It's only a cow's head. Or is it?
NECF Malaysia's response to the Shah Alam's cow-head protest
On 28 August 2009, three days before the 52nd Merdeka celebration, a sacred religious symbol was brandished against the Hindu community. That such an incident could occur at this juncture of our history and amidst the Prime Minister's 1Malaysia pledge is indeed appalling and shocking.
On that fateful day, a group of some 50 people claiming to be residents of Section 23, Shah Alam, placed a cow's head on the gates of the Selangor state secretariat building in protest against the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to the Muslim-majority area. Some protestors even stomped and stepped on the cow's head.
The chairman of the committee that is objecting to the relocation, Ahmad Mahyuddin Abdul Manaf, said that the proposed relocation site was within 160 metres of the residential area, where Muslims made up 70 per cent of the residents, and also close to the Al-Jannah surau in the housing estate.1
Subsequently, in a twist of events, Mahyuddin denied that the Section 23 Residents' Association Action Committee was involved in the cow-head incident.2 However, in a seemingly contradictory stance, a police report lodged by the residents said the parade of the cow's head was not to insult Hindus but "meant to be a symbol of the stupidity of the state government and it was not intended as a religious insult".
Several concerns that have grave implications for the social harmony and state of religious liberty in the country have arisen.
- If every religious community were to accept the reason given for the protest, the consequence would be that no religious shrine or place of worship could ever be located or constructed in Muslim-majority areas.
- Implicitly, non-Muslim minority's interests will be made subservient to Muslim majority's say. This appears to be a 'tyranny of the majority' - where the majority begins imposing restrictions against the other religious communities.
- Brandishing a cow head in apparent protest against the decision to relocate the temple in the midst of the controversy is utter disrespect to another religious community and will only invite contempt. Condemning the incident, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin asked the protestors, "How would you feel if the proposal to build a mosque in a non-Muslim area - which is already happening - leads a group of non-Muslims to burn and stomp on the Quran?"3 Borrowing from his analogy, will it be right then to say that the burning of the Quran was not meant to insult Islam but merely to demonstrate the stupidity of the authorities?
The Attorney-General has laid the sedition and illegal assembly charges on 12 of the protestors. Nonetheless, the incident has demonstrated that there is an ever widening gap in terms of trust and acceptance within the various cultural communities. It appears that the implicitly secular-multiethnic character of Malaysian society is moving towards the 'desecularalisation' of a more 'Islam-centric' way of life and a more fundamentalist outlook on religious pluralism.
Not surprisingly, the MCCBCHST has issued a statement calling for peace and order in Malaysia and that consistent, fair, just and rational measures should be applied to all Malaysian regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture, gender or political connection (see table).
One RULE for ALL Malaysians
There must be one rule for all Malaysians, asserted the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taiosm (MCCBCHST) in response to the Shah Alam cow-head demonstration against the relocation of a Hindu temple to the area.
The council noted the authorities' double standards in the overall handling of the case.
"MCCBCHST is concerned that whereas in the 28 August 2009 Shah Alam incident the police had stood by while the demonstrators desecrated the cow's head and made seditious speeches, the police acted strongly against would-be candlelight vigil watchers in the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka on 5 September 2009," it pointed out in a press statement released by its president, Rev. Dr Thomas Philips.
"Also, malaysiakini has now been warned by MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) to remove from its website the video showing the terrible act of the Shah Alam incident. Thinking Malaysians will rightly raise the question: Which comes first - the act or the video which exposes the act? How do we as a country go about resolving our problems? In this case, stopping the video of the act will not unmake the act. We must surely first prevent the act and the video would not have existed."
The council called for consistent, fair, just and rational measures to be applied regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture, gender or political connection for the good of all Malaysians and peace and order in Malaysia.
The council also highlighted the Home Minister's action in seating the organisers of the cow-head demonstration to his right and left during a press conference. In so doing, Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein appeared to have honoured the perpetrators of a gravely offensive event where seditious speeches were made accompanied by the stomping of the cow's head.
"What signals would this send to the people?" the council asked, adding that all who incite ill feelings among religious communities, denigrate any religion, desecrate the religious symbols of any religion or threaten to commit violence against others be promptly deterred and held accountable.
The council called on Malaysians to respect our neighbours and endeavour to learn about their beliefs, customs and sentiments. It is upon such understanding of others and what is dear to them that our nation can be firmly rooted and grow strong and united.
"The way to manage our differences is not by creating enclaves whereby Malaysians will be segregated and separated from one another but through understanding and respect.
"Let us live together next to one another rather than to live apart. Each succeeding generation of Malaysians should grow closer instead of being pulled apart," the council said.
It urged Malaysians to reject the view of thinking about Malaysians as majorities and minorities, and majorities versus minorities as this works against national integration.
"Those in authority at the community, religious and governmental level must be firm to unequivocally reject unreasonable, unfair and anti-social behaviour and demand," it stressed.
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In moments like these, the call for the Malaysian Church is not just to confine ourselves to our private quarters and pray, but to act. To act is to be a channel and instrument of reconciliation and healing towards all religious communities who have been grieved and hurt by this devious act.
God intends to reconcile the world unto Himself and the Servant of YHWH was the means by which this reconciliation was brought forth and will eventually be brought to completion. This was the mission of God. As His followers, this is the church's mission.
Below are 'pledges' which you and your church may wish to pray over and consider as acts and as agents of reconciliation:
- We URGE that all disputes of a religious and ethnic nature be resolved through mutual deliberation and peaceful means and never in an extreme manner.
- We do not CONDONE any act to humiliate and intimidate any ethno-religious community and in particular, the irreligious and irresponsible display which may cause anguish and pain to any religious community.
- We SUPPORT and will take active participation in all initiatives and efforts aimed at promoting racial and religious harmony in the land and decry any words or acts that threaten this harmony which could lead to violence or threats of violence which must be thoroughly delegitimised.
- We CALL on all Malaysians to strive together and usher in a Malaysia which cherishes the values and virtues of peace, reason, justice, freedom, equity and inclusion for all Malaysians irrespective of race, creed, colour or standing, thereby preserving the diversity and rich cultural heritage Malaysians possess as a nation.
Notes
1 www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/news_lite.php?id=436667
2 www.nst.com.my/articles/14regis/Article/index.html
3 www.nst.com.my/articles/14regy/Article/index.html |
