I would have almost forgotten that religious police are patrolling the streets of Malaysia, trying to catch those that abstain from fasting during the month of Ramadan, if I had not caught a piece of news report stating so yesterday. In my mind, there is no confusion that the religious police forget that it is sincerity that matters, not coercion.
This is perhaps but a symptom of how for the Muslim society in Malaysia, specifically the religious conservatives, imposition of their moral values on others has become a favorite pastime instead of self-improvement. Several other issues that lead to the same conclusion are apostasy and moral policing.
Concerning cases of religious freedom in particular, religious conservatives are more interested in forcefully preventing a person from choosing his or her religion rather than understanding why the person is leaving Islam. Indeed, when debates on Lina Joy dominated public domain, some religious conservatives as well as other sympathizers leaned on superficial factor as the main issue — procedure — whereas those that see it pass skin deep know full well that it is about freewill; liberty; freedom.
All this portrays Islam in a bad light to outsiders. Thanks to religious conservatives, many outsiders see the religion as stressing on appearance rather than appealing to the heart. I have always in the opinion that religion is about the inner self, the content of a book, not its cover. This is why freewill is so crucial; sincerity and freewill come together. Without freewill, there can be no sincerity; an unfree conscience knows no sincerity. What is the point of having Muslims that are unwilling to be Muslims? What is the point of forcing somebody to do religious biddings? Looking the issues through Islamic tradition, would the supreme being not know what is the truth?
Religious conservatives fail to understand this. For this reason, religious conservatives will always be ridiculed for their preference for the superficial.
4 replies on “[1379] Of superficiality is inferior to sincerity”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxttENdkpw4
Bangkai gajah busuk di hutan
Hendak di tanam
Pekong di kaki sendiri dibiaskan
Busuk oh.. Kurap, kudis, nanah, kayap.. ii..
Jangan suka jaga tepi kain orang lain
Kain sendiri yang terlondeh
Kata dulang paku serpih
Kata orang dia yang lebih
Ada orang suka menerima
Tapi tidak suka menderma
Ada orang suka menderma
Tapi diharap dibalikkan semula
Ahli Fiqir’s lyrics says it all!
It has always been rights issue from the get go. As soon as you throw in goverment and religion/culture into the same pot the result is just conflicts.
The Malaysia-Islam is unique to an extent, from its overdressed Imams and followers, to their obnoxious spending building extravagant mosques, well, yeah, it does appear like a front to me rather than sincerity. But who am i to judge?
Dear Third,
It is a clash of rights then, as I have mentioned earlier @ http://maddruid.com/?p=1261
Further, when you said, To some, it is part of their belief System to ensure that anyone who is practicing Islam is to follow the law, there is a question that needs answering: who decides whom are the practicing Muslims?
At the moment, the judge and the jury are one of the same people, both are conservative Muslims, which further aggravates the conflict of rights.
But then, do you not agree that their effort to actively ensure other Muslims or perhaps just that defined in the Malaysian Constitution to adhere to what they religiously feel proper are more interested in form than substance?
The thing is, to some Muslims, not sure whether I should be calling them even that, To impose their belief, erm, lets rephrase.
To some, it is part of their belief System to ensure that anyone who is practicing Islam is to follow the law. It is important to their belief and required per their belief that if they do not correct those who have wronged, they will to be held guilty for turning a blind eye.
I’m not sure whether they are conservative or they are Liberal muslims. But as far as I’m concerned they are practicing their religious right in Malaysia.
So for those who do not wish to be subjected to these law has only one choice, which is to abandon Islam as defined in Malaysias context.
Like me, A Malaysian-Islam apostate. Otherwise my wife we’d be wearing chasisy belts and id still be infront of the denmarks embassy burning norweigens flag.