— Mustafa K. Anuar
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 30, 2012
MARCH 30 — Aliran is relieved to know that the organisers of the forthcoming Islamic seminar in Johor — “Strengthening the faith, the dangers of liberalism and pluralism and the threat of Christianity towards Muslims” — have dropped the purported “Christian threat” from the theme after objections particularly from certain quarters within the Christian community.
It is a relief to well-meaning Malaysians because in a society where religion and ethnicity are often easily and deliberately exploited to the hilt, those with ill intent and ill-will can easily stoke suspicion and hatred. Narrow-minded vested interests and the politics of divide and rule still hold sway, and those espousing the fire of ethnic and religious discord can undermine our unity and harmony.
To be sure, every religious community has every right to practise and fortify its collective faith but it is also expected to have respect for others from different faiths.
Additionally, one would expect the faithful of any revealed religion to be duty-bound to promote peace and goodwill among fellow human beings — and not sow seeds of discord and enmity.
That said, it is rather disturbing and very disappointing to note that the powers-that-be have glaringly kept mum over this serious controversy. This silence can be easily mistaken by irresponsible elements in our society as tacit acquiescence that could encourage them to further breach the accepted boundaries of decency in a multi-ethnic society. — aliran.com
#1 by yhsiew on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 2:59 am
BN is notorious for its “divide and rule” tactics.
#2 by boh-liao on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 6:22 am
NOT just UmnoB/BN, think Perkosa n dat creature Has an Ali
#3 by drngsc on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 8:24 am
After 55 years of discrimination, seeing the deteriorating state of the country, institutionalised corruption, racism, and religious fanacticism by the ruling party, soon there will be nothing left. Even nothing left to fear. It is time for a change.
We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
It is time to change the tenant at Putrajaya. GE 13 is coming. Fear not. Come out in large numbers to vote. Vote for change.
Change we must, change we can.
#4 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 9:10 am
UMNO-Perkasa/BN certaintly do believe in the politics of fear, hate and cynical.
The intellectually challenged Najib now proposes that because web media is not similarly cowed like mass media, the right thing to do is to try and cow the web media.. -THIS is the intellectual basis that want to lead us at a pivotal moment facing this country? Reminds me of the kid who struggle in class and he says its teacher’s fault for making it too hard for him, not that he don’t get it..
#5 by yhsiew on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 10:32 am
It is unwise for UMNO to capture Malay votes at the expense of Christian votes. They should know that if they anger the large number of Christians in East Malaysia, they will lose their “fixed deposit vote bank” and risk being defeated in GE13.
#6 by boh-liao on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 10:36 am
Dropping d purported “Christian threat” DOES NOT mean everything is OK
Do U know WHAT is discussed in d Islamic seminar? Anything DEMONised? CANCERised?
#7 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 11:14 am
Politics of fear? Oh thirty yrs ago ppl are actually fearful of umno’s fear tactics. Today? Nah. Rubbish. Umno is a heap of nonsense. Nothing more than that. Just pure nonsense! Let me ask this question: Do you fear cockroaches? I am sure a lot you do? Do you fear nonsense? I am equally sure a lot of you do not. Nonsense are plain annoying. Like buzzing mosquitoes in the dark of the night – those blood sucking mosquitoes.
#8 by cseng on Saturday, 31 March 2012 - 9:45 pm
Many heard of ‘boiling frog’ theory. There is another theory, it is the ‘Monkey with Banana Taboo’ theory, just to share;
The experiment is this:
Locked 4 monkeys in a room, starved them with only little food for few days. After that, hang some banana in a box, in front of the box install a hot water shower. Put the box of banana into the room, 1st monkey see this will rush to grab the banana, you shower it with hot water, it get burned and never come back for the banana. The 2nd monkey would come and get burned, it repeats for the 3rd and 4th monkey. They would then look on the banana and dare not go near the banana.
The next day, change 1 monkey from that room with a new monkey, the new monkey sees the banana, rush to get them, the other 3 monkeys (which burned before) would come stop this new monkey from getting this banana because it burns. By order, you replace the other 3 monkeys one by one, the similar thing happened. At the end, 4 monkeys (which burned before) replaced, now you take out the hot shower, but these 4 new monkeys still dare not reach for the banana, why? Because reaching the banana will get them burned… it is a taboo to reach these bananas.
Many of the taboos are passed down thru generations; politics of fear are just what they learned from ‘Monkey and Banana Taboo’ theory. Mahathir would remind you of may13 on the eve of polling day, hopefully, in return we could share with him this ‘monkey with banana taboo’ theory.
#9 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 1 April 2012 - 2:00 am
Organisers are not dropping “dangers of liberalism and pluralism” from the seminar’s theme because that’s more or less what the PM also said not too long ago though one is entitled to wonder how he could reconcile that with ‘1 Malaysia’ and his earlier talk about importance of pluralism ala acceptance of tolerance within context of that platform.
#10 by boh-liao on Sunday, 1 April 2012 - 8:09 am
What we C now is part of ahCHEATkor’s warning: UmonB will defend P’jaya by whatever means, dis is WAR
He is using THREAT, FEAR n BRIBE
He n moooo spent RM610mil of rakyat’s $$$ in 3 months during their ‘official tour’ of d states, giving out $$$ left, right n centre 2 BUY VOTES, ABUSING their positions
WHERE got SERVANTS steal BOSSES’ $$$ 2 give 2 chosen bosses 2 trick them 2 keep their racist, incompetent service? Clearly in M’sia lah!
Now they want 2 offer their experience (racist, corrupt, divide n rule) 2 Myanmar! LOL
#11 by k1980 on Sunday, 1 April 2012 - 10:10 am
Variation of ‘Monkey and Banana Taboo’ Theory—-
Lock 4 monkeys in a room, starved them with only little food for few days. After that, hang some banana in a box, in front of the box install a hot water shower. Put the box of banana into the room, 1st monkey see this will rush to grab the banana, you shower it with hot water, it get burned and never come back for the banana. The 2nd monkey would come and get burned, it repeats for the 3rd and 4th monkey. They would then look on the banana and dare not go near the banana.
But suppose one of the mpnkeys is from Kerala. He will then label himself a boomeepootra, and the other 3 monkeys as pendatangs. He will then order the other 3 monkeys, by virtue of himself being a ‘tuan’, to get bananas for him everyday. If they refused, they would be labeled as Jewish threats, Christian threats, ect
#12 by k1980 on Sunday, 1 April 2012 - 10:22 am
One of the 3 monkeys dared to disobey the Kerala monkey, and was accused of sodding another monkey. He was sent to jail, given a black eye, then released. When he refused to cooperate, he was accused of sodding yet another young monkey, and his dna extracted from a mineral water bottle and a towel…..
#13 by sotong on Sunday, 1 April 2012 - 12:57 pm
There are some criminals who would instill fear in the hearts and minds of peace loving ordinary people to hold on to power at all cost.
#14 by tak tahan on Sunday, 1 April 2012 - 3:31 pm
Since all are locked in the room by themselves,the 3 monkeys should sod that wily monkey from kerala!