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YOURSAY | PAS should respect sensitivities of non-Muslims too

This article is a year old

YOURSAY | ‘A superior race will always be respectful to minorities too’.

COMMENT | It's open season for beer-bashing again

Newday: “Each to their own”, is a simple enough respectful concept that is an easy message for our leaders to promote. Will Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim step up to the plate and actively promote it?

Going on what has been witnessed so far in his tenure, it is seriously doubtful. It is understood that he has many things on his plate as the new PM.

However, it should be easy to instruct the Friday sermon writers to develop sermon themes on this subject, not as a once-off but consistently until the message gets through.

This latest publicity stunt by the so-called pious of high morals is nothing more than an effort to feed his and his followers’ egos.

He has a set of KPIs as an MP that has become public. On the list are quota numbers to attend weddings, funerals, parties, and anything but actual MP work of dealing with the day-to-day issues of his constituents. That says much about the person elected.

Man on the Silver Mountain: Saying beer sales are infringing on the sensitivities of Muslims is a downright lie. If Muslims are sensitive to anything that non-Muslims do, eat, and drink – things that are considered un-Islamic, then they should live on another planet.

But since that is a lie, of course, Muslims are like everybody else. Malaysiakini columnist Mariam Mokhtar said it bluntly, those so-called sensitivities are just tools for control - an excuse, a catchphrase that cannot be explained and justified.

They want to control others, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, not because of sensitivities, which does not make sense at all.

Probably the nearest to it is respect. However, respect cannot be forced. Sure, there are people who lack respect, on both sides of the fence sadly.

In a multi-racial country, we should focus more on respecting each other, not forcing it but encouraging each other to practise it, for a harmonious co-existence.

I think that’s all that can be said about this. It is not sensitivities or whatever. This is a multi-racial, multi-religious country. There are lots of people who are not Muslims and they cannot be expected to live like Muslims.

As simple as that. Normal Muslims would know this. Just imagine if everybody starts talking about their sensitivities, where would that end?

Don't Get Me Wrong: Malaysia has a system of institutionalised racialism. Whereby the Federal Constitution is the supreme law but the government turns a blind eye to bigots that keep harping on racial and religious issues that can jeopardise the racial harmony between races.

But who cares as long as these bigots are getting away with murder? In the name of Islam, these bigots will carry on their crusade, and emboldened by the government's inaction, Malaysia is heading to a Taliban state.

Coward: They want us to understand and respect the "sensitivity of Muslims", which we do, then we have to tell them, enforcing Rukun Negara, they must understand and respect "the sensitivity of non-Muslims" in return.

That's only the start. We all have to understand the "sensitivity of everyone else" be it Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, LGBT, secularism, atheist, human rights, freedom of speech/movement/association, and religion.

This was something we had in abundance, more than anywhere in the world until they turn up on the scene. It's something we are proud of and will defend.

Anonymous_w22892398: So stop all international beer brands’ marketing and advertising, that's the fastest way to achieve your objectives if you have the guts.

Start blaming DAP if you can't find anyone to blame. So, you walk past a group of ladies trying out lingerie in the mall, you want the mall to shift them out of your sight. Just close your eyes, or cut the oxygen from your eyes to your brain, it's your choice.

Never blame external factors for your thoughts. Your thoughts are all internal. If you feel external factors can cause you to sin, best for you to stay at home and put on an eye shade.

Eaglebaby05: Please, sensitivities of one particular group should not be held over others even if they are the majority.

A superior race will always be respectful to minorities too.

Hindus do not eat beef - but they never request for the sale of beef to be “hidden from view of everybody”.

Beef is sold openly right next to vegetable stalls - and Hindus patronise such places.

What, even if a chicken is sold by a beef stall, Hindus won't mind buying the chicken.

Come on - we live in a multi-racial country.

By the way, can Permatang Pauh YB please confirm that “Wang haram judi” was not allegedly used by your political group?


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