I view with concern the video of your talk regarding Valentine’s Day delivered in 2009 but presently circulating on YouTube.

As a Christian, I respect and seek to learn from the perspectives of other religions. As such, I appreciate your reminder that as responsible communities we shouldn’t follow a particular practice uncritically and that we ought to examine its historical roots. I side with you on the need to educate the younger generation on the historical and cultural connotations and ‘baggage’ associated with events like Valentine’s Day.

I also respect your views about the status of Valentine’s Day within Islam and I don’t wish to intrude on your doctrinal deliberations on what is or is not ‘haram’ under Islam or what the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.a.w.) taught.

Nevertheless, I have to gently but firmly voice an objection to your statement that vices, clubbing and secret/illegitimate sexual rendezvous by couples are a tradition for Christian societies, specifically your statement that, “Maksiat, disco, couple bersunyi-sunyian ialah tradisi bagi masyarakat beragama Kristian.”

I may agree cautiously that such practices are a cultural overflow from Western countries (which have undergone heavy secularization and liberalization) but to equate these with the traditions of the Christian faith is to do injustice to your own advice to be cognizant of the historical and global factors of any particular event, in this case, the Christian faith itself.

The teachings of Jesus Christ was never about committing vices, indulging in time-wasting practices, committing secret sins of the flesh and even less about the irresponsible raising of rose prices! In fact, the stories you brought up illustrate at least one positive connection between Valentine’s Day and the true traditions of the Christian Church: the endearing power of love and sacrifice.

Even in today’s churches, Christian leaders continually exhort our younger generation to be careful and discerning about how and where they spend their time and money, to be chaste and modest, to remain godly in speech and conduct, to be generous in giving and, most of all, to be kind, forgiving and to love others in a self-forsaking manner, the very same way that our Lord Jesus Christ has loved us.

Ultimately, please understand that I am fully with you in your intention to protect the dignity and personhood of our young people from illegitimate and pre-marital sexual activities. Likewise, I salute your reminder to all unmarried couples that romantic love – exhilarating and wonderful as it is – comes with great responsibility and maturity which may hardly appear or feel ‘romantic’ but is in fact the source of true love.

May we continue to learn from each other’s traditions and teachings.

Sincerely,

Alwyn Lau

In Indonesia, one of our partners investigated and documented 5 testimonies of women migrants raped at the camps. They were willing to testify. Unfortunately and suspiciously, the office of our partner was raided and the files went missing. It was difficult to track the women and I lost my witnesses.

I did not lose hope. Together with one of my very committed lawyers, we went to Bangladesh to interview witnesses. My partner there worked very hard to identify witnesses and even employed a fulltime person to manage, counsel and sustain the witnesses as the court took a very long time to move the wheels of judicial process. Women who were raped were also identified.

The interviews conducted with the women were very painful and a stressful experience in my life. All 5 women whom we interviewed intensively were thrown out of their homes by their husbands and the community demanded they leave the village. The marriage future of their daughters was gone as they were seen as daughters of soiled women. The trauma, impact and living on abject poverty by the women was for me most unbearable. It hurt too much. The look of hopelessness, fear and anxiety just pierced me over and over. In fact I fell ill on the second day of meeting with the survivors of rape and torture..

I then decided that I would rather go to jail than get the women to relive the trauma again. I will not make them witnesses for my trial. Reliving the trauma again with added publicity would be impactful and the consequences uncertain on the women and their children.

I faced an intense conflict on how do we make the rapists, the detention centre officers, the commandant, the Home Minister and the government of the day accountable for this form of torture on innocent women and womanhood and yet protect their dignity! All I could do was open a window of opportunity for them to begin a new life with an income generation project and strengthen their livelihood skills combined with counselling. Today the women are able to live their lives but the stigma remains.

Today as news emerge of another women domestic worker raped by a senior minister, we seem to be faced with a similar conflict. How do we make this Minister and all those in power and in authority accountable? It was easy for the Datin to cancel her work permit and send her home to Indonesia with a stern warning and threat that the victim remains silent about the rape. The victim, helpless and filled with fear remained silent and just move on with life. Have there been more victims and all silenced in the same way? Since the senior minister lives in a huge mansion, there must be a number of domestic workers in the household.

