I haven't actually blogged for sometime. I realise that. Well actually the simple truth is I'm lazy. And I procrastinate. And it isn't easy finding things to blog about. Here's the thing, I'm naturally inquisitive and I spend most of my free time studying people and wondering how they behave how they do. Since I've come home for my sem break (insert a resounding 'yay' here) I've been pretty...well I find no other word other than 'flabbergasted' to describe how I feel about the many odd goings-on in my home country. And voila, here's a reason for a new blog post!
Okay for the uninitiated, if you're from another country, or if you're from Malaysia and basically living under a rock, Muslims all over the world celebrate their holy month of Ramadan by fasting from daybreak to sunset. In a country like Malaysia where more than half the population are Muslims, this should be common knowledge.
So what could possibly be the problem? Well there's been a lot of publicized incidents where the most recent is when a school teacher allegedly told non-Muslim students to drink water in the school toilets and if they didn't have enough, drink their own urine. As if to make it better, a minister later claimed the remark was 'made in jest', and what the teacher actually said was to show respect by drinking their water in the toilets. Yeah that solves everything. A few years back another school set up tables in the toilets for non-Muslim students to have their lunch breaks during Ramadan. If you're wondering what are the limits of stupidity, here is stupid level = infinite.
All these distasteful incidents were viral on social media, and social media attracts keyboard warriors like Indians to a grand sale (don't even try to deny it, I'm one of them). Of all the nasty, foul-worded comments on the post there appeared to be specific categories. First were the Muslims who apologised to the non-Muslims for the incidents, angry non-Muslims who were disgusted by these incidents, and most weird, Muslims who supported the incidents, of which there were quite a number. I remember seeing one odd comment where a Facebook user asked, "why do you non-Muslims hate Prophet Muhammad so much?" at which I was left dumbfounded. Say what?
You see, there is a reason for fasting. Being a Catholic, during the season of Lent we're taught to fast and/or abstain from meat for a reason. Remembering the less fortunate. Perhaps on a religious level understanding the sacrifices made by Jesus or what have you. Bottom line is, the idea of fasting is to resist temptation. And how do you resist temptation when you ask it to get out of your way?
There is absolutely no sense I can see in this. How does that even work? Hey you, get that sandwich out of my face because it's tempting me and I might just go buy one and burn in hell for all eternity? Dude, your water is calling to me like a grand sale calls Indians? (Help I can't stop) Why does it become our responsibility to accommodate you? It should be our moral obligation, not a duty. And to impose it on young children?
Now on a more humane level, which pea brain came up with the idea of the toilet? Of all the places in a school, the freaking toilet? Why couldn't have it been a classroom, or the school hall, or heck, the school cafeteria? Isn't it easier to ask the Muslim students to avoid the cafeteria? I have no wish to even begin to name all the pathogenic cocci and bacteria lurking in a school toilet. How despicable of you to show the world that you're fasting, and yet behave in such a manner?
People turn into atheists because they see incidents like these which further strengthen their convictions. I think the problem with religion isn't the religion itself but the people practising it have too much attention on rituals until they forget the root of all religion is the basic values preached. And Lord knows we need those.
I studied in a college where I had 3 Muslim roommates. They were really nice people and I never objected to them praying, or listening to devotional songs, or doing anything religious. Frankly it wasn't actually a question of tolerance, but the truth is it never bothered me. In the same way they weren't bothered by the Bible I kept on my table. Or perhaps they tolerated it. And during the month of Ramadan even though I tried not to eat in front of them, they would still tell me to go ahead and eat as I don't sahur (pre-dawn meal).
So who gives you the right to claim that we hate Muhammad? Wouldn't any objection to the incidents occurring be made on a human rights basis, not the fake assumption that non-Muslims have some beef with Muhammad?
With all that said, I'm going to appeal to all Muslims who think that these incidents are justified, think again. I'm greatly saddened to think that Malaysians, with all their advancement in the world are falling short when it comes to practising basic understanding and tolerance. Maybe a little more understanding of what a fast requires, and what it's supposed to achieve will help you out. Otherwise, it's going to be a never-ending battle. It's the little things that tear a country apart.
By the way, to all teachers, please do watch your words. I have had many nasty people who claim to be educators but make the most racist and politically incorrect statements under the sun. I even once had a teacher who said that Saddam Hussein was right all along, that's why the Americans got rid of him. Erm, nice thing to say, Miss Sunshine.
Would all the people who can't communicate shut up?
~Tom Lehrer~
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