Christmas, Christianity integral of Sarawak culture
There’s a big difference between ‘tolerance’ and ‘aceptance’ and in Christian-majority Sarawak, Muslims are accepting Christmas and its associated practices and celebrations.
Winston Way, FMT
Within Muslim Malaysia lies Christian Sarawak. The Muslims in Malaya may find this difficult to digest.
But the 2010 statistics lays it bare – 44.18% of Sarawak’s 2.4 million population are Christians and they live harmoniously with people of other religions.
Here there is no room for divisive policies, narrow-mindedness and religious extremism because it would simply mean cutting family ties.
According to Douglas Bujong, a factory technician here “anything” that is divisive in the Peninsular would only “raise a brow” here because families are more often than not multi-religious and accepting of each others faith and practices.
He was refering the contentious Allah ruling which had lead to heated debates, protests and even violence against churches in 2010 in the peninsular.
“We, Christians have accepted the Muslims and their religion very well in Sarawak. The same too among followers from other religions.
“This is a very strong testimony that we Sarawakians can live very harmoniously and peacefully with each other.
“There is no prejudice against each other, only ultimate respect,” he told FMT when met at a Christmas parade recently.
On Dec 14 evening, members of six Christian denominations and two Christian NGOs took part in the annual 4-km festive Christmas parade through several main roads in Kuching.
Similar events were also organized in Sibu, Miri and other major towns in Sarawak, attracting the participation of tens of thousands of Christians.
No police permits needed
The parade went without a hitch and the carollings without a police permit, said pastor Denny Nibor.
“Here, we Christians can celebrate Christmas and its related activities without much trouble.
“We can have caroling without needing to ask for permit from the police and we can have Christmas parades on the streets with not only approval from the authorities, but also support from them.
“This is in contrast to what I’ve heard of what the Christians in the Peninsular faced.
“I hear carollers there need police permit before they can got out caroling. And if to simply carol was hard enough, how could they expect to have Christmas parades over there?” asked Nibor, a preacher from the Seventh-Day Adventist denomination
Apart from the Seventh-Day Adventist, the other major Christian denominations in Sarawak are the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Borneo Evangelical Mission (Sidang Injil Borneo) and Baptists. The newer ones are the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Latter-Day Saints and the Pentecostal Church.
Apart from the Chinese majority of Sarawak’s native communities – Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau and Orang Ulu – are Christians. Many would have close family members who are also Muslims.
Nibor, said the non-Christian Sarawakians, including Muslims, had always been accepting of Christmas and Christianity in general.