And the system fails to protect the victim and all potential women. What can a foreign domestic worker do when she does not have any off day, when she is cut off from the rest of the world as she works in an isolated, individualized workplace which is a private domain? How can she communicate with family or others if she is denied that right?

The support for her withers from Malaysians whose perception of domestic workers is negative influenced by the mainstream media. It has been reflected in the number of comments that appeared in published articles about the rape. These perceptions and attitude do not help the victim nor our efforts to fight the heinous crime of rape against women and children. We support a regime that has destroyed every pillar of democracy and justice where the victim cannot access the due process nor even reach out for help.

The outcry over making the Minister accountable cannot remain at the individual level. It demands a serious change in our rotten corrupt system of governance. Rape will continue on our women as it is being done on the Penan and other indigenous women. Statistics reveal that every 1.7 hours someone is raped. The figure will increase when we include the thousands of women forced into prostitution and sexual exploitation in our country. Rapists will flourish in our country because we have a government that facilitates it.

The only way out is to get rid of such senior ministers together with the UMNO-BN led government as they have failed to protect, recognize and ensure women’s rights to body security. If we want to save our daughters and granddaughters, our sisters and wives, then the system must change. And we as Malaysians, as voters must ensure this change takes place for justice and security to be the norm in our society.

Irene Fernandez.

Human rights activist.
Tel: 012 3163011

After a tense situation in Malaysia with 9 churches and a school been attacked, we have finally experienced a calm atmosphere for the time being. The lastest attack two days ago was on a Sikh Temple. The Sikhs also use the word “Allah” in their Scripture. The police is trying to do their best to maintain order. Many negotiations are underway to defuse this situation. The political parties are doing their part and the government authorities are doing theirs. Church leaders have been meeting with the authorities to find a way forward for peace and harmony.

I sincerely wish to thank all the churches for staying calm and praying. Your prayers are indeed helpful and powerful. Violence will not bring peace. Though the solution is still far away, the present dialogues and meetings have certainly brought everyone into the picture to at least try to understand each other. We hope to work towards the idea from toleration to respecting each others presence, contribution and dignity. This is the concept of 1Malaysia.

I urge all churches to be vigilant. Archdeacon Steven Abbarow said this after visiting All Saints Taiping on Sunday 10 Jan: Yesterday, morning I visited Joshua Ong. When I arrived at All Saint’s Church. Joshua told me that the MB of Perak YB Zambri and the OCPD are on their way. This was a surprise, as we were not given any notice of this earlier. They came with reporters, politicians, special branch and police personnel.

The MB assured us of support, police protection and felt that this the work individuals who were emotionally upset and not a coordinated affair and expressed his firm stand against such actions and told us not to react. I thanked him for the assurance of support and assistance. I also told him that we have not and will not react emotionally but will pray for the peace of the country, and that I am very concerned about the situation and hoped the authorities will catch the perpetrators. He said they will do all they can.

In the meantime, I have been informed by the Lay Reader in COR, Kuala Kangsar, that he kept vigil in the Tadika room on Sunday night and noticed a motorbike and a car and the riders, driver and people in them were watching and looking at the church. He came out of the Tadika, and they just bolted off. He called the police and they immediately sent a patrol car and stationed two officers there. The leaders took these precautions as they heard that at the Police station people overheard that they were very concerned someone may try and do something on COR. They also were informed and heard from the neighboring bus terminal and stalls and the coffee table talk, mostly non-Christians, that the church next door will be in trouble.

Rev Alakumalai of St James KL related that he saw a few young people loitering outside the church. He went to them and was told that they were sent there to ‘protect the church’. Feeling uneasy over it, he reported to the police for the police station is only next door. Immediately seeing the police, the so-called ‘protector’ fled quickly. Two policemen were stationed overnight at the church.

I believe after the storm there will be some calm. God has a better plan for the Malaysian Church. Let us continue to discern His Will.

Those from overseas, let me assure you that we are fine and well, only a bit jerked and slightly shaken. If you are planning to visit Malaysia please do come, don’t change plan. Thank you so much for your prayers and e-mails of concerns and encouragement.

May the good Lord continue to lead and watch over you!

Shalom,

+Moon Hing
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia

Background

Several Christian churches have been attacked since Friday in Malaysia in a dispute over the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims.

A High Court ruling overturning a government ban on the use of Allah by non-Muslims has raised concerns among Muslim groups that by using a name so closely associated with Islam, Christians are trying to win converts.

