Zaid suggested that the prime minister bolster his move by beefing up anti-conversion measures.

“The prime minister and the Malay Rulers can make this point to Muslims: that in exchange for the use of the word ‘Allah’ by the Christians in their prayers, publications and the Malay Bible, Christians in turn will support the enactment of special laws and enforcement mechanisms to protect the Muslims from any conversion,” Zaid said.

Earlier, he said that most Christians respect the country’s laws and would likely not mind a “special task force” by the government to look into conversions of Muslims.

The tussle over “Allah” arose in 2008 when Catholic newspaper The Herald was barred by the Home Ministry from using the Arabic word. The Catholic Church had contested this in court and won a High Court decision in 2009 upholding its constitutional right to do so.

Putrajaya later appealed the decision and successfully overturned the earlier decision when the Court of Appeal ruled this October that “Allah” was not integral to the Christian faith.

Since the ruling, churches in Sabah and Sarawak have become more vocal in pressing for their right to use the term that they say is entrenched in the 20- and 18-point agreements with the two states, insisting they will continue their age-old practice of referring to God as “Allah” in their worship and in their holy scriptures.

Islamic groups and authorities have of late also stepped up their “vigilance” against non-Muslims over their use of the word “Allah”, with a closed-door Christian event in Selangor now reportedly the subject of an investigation by the state Islamic religious department.

The Catholic Church has since appealed to the country’s top court for clarity on the religious row that has drawn deep lines between Malaysia’s non-Muslim minorities and its 60 per cent Muslim population, with the Federal Court fixing February 24 next year to hear the application for appeal. - SOURCE

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Islamic groups and authorities have of late also stepped up their “vigilance” against non-Muslims over their use of the word “Allah”, with a closed-door Christian event in Selangor now reportedly the subject of an investigation by the state Islamic religious department.

1. The only non-Muslims insisting on using "Allah" for their worship are the Christians (and Sikh community? or so I heard). People, especially politicians are fond of using general terms whenever it suits them. "Non-Muslim" means people from all other religions other than Muslims. I don't remember Taoists, Buddhists, Hindus, Jewish, Animists, and others ever making such demands. So, it is sometimes prudent to be more specific.

2. I am in full agreement with the banning of conversion and proselytisation of ALL religions. In Malaysia, it also includes Taoists and Buddhists and perhaps others as well. Everyone should be protected against each other. Proselytisation and conversions, sometimes not done willingly and even abused, have caused untold amounts of problems to the people. The Christians have been doing it for years. So have the Muslims. There are many such incidences past and present if we care to search.

3. There have been numerous cases, especially child conversions in the past. Read my previous post

Religion: Children's Conversion

There's one particular case not too long ago, in 2010/2011, which hardly got much publicity. It's the case of Tan Yi Min, a 7-year-old Chinese girl, secretly converted by her mother to Muslim without the father's knowledge.

Tan fails to obtain temporary custody of daughter

GEORGE TOWN (Jan 4, 2011): The George Town High Court here has rejected the application of assistant marketing manager Tan Cheow Hong, 36 to obtain temporary custody of his seven-year old daugher pending the disposal of the custody case.

High Court judge Justice Datuk Yaacob Md Sam, in reading out his decision today, said that the interim custody of the child, Tan Yi Min, is given to her mother, Fatimah Fong Abdullah @ Fong Mee Hui, while Tan is granted access to his daughter.....

.....Tan claimed that the incident occurred on Nov 8 when Fong showed up at their daughter's school in Butterworth, accompanied by the police and Islamic Affairs Department officials, to take away the child.

Now, why didn't Zaid offer this solution then? How come it is only seen as a problem only when Islam is viewed to be under threat?

Of course there are even more cases of Chinese as well as Hindus converting to Christianity as well. The Chinese & Indian community has been living with this for years. And more and more are being converted each year, especially the young.

The fact is, conversions to another religion from the one born into, more often than not, will create problems for the families. Both Christianity & Islam are proselytising religions. And people of other faiths should be accorded the same protection too.

I would also strongly suggest we prohibit religion in politics. Political parties should not be allowed to be associated with any type of religion at all.

If only we left each other alone and keep religion personal, it will be a much peaceful world.