by Azly Rahman April 05, 2009
I read the following troubling Malaysiakini newsstory. It happened in Malaysia:
‘Belittling Islam’ – police report against DAP leader by Jimadie Shah Othman | Apr 5, 09 11:52am | Malaysiakini A police report has been filed against Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming for allegedly belittling Islam during a ceramah in the campaign for Tuesday’s Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election. The report was filed by Malay Unity Action Front president Osman Abu Bakar at the Taiping district police headquarters this evening. According to him, Nga – who is also the Taiping MP and Pantai Remis assemblyperson – made the disputed remarks during a ceramah in Changkat Jering two days ago, the contents of which were also published on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s blog. In his report, Osman accused the DAP leader of belittling Islam by reciting Quranic verses from the Surah Al-A’ raf for campaign purposes. Furthermore, he said the holy verses were recited improperly. In view of this, Osman said he felt compelled to lodge a police report in his capacity as president of the Unity Front. The activist was accompanied by some 15 supporters, some donning shirts bearing Barisan Nasional and Umno logos, to the police station.
I do not see anything wrong in a non-Muslim finding wisdom in Quranic verses; the message of Islam is universal.
I do not see anything wrong in Muslims quoting from the Bible, the Torah, the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and Mahabharatta, the I Ch’ng, the Analects of Kung Fu Tze, or even from Marx’s Das Kapital.
No need for to lodge a police report on the DAP man who quoted the Quranic verses.It merely display our ignorance of the perspectives of others. We should be proud if we hear politicians finding wisdom from all religions and philosophical texts.
Embrace multiculturalism and learn from the wisdom of all scriptures. Universal values and timeless wisdom in all these texts.
We must grow up, read more, and grow old with timeless wisdom.