Here, Muslims and Christians in Malaysia discuss the issues behind the attacks.

Pat Lu, web consultant, Kuala Lumpur
I am one of the administrators of a Facebook group which calls for everybody in Malaysia to be allowed to use the name Allah. The group has been growing rapidly in the last few days and we now have more than 68,000 members.

Because of the Facebook group, people take me as a leader, so I’ve received many calls and messages from Christians from all over the country saying how concerned they are about the attacks.

A relative of a friend had their car smashed and we are advising Christians to remove all religious symbols from their cars.

Because violence triggers more violence we are discouraging all Malaysians, irrespective of ethnicity and religion, from joining any street protests. It’s better to participate in a cyber rally and have a dialogue online.

This has never happened in Malaysia before – attacking places of worship. Ours is a multi-cultural society, we’ve always lived in harmony.

The government should take responsibility for what’s happened. They should not mix religion with politics and they should allow people to practise their faith. It’s none of anybody else’s business how I call my God.

Hussin Zin, retired company manager, Petaling Jaya
I appreciate the concerns of some Muslims in Malaysia, but I do not condone violence. The general view here is that this is the work of extremists. Malaysian Muslims are peaceful people, we are not of the terrorist kind.
We enjoy religious tolerance in Malaysia and different religious groups celebrate their festivals together.

There are fringe elements in every society. I am not so concerned about the attacks, but about the way the government is handling this issue.

Instead of banning the word in a Christian journal, they should have pushed for an inter-religious dialogue and invited religious groups to discuss and come up with a solution.

Everyone’s been talking about this issue in the last week or so and there has been a strong reaction and many different views.

Most Muslim people, especially those who are well educated, are open-minded. The name “Allah” is used by Christians in the Middle East. Why should there be a problem? It’s between you and God.

Nordin Abdullah, businessman, Kuala Lumpur
There is a concern in the country that Muslims could be misled and confused with Christians using Allah to address God. There are concerns that certain Christian groups are trying to convert Muslims this way.

Many Muslims will agree that it’s not the use, but the misuse of the word. “Allah” means one, undividable God. It becomes misleading when used outside its historical context.

It’s against Islamic teachings to attack churches and I am sure the majority of Malaysians don’t think it’s acceptable.

The main problem is the idea of Allah having a son – this is not the original context of the word.

Whatever the views on this subject, nobody wants to see any kind of tension, whether it’s ethnic or religious. The attacks on Christian churches are not the right way to respond to the issue. They are not very Malaysian.

Differences should be resolved through an open discussion, not violent attacks.

It’s interesting that these attacks are happening at a time when our prime minister is promoting the idea of “One Malaysia”, where the emphasis is on the common ground, not on ethnic or religious divisions.

I don’t know if this is a coincidence, but it seems strange that this tension is happening at a good time, when things are beginning to get better for everyone.

No-one seems to have the answer. If you ask me – these attacks are not organised, they are not part of something bigger. It’s stupidity and it’s against Islamic teachings to attack churches and I am sure the majority of Malaysians don’t think it’s acceptable.

Waihon Liew, university lecturer of global religions, Rawang
The attacks are very sad because we have managed to live harmoniously in the past. I was a bit nervous that they could escalate and get bigger, but I am happy that didn’t happen.

The government is taking a lot of security measures around places of worship and I don’t feel scared about going to church. Our government is doing the right thing, they are looking to promote dialogue and better understanding of religious issues.

I believe there might be a different agenda behind these attacks, not necessarily to do with the religious issue. It’s still early to make a final decision, but it’s possible that behind it are people who do not want to see the country as a tolerant and harmonious society. But this is a small group of people.

I think the government is in a tricky situation, it is not an easy task to govern a multi-racial society and it’s not possible to please everyone. We need to find a middle ground, we need to cultivate peace and harmony, but we don’t want to compromise in terms of religious doctrine.

The name Allah belongs to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Some Muslims may not even realise that it’s been used long before Mohammad by Jews and Christians. Allah cannot be called anything else.

Nothing can be gained by provocative action on the part of any side.

MCCBCHST regrets that a severed cow’s head was brought along in the demonstration. The cow is sacred to the Hindu religion.

MCCBCHST urges that unhappy residents will give the religious authorities of both sides a chance to discuss matters with the state authorities so that an amicable solution can be arrived at.

