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Friday, April 24, 2015

Neutralise the roots of ‘cross-gate’ affair – Ravinder Singh

Image result for Taman Medan church incident

The Taman Medan church “cross-gate” affair did not happen out of spontaneity. It was the fruitiion of seeds planted by racist ideas rooted in statements, calls and questions asked in the past by certain parties. These seeds of racism and hatred had been taking root for some time. The cross-gate affair was the fruit of those seeds as were others earlier, eg. the throwing of animal heads and parts into the compounds of prayer houses. This time, perhaps due to the presence of a “VIP”, the mob felt braver and openly carried out their “flash mob”, as labelled by the inspector-general of police, threatening violence if the cross was not taken down.
The IGP on his part did a great disservice to the nation by almost immediately pronouncing that the mob’s action was not seditious. Now, after the prime minister said that action will be taken, he says action will be taken. Whether this promise of action is just to placate the people or for real will be known soon.
As an observer, I’m wondering whether the investigations by the juniors of the IGP will prove the IGP was right or wrong. If investigations show he was wrong, wouldn’t that be a big slap on his face? Would that be acceptable?         
Then, around election time, the voice of the PM himself was heard saying that his party would defend Putrajaya even with crushed bodies and broken bones. These are not poetic words, but incendiary ones. It was irresponsible to speak in such tones.  
Now, what seeds were all these statements sowing in the minds of those people described by Jakim director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha as being “without a good religious foundation, no matter how successful they become in life, it will be futile as their contribution to society will only bring more harm than good”. Events show that there definitely are some “without a good religious foundation”.
Then come Perkasa, Isma and similar bodies onto the stage, not leaving out a professor who has no other word for the Chinese than “ultra kiasu”, as if his own blood and bone were not Chinese. The vitriol that he spews is defended as “academic freedom of expression” when other academics are not given the same academic freedom of expression. 
Giving support and tacit approval to racist remarks and statements were the authorities who said statements like “burn the Bibles” were not only not in violation of the law but legitimate under the banner of “freedom of speech”. Moreover, there was no evidence the words had incited anyone to really burn the Bibles. This was taken another step further when it was said that holy books, including the Quran, that were not usable any longer were disposed of by burning. So whoever said Bibles should be burnt had not said anything wrong or offensive that could cause disharmony.
The law enforcers’ reaction to such incendiary statements was that no offence was committed as there was no evidence that the person(s) saying such things had intended that the things they said (eg. burn the Bibles) must be carried out. Without the element of intention, they could not press charges although under the Penal Code, there is no need for intention.
In the cross-gate too, why investigate under the Sedition Act when the act falls clearly within the Penal Code? If the charge under the Sedition Act does not stick for whatever reason, there will be no second investigation or charge under the Penal Code as it will amount to double jeopardy. Is the ground being set to set the 50 free?    
It is funny that while some had so much freedom of expression, others had to spend nights in lock-up pyjamas for their expressions of views. Among others, one for just doing her journalistic duty of reporting what someone had said, and another for her own protection!
When persons held in high esteem by those “without a good religious foundation” make hate speeches, they are read as a call for some action to be taken to defend the religion. The listeners are also encouraged by the authorities defending the speakers by giving excuses not to take action as was done by the IGP in the first instance in the cross-gate case. The result is emboldenment leading to actions like the cross-gate incident.
Will this be an eye-opener to the powers that be that statements disparaging others, or sowing unfounded fears of the others, whether made recklessly or with some hidden motive, by anyone, and more so if made by persons in high office, have the effect of subtly indoctrinating those “without a good religious foundation”, and lead them to launch “cross-gate” jihads or even worse jihads?
Which is more important: the well-being of a political party or the well-being of a nation?
The racism that we see around us today came about because some politicians were not gentlemen enough to accept defeat. They said they had been betrayed by the non-Malays. Hence the release of the “dendam kesumat” by certain Malays was normal (and not against any laws) as it was something inborn in them. Just like the MACC which said it could not take action against civil servants who paid exorbitant prices for procurement as they were “stupid” to do so, and there is no law against stupidity.
Could any criminologist and/or psychologist please tell Malaysians that the hate speeches made over the past several years and which were tacitly approved by the authorities not taking any action could not have had any influence on the 50 mobsters who got the cross on the church removed by threatening violence, believing that they were doing a service to God? Should such hate speeches be allowed in the name of “freedom of speech”?  
If there is sincerity in wanting a peaceful, harmonious Malaysia like what it was 50 years ago, then it is imperative that the roots of bigotry and racism be sought out and snuffed out.
Stop all the name-calling like “kafir” and “ultra kiasu”. Stop claiming one race or religion is superior to all the rest. Stop the dramas about “sensitivities”. Stop the talk about defending Putrajaya even with “crushed bodies and broken bones”. Stop making fiery speeches like bathing the keris in the blood of so-and-so.
All these and more similar words and deeds are the work of people “without a good religious foundation, no matter how successful they become in life, it will be futile as their contribution to society will only bring more harm than good”, as Othman says.
Jakim must immediately get down to the serious work of giving these people a good religious education before they cause more harm to the nation. It will be useless crying over spilt milk.

Jakim owes it to the nation, not to its political masters.
* Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insider.

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