By Azly Rahman

Peace, mercy, and blessings to all Malaysians.
My heart goes to those affected by the recent bombings. Today’s ‘World Briefing’ section of The New York Times carried the news.

The three attacks on the churches are terrorist attacks by definition. Thus begin a rough period of turmoil ahead beginning with the blowing up of the French-speaking Mongolian translator for Malaysia’s arms dealings. Violence, Machiavellian-styled will be the order of the day — we have entered a period of the emergence of demons and demolition. I hope these are not the work of those out to create chaos; in view that the current regime is losing power and seriously challenged by the growing strength of the emergent alternative government. The ends justify the means. Violence is the means and the end as well. While physical violence is the means to cling on to power, structural or the unseen/hidden/structural violence is the goal of the State.

We are entering “into interesting times,” as Mao Zedong would say. You and I are part of the game – in the Malaysian matrix of complexities.

The immediate reaction for all of us should be to condemn these terrorist attacks, so that God forbids, when and if masjids, or and other houses of worship are being bombed, non-Muslim friends of ours will come to console us and help become vigilantes. Terror has no face, nor religious affiliation. Terrorists need to be smoked out of their holes and their hiding places. Organizations supporting them must be exposed and brought to justice.

Malaysians of all faiths must be united in condemning these terrorist acts. All NGOs must issue a statement on this. These demons need to be incarcerated and the culture of “demolitions in Malaysian politics” need to be destroyed.

God forbids any of your loved ones were nearby during the morning explosions.

I see this development as a consequence of race-politics, mass panic over a plausibly positive outcome of the next general election, and the implosion happening like a nuclear fission in the concept of Ketuanan Melayu. I have written quite extensively on the pathology of Malay-Muslim extremism. I hope the bombings are not a prelude to the creation of Malaysian suicide bombers. It will be a shame for a peaceful country such as Malaysia to be relegated to be a “Travel Advisory” country as defined by the US State Department.

Democracy in Malaysia is almost dead with the recent happenings. The government is powerless in face of this– should have stopped those rallies and should have monitored the growth of hate-based NGOs, especially those championing idiotic pride.

Where are we going? What will happen to the future generation of Malaysians as we try to teach tolerance? What then must we do? How do we dismantle all these race-based parties that are using religion to create chaos and destruction? Is the country still safe — or is Malaysia turning into a Pakistan — out of our own Talibanization of ideas? “1Malaysia” is now “1Scary Malaysia”

We must speak up for peace and justice for all, and encourage others to leave organizations that are entrenched in racial and religious hatred. We must console the Christians and Catholics affected by the bombings and address their fear, assuring that the bombings are done not by rational Muslims but by demons on Mat Rempit bikes.

I suggest Malaysians offer donations for the rebuilding of those churches. For me, I offer this piece of writing.

May the Universal God of Humanity grant us Mercy and Compassion in dealing with demons and demolitions. We will be strong, as a nation.