Religious issues are best resolved around the negotiation table where mutual respect can be shown to all. No further demonstration by any side should be contemplated or allowed.

Peace and order should be maintained for the sake of all residents.

August 28, 2009

Rev. Dr Thomas Philips
President, MCCBCHST

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) wishes all Malaysians a joyous and meaningful National Day!

At 52 years of age, the nation is old and experienced enough to conduct itself with maturity yet young and strong enough to seek improvement and fulfill its destiny for the benefit of all its people.

A mature Malaysia must recognise and be thankful for its strengths and its achievements while at the same time be constructively and constantly critical of any misplaced thinking or action, face reality, own up to its problems, admit its mistakes so that it can seize the opportunities to thrive in an intensely competitive world.

We remind our political leaders on both sides of the parliamentary divide to conduct themselves with equanimity, dignity and honour, to subscribe to and hold on firmly to the principles of integrity, fairness and justice so that they can have the respect and support of the people.

The destiny of our nation is in the hands of all its people. The nation succeeds only when its people can unite, respect one another, cooperate and behave responsibly.

We the people must take responsibility for the good of the nation. Together we stand. Together we labour. Together we shall prevail and progress.

The religious communities within MCCBCHST are in prayer for our nation at this stage of the nation’s history. Let there be unity. Let there be peace. Let there be justice. Let there be progress.

August 29, 2009

Rev. Dr Thomas Philips,
President
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism

Together with all Malaysians we celebrate our 52nd National Day with the theme of 1Malaysia : People First. Performance Now. We invite Christians throughout the country to join their fellow Malaysians in offering prayers of thanksgiving to Almighty God for His kind mercies upon us throughout these 52 years of nationhood and pray that He may continue to shower His blessings upon us as we forge ahead in building a 1Malaysia.

Our founding fathers worked hard to bequeath to us a nation which respected and accepted all peoples as Malaysians. They gave us a constitutional democratic framework to undergird our nation and to enable us to build a country that is for all irrespective of race, language, religion or creed.

Today we stand at the crossroads of change for our nation. We cannot take for granted what we have so long enjoyed. It is our responsibility to re-double our efforts to ensure that Malaysia develops in the way we desire for the sake of our children, our children’s children and for the generations of Malaysians to come.

Malaysians uphold the Federal Constitution as the foundational document of our nation and have embraced the principles of the Rukunegara to live in peace and harmony with one another and to seek the welfare and well-being of everyone.

Our new Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib bin Razak has shown the way and brought a new and fresh direction as he begins his term of office. His hope and desire of a 1Malaysia : People First. Performance Now speaks to us of his vision and determination to see a united Malaysia with a renewed and revitalised set of standards for what it is to be Malaysia. His National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) tell us of his resolve to focus on matters of concern to Malaysians and to raise the bar in doing things well for our nation.

Together with our Prime Minister and our government, may we move forward to build a 1Malaysia free of the preoccupation with race, language, quotas and religion. It is a vision of 1Malaysia where all of us are Malaysians and treated equally as such. May we pray and work alongside him to do things the right way for the benefit of all Malaysians for “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29 : 18, KJV).

Today, more than ever, we need renewal and rejuvenation in our government, our political parties, and all our public institutions so that they may fulfill the aspirations of all Malaysians with honour and integrity the trust placed upon them by all Malaysians. We pray that all men and women in positions of responsibility and power will see to it that they themselves and these institutions they belong to act justly and in accordance with their mandate especially in promoting, protecting and defending the rights, welfare and well-being of all who call Malaysia home including minorities and foreigners in our midst.

As Christians let us continue to pray for the Prime Minister and the government in accordance with Psalm 72 that the Prime Minister be endowed with justice and righteousness from Almighty God so that he may govern in righteousness and justice and bring about prosperity for the people, defend the afflicted and save the children of the needy.

We pledge to work with the government to further the cause of national unity, sincere and mutual respect for all peoples of different religious faiths, a caring and compassionate society, a vibrant democracy, a strong economy for the prosperity of all and good, transparent and accountable public institutions to serve the people.

The churches join all Malaysians in praying for the good health and well-being of our beloved King and Queen, the various Sultans, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, the Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers of the states, our parliamentarians and all members of the state assemblies.

