`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Sunday, October 5, 2014

New interfaith dept must go beyond talk

Azmin's brainchild will end up as a mere talk shop if it does not get powers to implement its policies.
COMMENT
Holy-Bible300Menteri Besar Azmin Ali proposes to set up a “new department in Selangor to solve religious issues”. It would be a laudable move indeed if a new space were created to bridge the differences in views and perception between the various communities in the state.
Regardless of the obvious benefit of fostering better inter-religious relations and creating better understanding on communal differences, the department may find itself becoming just a talk shop if it does not receive any powers to implement its policies. What if it finds the existing state religious departments not recognising its authority on matters of religion?
An advisory role to influence the reform of state legislation might be one way to circumvent this. But again the compliance factor would be brought into doubt. The religious establishments are accorded a degree of independence as they derive their powers from the Sultan of Selangor himself.
In a nutshell, the manifest effectiveness of this new department would depend on the willing cooperation of existing authorities, which are separate and independent in their scope and powers.
How do we tackle grey areas?
It is not unforeseeable that conflict could arise in the area of jurisdiction when, for instance, a religious authority enforces its powers over what it perceives to be a grey area or one where the interests of different religions overlap.
It is already a moot point that the Selangor Islamic Religious Department has refused to return the confiscated Bibles against the Attorney General’s advice. Malaysians are renowned throughout the world to be a litigious society. So we can expect the issue to evolve into yet another divisive court battle if the Bible Society of Malaysia wishes to recover the Bibles.
It is indisputable that the sovereign rulers have the final say in Islamic religious matters, but Malaysia is still in a fog with regard to inter-religious issues after 51 years of federation with Sabah and Sarawak and 57 years of freedom from colonial control. Observers must decide for themselves whether the fog is brought on by a legal quandary or by the absence of the political will to check the tendency to prevaricate on the issue of upholding the constitutional rights of all citizens.
The contentious issue of the conversion of minors has seen some decisive rulings from the secular courts, but the politicisation of the enforcement arm has beclouded the situation with the same mist that shrouds the Bible confiscation. We all know that might is right. And we all know that even good intentions will be stalled without the might to make things right.
Religious insensitivities must be checked
As for the performance of sacrificial rites in school compounds, it would smack of religious tyranny for any school head to insist it is his or her right to allow it within the school vicinity. There would be no complaints if it’s a religious school, but the national schools have a plural mix of students who adhere to different belief systems, some of whom would be offended by this blood rite. The ideal place to conduct the sacrifice would be in the compounds of religious buildings or the open spaces of community centres.
The Creator is omnipresent, and if doing the ritual in a less controversial space would preserve the harmony of the community, then we can be confident that the sacrifice would be doubly blessed.
There should be little problem in the setting up of the MB’s new department. But the test of the pudding will be in the taste. If he doesn’t get some credible people into the committee, it will become the butt of jokes. It needs to have its remit properly defined or it will become a mere social gathering for sipping tea and munching cakes.
It must come up with properly thought out recommendations or policies that can be implemented or it will risk becoming just another paid public relations exercise. It is early days yet, so we will see what sort of gumption goes into its composition, which will determine its ability to stand up to criticism. It will be dealing with issues where its opponents have held the sway of the public’s perception for decades and undoubtedly have the might to hang on to it.
Will this talk shop have the ability to walk its talk?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.