from malaysia-muse.blogspot.com cometh:
Friday, May 11, 2007
A nation under religious siege
Dialogues are the only way forward to promote religious understanding amongst the people of varying faiths. The hasty measure of man taking up arms against a fellow human being who happen to reach out to God in a different manner to his has caused great bloodshed and tragedy. Violence only begets more violence. An eye for an eye makes the entire world go blind.
The current Prime Minister is a great proponent of dialogues. He has impressively called for dialogues to end conflicts in the Middle East, Darfur and any other region in the world that is under strife. Dialogues for the entire world seem a reasonable and logical solution as far as he is concerned.
But dialogues are not for Malaysians apparently. When citizens of this country call for inter-faith dialogues to create bridges and strengthen understanding between peoples of different faiths, the Prime Minister remains silent, unwilling to agree to such a basic request. The fact that the longer he waits, the spirit of nationhood becomes weaker amongst the 27 million Malaysians is apparently irrelevant.
This vacuous type of leadership is gradually being exposed to the world, following the recent cancellation of an international Muslim-Christian dialogue session which was also supposed to include key religous figures from both sides including the Archbishop of England. Such a summit would have boosted Malaysia's international credentials and position as a moderate, modern country which happens to have a Muslim majority population.
The question that begs to be asked; who is really running the country? The Prime Minister or an unseen hand with a myopic, narrow view of the world?
posted by SP @ 5:17 PM 1 Comments
5 comments:
Desi, thanks a lot for linking me. Would be great to to meet up soon? I like to know more about a man who hung out with my dad. I can't make it for the May 19th meeting as I will be out of town. Keep in touch ya? do drop me a line on ur personal email?
It is always easier from the high horse to pontificate to others. The whole world then perceives him as a Messenger of Peace. Talk is so cheap nowadays. Yes he has killed dialogue and even postponed the Building Bridges Forum, because of prior pressing matters.He cannot walk the talk, he is merely, talk, talk,talk or gawk when confronted and then it is either the familiar defensive: why ask this, you have not been listening during my speech ....or sometimes, the CYA refrain, bodoh, or nobody told me....19th then Desi.
yupe on the 19th, old friends and colleagues will meet! Melting pot of journalistic experience!
Great to see and finally talk to you, although we miss each other before.
I am a believer in dialogue.
In fact, I resented the approach undertaken by various parties, they know who they are, to take a legalistic and adverserial approach to issues of Inter faith.
As a Muslim, I like to see the Muslim's interest and that of Islam protected but I am compassionate to the rights to choose one's religion, maintaining a family together, and such. I am equally ashamed at the rather draconian approaches thus far taken by the religous authorities.
The various issues have highlioghted some shortcoming of the law but what saddens me is that the approach taken have not been for a resolution.
I do not believe the legalistic apporach is the right one. They say to stick with the process of law and yet I heer them bitch abt the judges and even claim them as racist. I thought if they have the courts have their "mecca", they shd be respecting the imam fatwa ie judges decision.
I know there cases not in favour of muslim. It works both way but only seen from one side ... the Article 11 grp, SIS, IFC, MCCBHS, ... perspective.
I ws told by ANwar that the liberal refuse to attend a conferencee with the other side. So much for the legal eagle as solution to societal problem.
Where do we go? I do not believe political approach is the right one. No politicians we have got the balls to deal with issues that have political cost.
So, the people and society have to sit and decide. In this case, not only is the people but the relevent people. The men of cloth has to sit for a dialogue.
first APOLOGIES to sp, zorro, mob1900 and a Voice for this belated reply.
For past few dies, Desi ws OFF-colour; normally I am rainbowed. Some pores were too open and some blardy virus was too liberral and free -- like some Bloggers-lah, entering where Angels fear to tread and Devils dare not breathe. Bad metaphors, but ne'er mind, Blogging is TO ENJOY!:)
Back to Serious,
SP1: Will definitely meet up Post-May 19. es, I can recall for thee some good summertimes with thy Dad, goin' back to 1980s when life was then less complicated, and were young and definitely quite straight nyet gay!:)
zorro2: Bloggers will build bridges whether London Bridge is fallin' down or knot and whether Rip van Winkle wakes up as so much water under the bridge.
Let us make full use of all media at my disposal to link, to connect to discourse, to debate -- and show Malaysia is capable of civilisational ascent, and playing a Key role will be the Fifth Estaters.
mob3+1900:
You take good care of us eh -- protect US from the barbarians at the gate!:(
Voice4:
Five cuppas of tehtarik as traditional welcome and Tops Up for your first visit to Desi's Place.
We will yarn more -- and aMore5 -- on May 19 Gathering. Raise thy voices for Bloggers Solidarity as we seek common bonds that bind rather than allow petty differences to tear us asunder.
Bloggers United will walk tall; otherVice, zorro and mob's sharp, and the rest's sharper 'rite/write/writHe pOints need polishing:):):):):)
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