Our desire is to see continued prosperity with peace, justice and stability and the strengthening of the bonds of friendship and harmony among all peoples and religions in Malaysia.

Dated this 27th August 2009

Bishop Ng Moon Hing, Chairman
Rev. Dr. Thomas Philips, Vice-Chairman
Elder Kong Yeng Phooi, Vice-Chairman
Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom, Vice Chairman

for the Christian Federation of Malaysia

The total number of cases as of this morning was 2,253 with 38 deaths giving a case fatality rate of 1.69% i.e. for every 100 cases, about 2 persons will die (refer to Malaysiakini report on the Ministry of Health’s statement).

Attached are three useful resources on how you can help reduce the threat of this disease:

• H1N1 Advisory for Patients
  - Ministry of Health, Singapore
• H1N1 Advisory for Caregivers & Contacts
  - Ministry of Health, Singapore
• H1N1 Pandemic Flu Handbook
  - World Health Organisation

Please take some time to read them and do what is responsible and needful as a mark of good Christian stewardship.

Samuel Ong

I just read that recently you and a friend visited one of the churches that I belong to. I was surprised that you had to do it in disguise. You should have told the Catholic community there that you were coming and we would have given you a grand welcome.

Such was the experience of the MP for Shah Alam, Khalid Abdul Samad from PAS, who was even given a standing ovation when he visited and had a dialogue with the parishioners of the Church of the Divine Mercy in Shah Alam last year.

Some time back I was attending a Mass (Catholic worship) in a Catholic church in Petaling Jaya and was very moved by the presence of a group of Muslim students together with their Muslim professor who had taken them there as part of their “exposure programme”. None of them were converted.

You see we are not an underground church nor do we function in a clandestine manner. Our hearts are on the holy and not on the hideous. We even pray for Najib the PM, though I feel we do not pray enough for the Opposition. We also pray for people like you who do more harm than good to the name of your religion of peace, tolerance and compassion.

Further, what takes place in Catholic churches is highlighted in our in-house newspaper which was quite unknown to the whole population and whose readers formed an insignificant number — until the Government decided to prevent it from using the word “Allah”. Alas, the Herald should thank the Government for making it so well-known today.

Religious Misfits

It is a pity that you have gone through so much trouble to “investigate” under guise what is going on in Catholic Churches or that “Muslim teenagers were being converted to Christianity in Kuala Lumpur’s churches every Sunday”. You should have gone directly to the Special Branch, which sends it officers to visit our churches occasionally. Surely they will be able to tell you that you would be only wasting your time!

As for the information that Muslims are being driven in droves into Catholicism (which you have concluded to be “false” in your article) it has been a fallacious and stale rumour for quite some time, spread by those who have an obsession and paranoia or by the increasing number of lower echelon zealots or “Little Mullah Napoleons” running riot with their brand of religion.

In February 2006, the Mufti of Perak, Harussani Zakaria, claimed that 250,000 Muslims (of which 100,000 were Malays) had apostatised themselves, while 100,000 more had submitted applications to do so. Of course he was unable to substantiate his claim because it was false.

In November 2006, about 500 Muslims protested in front of the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ipoh following a SMS wherein the same mufti had disclosed that about 600 Muslim students of the Ungku Omar Polytechnic were to be baptised by national mariner Azhar Mansor!

The church was not converting Muslims but instead was holding the First Holy Communion Mass (one of the rites of initiation to the faith) for 98 Catholic children, many of whom were traumatised by the sight of a threatening mob. Imagine the very unfortunate impression the young Catholics would have got of Islam and of Muslims.

The mufti who had proven to be more of a misfit, was not man enough to own up. He blamed it on an SMS sent out by a woman! Why no action was taken against the mufti, and why the authorities remained mute (on both occasions) over his “mischief” remains but a mystery. You must have been motivated by the mufti.

If indeed the Catholic Church has the conversion of Muslims as its hidden agenda, it would surely have started converting hundreds or even thousands of impressionable young Muslims through its Catholic Mission schools which have existed for as long as 100 years, But no such thing has ever happened.

The Muslim classmates and friends that I had in St Michael’s Ipoh are still good and respected Muslims today, and such was their appreciation and respect for the La Salle Brothers that they made sure that their children in turn would attend a La Salle school or a Convent!

