Not quite Selamat Merdeka

(The Malaysian Insider) It must be quite telling that this year’s Merdeka Day celebrations appear subdued. Not a lot of flags, buntings, pomp and pageantry in the streets.

The official excuse is the Ramadan fasting month and fears over the A (H1N1) flu outbreak that has claimed 71 lives. No sense in having the usual march past involving a cast of thousands if they are likely to fall sick, either from fasting or the flu.

There is another dark cloud in the horizon as Aug 31 National Day festivities this year is really being marred by religious and racial fault lines.

The Shah Alam Hindu temple relocation is the latest issue to join a host of other issues like protests over rock concerts, no beer sales, the caning of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno and the growing argument that minorities have to make way in Malay-majority areas.

Should a protest against a Hindu temple get so extreme and out of hand with Muslims stomping a cow head, knowing full well the animal is sacred to the religion.

As Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin asks, how would Muslims feel if others burned or stepped on the Quran if the situation was reversed?

Have we Malaysians become so insensitive and does familiarity breed contempt in our 52 years together as citizens, neighbours and friends. Would our faith be any lesser if there is another house of worship in our neighbourhood? Is one faith’s prayer another faith’s noise?

Read more at: Not quite Selamat Merdeka — The Malaysian Insider