What principle of fairness?
A Muslim will not “subordinate justice to the creation of infinite wealth and defend it in the name of economic growth… He will not abdicate the principle of fairness in managing ethnic relations even if it makes him somewhat unpopular within his own ethnic community. This is the approach adopted by the government in Malaysia and we call it Islam Hadhari,” said the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi while addressing the world leaders and foreign ministers at the First Alliance of Civilisations Forum in Madrid (Star, 16/1/08).
Indeed the Prime Minister has spoken a lot on the subject matter while more and more religious intolerant cases are springing up. Looking at the few incidents that have happened in the recent months, one wonders whether one is living in a Malaysia that is different from what the Prime Minister talked about in Madrid.
At the 2007 Christmas Tea Party organized by Christian Federation Malaysia, the Prime Minister publicly spoke out against religious extremism, calling people to uphold the spirit of tolerance and mutual respect for one another in order to maintain a peaceful and harmonious society.
At the same time, within the Christian Community alone, we have among others, Christian Children books being confiscated for no apparent reason, the banning of using the word “Allah” in Christian materials, the demolition of an Orang Asli Church in Gua Musang, and state government’s refusal to supply water and electricity to an Orang Asli village in Kampung Pasu, Temerloh. If one still recalls, the OA church in Kampung Pasu was torn down by the local authorities in 2003 and was rebuilt in 2005 at federal intervention. All these incidents involve the government authorities, at both federal and state levels, one way or the other.
Update: On Jan 28, the Custom officials at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Kuala Lumpur seized 32 bibles from a returning missionary. The officer was reported to have said that the bibles would be sent to the Internal Security Ministry's Publication and Al-Quran Texts Control Division. Such action has angered the Church. The Christian Federation of Malaysia issued a statement expression its great displeasure over the matter. The bibles were subsequently returned to the missionary at the order of the Deputy Minister of the Internal Security (Feb 4, Star).
Continue to pray
1. Strength and comfort for Christians, in particular those who are directly affected by unjust actions (Ps 37:1-5).
2. SIB court case hearing on Jan 29 (postponed, details see FYI# 73)
a. the hand of the Lord be with the lawyers and church leaders
b. the judge: sound judgment, impartiality, no favoritism, no perversion of justice
3. Against the spirit of religious overzealousness and extremism in all government sectors, both federal and local.
4. Those who hold extremist views be exposed and removed from their positions, for the sake of public safety and social order.
5. Government to have the political will to walk their talk in upholding mutual respect and freedom of religion for all.
May God’s justice and righteousness prevail, and His name be glorified above all. |