Sacrilegious

Sadly, your disrespect knew no bounds. You chose to abandon all human and religious decency with impunity as a journalist and a Muslim. Under pretence of being a Catholic you participated in the church service and even partook of the Holy Communion (a white and sacred wafer) strictly meant only for Catholics.

You consumed the white wafer which Catholics hold as very sacred and treat with utmost reverence, and both of you spat out the remnants, photographed it and published the picture in an article entitled “Tinjaun Al Islam Dalam Gereja:Mencari Kesahihan Remaja Murtad” which was published in the May 2009 issue of the Al Islam magazine.

I shudder to think of what could happen if the reverse took place — if for instance two reporters from the Herald were to enter a mosque disguised as Muslims, partake of the rituals and desecrate something which the congregation considers very sacred.

I can imagine Khairy Jamaluddin leading a group of Umno Youth thugs and burning the effigy of the Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and even threatening to set fire to a few churches, and Zulkifli Nordin rousing up a mob and invading the Herald’s office and demanding that it be shut down for good; or certain Muslim NGOs insisting that the two journalists be jailed under the ISA!

It makes me wonder how does a “creature” like you exist in this country? Are you the product of the educational, social or even religious system or process created by Bolehland’s leaders (also read as “Umno”) over the past 30 years?

How is it possible that you could blatantly trespass into a place of worship, violate its sanctity, insult its adherents, even publish your transgression and completely ignore the implications and consequences (will there be any)? What gives you such audacity?

It all points to the reality of you being a cog in Umno’s machine — a political party that has politicised religion for its survival by creating unfounded insecurities amongst Muslims and a distrust of other religions. Meanwhile it dominates, dictates, decides and even defines what non-Muslims can and cannot discuss, deliberate on, and display in print.

Najib’s 1 Malaysia is really Malaysia in one big mess!

As I join my Catholic brothers and sisters in forgiving you (a Catholic duty we are reminded of!), I also pray that you will feel the full weight of God’s wrath upon you.

I feel sad for the many good Muslims in this country who have a respect for peoples of other faiths, for not only have you insulted Catholics but you have insulted them too. Islam would do well without religious misfits like you!

Martin Jalleh
July 16 2009

First posted in http://blog.limkitsiang.com

We have lost a great son, brother, friend and comrade. His life has been taken too early under mysterious circumstances. But the truth must be revealed.

The truth is that he was called to be questioned by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission. (MACC.) And he was questioned from the evening till the wee hours of the morning. The truth is that the state was becoming repressive and laying a well planned attack on honest representatives of the people in the Selangor state government who were fighting corruption.

Questions emerge as to why Teo needed to be questioned to the early hours of the morning when he was just a witness. What form did the interrogation or questioning or investigations take? What standards were being used and what form of oversight was in place so that rights of Teo were protected and addressed. What levels of transparency was practiced? And why were his lawyers not allowed to be nearby for him to consult and clarify, if he needed advice.

Neither the MACC nor the police can investigate. They will be biased as we know both these agencies are being used to attack a democratically elected opposition and state government. Tenaganita supports the call for an independent royal commission of inquiry to be instituted to ensure justice is seen to be done and that persons and institution are made responsible for Teo’s death. The years of assurance of transparency and integrity has only been met with more defence for the corrupt. Teo’s death is testimony to what extent this defence for the corrupt has developed.

Teo’s life has been taken but not what he stood and fought for. Everyone who knew him says he was gentle, honest, caring, struggling for justice, truth and democracy. The baton is now with us. The candles can be extinguished. But the spirit and light within us will be even stronger and move further and further to new people and new areas.

Irene Fernandez
Director
Tenaganita

We would appreciate the opportunity of presenting a different perspective to that expressed by Dr. Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad in respect of religion and human rights in Malaysia. In so doing we would stress that these are our personal viewpoints and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisation to which we belong.

In the area of supranational laws, there is a move to advance binding sets of principles that will guide nations. By its very nature these principles govern and restrict the conduct of the state.

Malaysia is no stranger to such principles. We are a party to the Geneva Conventions and the Chemical Warfare Convention. These conventions, regulate the conduct of warfare by states and are very much part of human rights laws. These laws are intended as a reflection of common decency which guide civilised nations to the extent that they override or circumscribe a state’s absolute freedom in the conduct of war. Indeed, this is only to be welcomed.

