Hudud: Mind your own business is still the best policy
Ng Kee Seng, The Ant Daily
When you point a finger, there are three fingers pointing back to you. This is infinite wisdom.
Since Merdeka in 1957, Malaysians of different faiths have been doing just that to one another over “Hukum Hudud” or the implementation of hudud laws.
Non-Muslim politicians, especially those from DAP, MCA and Gerakan, have been fiercely voicing objections against hudud.
Both sides of the political divide and Malaysians of different faiths claim to be championing freedom of speech and religion.
Then, why are non-Muslims interfering in the affairs of Muslims and Islam?
Non-Muslim leaders have been propagating that the implementation of hudud would affect non-Muslims. Why must that be so if the law is clear that the Islamic criminal law covers only Muslims?
Clearly, the fear is based on a lack of confidence in just and fair governance. The religion is not at fault. The problem is the Little Napoleans and evil agenda of insincere politicians who continue to politicise religions to serve their agenda.
The fear is not with hudud or Islam. It is in the implementation. Of course the “Allah” and “Bible seizure” controversies serve to strengthen the fears of non-Muslims. Some Muslims tend to forget that in Islam, there is no compulsion.
But is Islam to blame? Blame the governments (both state and federal) for failing to govern with dignity and sincerity. They just don’t have the political will to govern rightly, to do the right thing, to rule justly.
They, therefore, for 57 years have chosen the convenient way – point fingers and blame each other whenever a religious issue is whipped up by religious fanatics in Umno, PAS, MCA, DAP and Gerakan.
Recently, retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah was quoted as saying that the “huge” statues in Batu Caves and the Goddess of Mercy in Penang’s Air Itam are an affront to Islam as the religion forbids idolatry.
Of course, I totally disagree with the retired judge but does he not have the freedom to have his say as a Muslim?
If non-Muslims can continuously object to Islam and Hudud, why can’t the retired judge also object to the practices of other faiths?
Get the picture? Akin to finger pointing, isn’t it? The best policy is, thus, mind your own business when it comes to each other’s faith.
Stop politicising and interfering in the sacred faiths of all Malaysians. Malaysians should be given full privacy and freedom to practice their faiths.
Do Malaysians want to continue arguing and pointing fingers at each other for another 57 years? If not, then Malaysians must start thinking out of the box instead of quarrelling and pointing fingers whenever religious sensitivities are spewed.
Non-Muslims are quick and quite freely label some Muslims as religious fanatics. What about the anti-hudud, by extension anti-Islam, provocateurs?
Are the Muslims wrong to label DAP as anti-Islam?
