For the Love of the Malays

Bar Council's forum on conversion to Islam met with opposition today. The Star paper reported that about 300 people held a protest outside of Bar Council building, some even holding placards saying "Jangan Cabar Islam" = "Don't Challenge Islam". As much as I hope that this country has become a better place after 50 years of independence, the truth that hurts is that it is not so. In fact, due to the country leaders propaganda for more than 50 years, the opposite seems to happen. Well, from the outside, this country has developed to be one of the developing country.

However, the mentality of the people especially the Malays seems to have gone backwards. Due to NEP policies that baby-feed the Malays in almost all things that they do, they have failed to become strong but have now becoming too dependent on subsidies and quotas from the government. Mind you, the former Prime Minister had said that 90% of the country taxes are generated from the NON-MALAYS and yet most of the country's policies are discriminating against the Non-malays. Okay, that is happening here in Malaysia.

Back to the Bar Council forum on the conversion to Islam. If Islam is perfect and a good religion as most Muslim ulamas would claim, why is the fear when people want to discuss about the tenets of Islam. Why are they so afraid to let other people discuss about it. The No. 2 said that such forums would incite anger and very sensitive issue to this nation. That is a very backward thinking. Using race and religion to instill fear in the hearts of people who wants the freedom to address matters affecting their lives.

I would not be surprised the shallow mentality of the ulamas (most of them if not all) and the MPs who would be very happy to organize protests upon protests everytime the name Islam is being "challenged" in any way. Why should you protest when Islam is being discussed by others? Why not protest to the injustice and corruptions that occurred under our very nose? Why not protest against our MPs and country leaders who blatantly speak lies, who have no integrity to tell the truths.

When the book and movie Da Vinci Code appeared, the Christian communities does not organize protests upon protests. What the book and movie achieved in the end is to instill a deeper desire to know the truth about the Biblical teaching. No "fatwa" was issued by the Christian leaders to kill the author of the book. I guess the same does not apply when we are talking about Islam. When Satanic Verses was written, a fatwa was issued to kill Salman Rushdie. The Muslims were happy because there are protests upon protests but unfortunately not many benefits from it. Yes, they finds anger aroused in them but no further understanding about the Quran.

As much as I loves this country of mine, I too feel that many things are not going the way it is supposed to go but going the other direction. For the love of the Malays, I do hope and pray that many would wake up from their "slumber".