Are these rules new? Hardly. Such rules of war have been in existence for several hundreds of years. For example, when the international community questioned and condemned Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war, we appealed to international human rights and humanitarian laws.

Is this a new religion? Definitely not. Countries that became parties to such international conventions did so out of their moral outrage at man’s inhumanity to man, their deeply-held values and profound desire to ensure that common decency and humanitarian principles must prevail even when countries are at their most belligerent temper. The universality of such values is undeniable, and their intended result, peace, is beyond question. Is Dr. Wan Azhar saying that this is unacceptable?

But peace is not simply the absence of war. Peace is the enabling of equality and the dignity of human beings. Coming as we do from ancient faith traditions, Hindusim, Islam and Christianity respectively, we see human rights as a positive expression of deeply-held religious systems and moral values. Rather than being in contrast and contention with religious systems and moral values, human rights are in fact some of their highest expressions.

A God or godly pantheon responsible for the creation of humanity demands that human beings be accorded and treated with all due dignity and respect without qualification on the basis of race, religion, gender or political or moral philosophy. So human rights are a way of elucidating and enunciating how such expressions should be effected.

Such human rights should be equally applied to all citizens and residents of a country regardless of what the official religion of that country is, or if it has none. In this regard, secularism seeks to apply those basic human rights norms in non-religious terms and language, without preferring religion over non-religion or one religion over another. Human rights, simply put, is about respecting and upholding the dignity of each and every human being. How does that not accord with religious beliefs? It is a poor and sad human misinterpretation of religion that accords basic rights and fundamental freedoms only to a religion’s own adherents, or to those in agreement with the powers-that-be behind such a religion.

Dr. Wan Azhar suggests that concepts of human rights and religion in Malaysia are antagonistic. Let us look at the human rights of Orang Asli in Malaysia. If we take the situation of Orang Asli land rights, we can see that this is patently untrue. All major religions and value systems enjoin their adherents and followers to care for and improve the welfare of those amongst us who are defenceless, weak, underprivileged, marginalised and effectively disenfranchised. All the major religions would recognise the customary rights of the Orang Asli to their land. Yet for such a long time the previous Selangor State governments have chosen to challenge and dispute such rights. The present-day Selangor State Government is to be commended for finally choosing not to pursue this challenge and to recognise such customary land rights.

Whilst a national constitution can stipulate an official religion for the nation, such a document must also recognise the rights of those who do not subscribe to that religion. International human rights norms seek to make commonplace the understanding that the lives of citizens and residents of a country should be free from interference and molestation as a result of any official religious or philosophical orthodoxy.

International human rights norms object to the attempt to legislate for a particular religion and to impose such legislated rules to non-adherents or non-practitioners. And these norms also additionally object to the attempt to deny non-adherents any means to participate in a public debate about that which nonetheless affects their lives and that of their country. A self-serving interpretation of a religion’s tenets as a pretext to separation and exclusion, rather than in favour of universality and inclusivity, is to be abhorred.

Dr. Wan Azhar wrote that “human rights should neither be made the basis to undermine the Constitution, nor be worshipped as if they represent a sacred agenda which could impose restrictions in terms of transforming the country into a united, peaceful and developed nation.” We couldn’t agree more.

International human rights norms serve as a checklist to uphold our Constitution and to benchmark it against international best practices. There is no attempt to undermine but rather strengthen and undergird our Federal Constitution by eliminating any attempt to utilise it as a basis to perpetuate unjust laws, rules and regulations which cause hardship, harm and suffering to our fellow citizens and residents. Where there is a lack of clarity, international human rights norms offer a clear and unambiguous frame of reference. Hence the latest Cabinet directive regarding the religious upbringing of children of divorced parents, which we support.

Dr. Wan Azhar concludes his essay by saying that “[i]f we really believe in a religious or value system, we cannot accept any notion under the banner of human rights which propagates the idea that man is free to do whatever he likes without restriction.” The comparison is incorrect. To each right there is a balancing obligation not to act in a way that would discriminate others. Human rights do not promote anarchy and irresponsible behaviour without limitation, as Dr. Wan Azhar would like your readers to believe.

Signed:

Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan
Immediate Past President, Malaysian Bar, and;

Zarizana Abdul Aziz and Andrew Khoo,
Co-Chairs, Human Rights Committee, Bar Council

11 May 2009