Faith of one in the cross of another
The Taman Medan issue has brought out the ugly side of Muslims and non-Muslims, showing up everyone for the real hypocrites that they are.
Fa Abdul, FMT
Hafidz Baharom wrote an excellent piece yesterday condemning the act of 50 Muslims who demanded a cross on a church at a shoplot be taken down because they feared it would mess up their faith.
In the beginning, I brushed off the incident as somewhat ridiculous, thinking it could be yet another politically motivated case. But I was so wrong.
You see, I took some time to talk to some Muslim friends yesterday, aiming to pick their brains regarding the incident. While some claimed it was a bunch of typical fanatical Muslims creating a big hoo-haa over a small matter, there were quite a number of Muslims who disagreed.
Some of them thought if the size of the cross was smaller, it would not have been an issue. Some thought a church should not be located in a majority Muslim area in the first place. Some felt the government has been too compromising with non-Muslims, causing them to forget their place.
In conclusion, my so-called friends who supported the foolish acts of the 50 residents of Taman Medan, justified their opinion by pointing out that Malaysia is an Islamic country and as such freedom to practice other faiths should be done with great sensitivity so as not to offend the majority.
I was appalled by what I heard because these are the same people who condemned the French (and some other European countries) for not allowing Muslims to freely practice their faith. Why is it not okay for non-Muslim citizens living in a non-Islamic country to limit the practice of other faiths while it is okay for Muslims in Islamic countries to do the same?
Hypocrites I’d say.
Meanwhile, having heard what the Muslims had to say, I decided to seek the reactions of non-Muslims. I was totally and utterly shocked.
While I understand that non-Muslims feel they are victimised by Muslim fanatics who believe they own this country and have all the right to bully non-Muslims, I do not understand the need to lash out at Islam and the entire Muslim population in Malaysia.
I understand your frustration but why tarnish the sanctity of the religion when it is a certain portion of the believers who are at fault?
Can’t you see that people like Hafidz and myself and many more Muslims are on your side?
How do you think it makes us feel when you keep on bashing our faith?
Doesn’t it make you a hypocrite as well?
