Self-reflection during Ramadhan

Writer: Le Le (translated name)
Nanyang Siang Pau, 28-06-2015

When I am eating out before the time of buka puasa (breaking fast), can I not consider the feelings of the Muslims who are waiting for buka puasa and eat all that I want? When I am taking the public transport, be it the bus or LRT, should I give my seats to the Muslims that are fasting?

I should not eat and drink in front of them out of manners and respect. I should give my seat to them out of understanding. But it will definitely not because I succumb to law, rules and regulations etc.

A deputy principal of a national primary school in Sungai Petani has asked non-Muslim students to drink water or urine in the toilet. The Kuantan city council has ordered the entertainment businesses and massage parlors in the city to shut down their businesses at 11.30pm during Ramadhan (but the city council revoked such order after objections from the Kuantan MCA state assemblyman). These are all good examples.

There are always similar incidents happening every year during Ramadhan month that signifies “holy” to the Muslims.

There was a similar incident in Ramadhan month of July 2013 where non-Muslim students from a national primary school in Sungai Buloh were forced to have their meals in the toilets and bathrooms. Through these incidents, one can derive that the Sungai Petani national primary school incident would not be the last in line.

Religious discrimination is getting worse

Just what message are the schools, or allow me to be more straightforward, the national primary schools that have majority Muslims are sending to the future leaders of our country? Are they advocating that Muslims have special rights during Ramadhan? Are they teaching that it is shameful for non-Muslims to eat and drink so they must hide when they are eating? Or are the schools completely eliminating the innocent friendship and understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim children and, thus, forcing them to create division between each other?

In the recent years, the religious persecution and discrimination incidents are getting more and more obvious. Furthermore, the atmosphere within the country is getting more and more conservative, even the attire of a gymnast has become an issue. When addressing religious persecution, we cannot help but ask if the non-Muslims are not doing enough to defend their own rights and allow the ill-intended Muslims to take advantage of them?

The incidents of the usage of the word “Allah”, burning of churches, removal of the cross, confiscations of Bahasa Malaysia version of Bibles and the cross wore by the students, are all continuously challenging the people’s patience. But we must ponder on whether this path of religious extremism is really the path that our country wants to march on?

During this Ramadhan month, the Muslims should think about whether it is the non-Muslims’ actions that are influencing them to not be “holy” which caused them to interrupt everything that the non-Muslims do easily; or they should really rely on the confidence in their own religion, believe strongly that they can resist all temptations and persevere to fight to be “holy”.

The thing that the non-Muslims have to think about is that whether they can have more empathy and understanding of the Muslims’ needs out of love and not self-deprecation, and definitely not out of law, rules and regulations.

Original Source: 斋戒月的自省