Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Will the non-UMNO Malays and Muslims in Malaysia stand up to be counted once and for all?
Thursday, October 10, 2013
By J. D. Lovrenciear Racism is bad. Race based arguments, justifications and politicking is sinfully against the universal principles of humanity. Likewise dichotomies along religious parameters also go against the very global intentions of peace and brotherhood amongst humanity.
But in Malaysia this is the heightened season of racism and religious fervor.
Going by the actions, reactions, statements and positions taken by the leaders within the UMNO barracks, one can be forgiven for believing that this is the very season to talk, think and act in a racist manner spiked with generous doses of religious fervor ā given the soon to held UMNO general assembly and elections.
The pitch is obviously building up at to a feverish pace with the latest grand slam coming from the former Prime Minister of 22 years.
Going by the several UMNO leadersā claims and public statements, it gives one the impression that all Malays in the country are UMNO members and that if UMNO thinks Malays are being threatened by non-Malays, it also represents what all Malays and muslims here in Malaysia think and feel.
The perception being crafted in the minds and hearts of the Malays is, without UMNO the Malays are at great threat and risk of losing out completely to the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia.
And to add pungency to the concoction, religion is also thrown into the propaganda being minted by UMNO. Now it seems that both the Malays and Islam are also under threat by non-Malays and non-muslims.
The question is: Are all Malays in this nation, UMNO members, UMNO supporters and UMNO sympathisers? Are there no Malays in the opposition political parties? Are all Muslims suspicious of all non-Muslims? Or, are all non-Muslims against the Muslims in this land?
And if UMNO is for all Malays and for all Malay muslims, what on earth is PAS there for? Are the PAS leaders and followers not Malays and believers of Islam? Is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim not Malay and a Muslim? Are the Malays within DAP murtads?
While UMNO seems to rile up the citizens of Malaysia along race and religion cards and drum rumors of a pending attack on Malay-muslim rights, privileges and what have you, perhaps it is about time then that the Malays who are not with UMNO stand up and be counted.
It is about time that the world came to know in a definitive manner that there are Malaysian Malay-muslims who do not subscribe to the UMNO-styled mantras of divisiveness, suspiciousness and alienation of people.
It is about time that all the Malays and muslims who believe in the sanctity of humanity stood out and stood tall in the face of this UMNO war mongering.
It is about time that the Malays and muslims who did not subscribe to the UMNO prescription nor consumed UMNO-Baruās concotion, convened and made their presence heard and felt right into the camp of the UMNO warlords.
As time and tide waits for no man, it is about time that all the Malaysian Malays and muslims owed up collectively irrespective of whether they are civil servants, in opposition political parties, professional bodies, private sector or even if they were politically neutered.
This owing up and standing up for the principles of humanity beyond race and religion parameters or what we can proudly term as Malaysia's Defining Moment of Truth, is vital if the nation wants to start its walk into the future without the aid of political party-survival tactics and socio-economic crutches.
The question is will Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim lead the Malay Muslims in the wake of the UMNO hype that seems to give the impression that all the Malay muslims in this country are all the way in total agreement with the UMNO mantra of political survival.
Such a show will put an end to all the race and religious dichotomies that seems to grip the nation in a kind of socio-economic and socio-political paralysis.
If the Malays and muslims do not band together to show up then we must put to rest all arguments and accept the fact that UMNO is right after all and that only UMNO can defend and guard the Malay muslims from the supposed attacks from the non-Malay and non-Muslim population and as such all Malay muslims in Malaysia are for UMNO.