I have read around and basically the facts of the Teo Nie Ching Issue are these:
She was asked by the mosque committee for some allocation to upgrade the mosque. She was then invited to the mosque to hand over the allocations. And then she was invited to say a few words to those who were there. There were some allusion to her entering the prayer room which it seems is a no-no. There were other allusions that she was not properly dressed. According to RPK her sin was that she did not wear a scarf. No one alerted her that this was a problem. The event ended without incident or protest. It became an issue many days later.
I understand that much of the furor is political. After all, there is even a fatwa allowing non-muslim visitors to the main prayer room, with conditions.
Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa Majlis Kebangsaan Bagi Hal Ehwal Ugama Islam Malaysia Kali Ke-90 yang bersidang pada 1 Mac 2010 telah memutuskan bahawa pelancong bukan Islam diharuskan memasuki masjid dan ruang solat dengan syarat-syarat yang telah ditentukan.
Amalan menerima bukan Islam memasuki masjid atas tujuan yang murni juga telah diamalkan di beberapa negara lain. Ia terbukti memberi nilai positif kepada keberkesanan pemahaman mereka kepada agama Islam, mengelakkan salah faham dan menjana interaksi yang harmoni dalam perhubungan di antara umat Islam dan bukan Islam.
Common sense tells me that if there was a problem, the responsibility lies with the people who have invited Teo. But it is Teo who has been accused by Ibrahim Ali of desecrating the mosque. According to Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin the majority of Muslims in the country were upset by Teo’s conduct. Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil says that Teo’s conduct was “totally unnecessary, insulting and unbecoming”. MAIS has decided to send Teo a warning letter. What concerned me was “MAIS chairman Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa reportedly said Teo’s action had angered the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who ordered immediate action against the management of the surau.”
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/khairy-calls-dap-insensitive-teo-naive-over-surau-visit
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pas-veep-says-bn-attack-on-teo-a-cheap-issue/
So, a non-muslim, entering a mosque at the invitation of the management of the mosque, in doing so has desecrated the mosque, insulted and upset muslims and angered the Sultan.
My friends may tell me that it is all politics, nothing to do with me, an ordinary man on the street. But the Sultan is not political. A non-muslim, entering a mosque at the invitation of the management of the mosque, in doing so has angered him.
It makes me want to have nothing to do with muslims. Nothing against them, really. I do have friends who are muslims. And I am on friendly terms with my muslim neighbours. But for muslims who are strangers to me, it is a different matter. I have less and less an idea what is acceptable and not acceptable. I enjoy malay food and eat at malay food stalls regularly. There are friendly stallholders and I will talk and joke with them. There are not so outgoing ones, and I will say the barest minimum to them. I have to let muslims take the lead in letting me know whether it is acceptable for me to interact with them.
Reading RPK’s article I saw that using certain muslim phrases like “amar makruf, nahi munka” is a no-no. I didn’t know that. “Insya’allah, Alhamdulillah” – forbidden. In another article I read, even “salam” it seems is an issue. It may seem like a joke but I wonder how I should react if I see a fully covered muslim woman slip and fall into a drain. Do I look for a stick to help her up so she does not have to touch my hand? Or will I be insulting her by offering my bare hand? (This was a real experience BTW, except that I was extending a hand to help her cross some muddy ground and she hesitated to accept my offer of help) Teo came with allocations requested to upgrade the mosque. She is now villified by the muslim community for entering the mosque at the invitation of those in charge of the mosque.
Maybe the government should publish a list of dos and don’ts on how a non-muslim can interact with muslims rather than broadcasting to all and sundry how a non-muslim politician has insulted the muslim community. It seems I cannot learn how I can mix with muslims from RPK and Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Or even Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin. I used to think common sense will do but that might end up with me insulting the muslim community as well. I’m not sure such a list will help bring all of us, muslims and non-muslims together and united as a country, but I’m pretty sure it cannot hurt the situation much more than what I have been reading.
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
