Rudyard Kipling"
“When 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 soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It 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."
Ban Bon Odori, ban Oktoberfest. Ban Christmas next? - Francis Paul Siah
Sunday, August 07, 2022
Malaysiakini : The PAS minister only retreated when the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan
Sharafuddin Idris Shah, instructed the Selangor Islamic religious
department (Jais) to allow the festival to proceed and also instructed
officials of Jais and the Shah Alam City Council to attend Bon Odori to
“see for themselves” what takes place at the festival.
On July 16, some 50,000 visitors thronged the festival, a month after it came under scrutiny. So much for the minister’s silly views and objections.
What
does this tell us? Do we have the wrong guy at the helm of the
Religious Affairs Ministry? He gave all his reasons why Muslims are not
permitted to attend the festival but relented when the sultan decreed
otherwise.
Ramblings on alcohol
Next month is October, and as usual, the German beer festival, Oktoberfest, will be upon us.
And we have the minister in the news once again as a bearer of negativity and unhappy tidings.
A beer festival that is open to the public should not be allowed
in Malaysia, Idris declared and asked all parties to respect the rules
and laws of Malaysia that are based on Islam as the religion of the
federation.
The minister also stated that public consumption of
alcohol causes social problems such as domestic violence, traffic
accidents, poverty, fights, health problems, and poor work performance.
“Alcohol is seen as being capable of affecting harmony, tranquillity, and public security,” Idris added.
I don’t know whether Idris is a smoker, but if he is, I have to ask him what he was smoking in his rambling over alcohol.
Here,
I wish to inform the minister that drug abuse is just as bad as
alcohol, if not worse. He should concentrate on how to stamp out drug
abuse within his community as it is known that Malay youths are among
the worst drug abusers in the country.
I would also ask the
minister to help tackle the Mat Rempit menace as illegal motor racing
now involves heavy betting in the public space. Isn’t gambling out of
bounds for Muslims too, eh Idris?
Ban on Christmas?
So
what’s next for the Religious Affairs Ministry? Christmas will be with
us in a few months. Will there be a call to ban the Christmas
celebrations? Will putting up Christmas trees and singing Christmas
carols in public also be a “no-no”? Or will Muslims be told not to wish
their Christian friends ‘Happy Christmas’?
I have not forgotten Zakir Naik, a known hate preacher, and his 2016 video where on his Twitter handle @DrZakirNaikFC, he wrote:
“Wishing Merry Christmas to Christians is a worse evil, worse than
fornication or murder. Please avoid it, my dear Muslims. It’s a big sin.
Retweet and spread the message.
“I hope no Muslim wishes or
updates any status on Christmas because celebrating Christmas is against
Islam, against Allah, against Prophet Muhammad (SAW), so be aware of
that very big sin.”
I believe Zakir Naik is still in Malaysia as
he is said to have a Malaysian PR. Initially, he was very aggressive
with his hate speeches and only stopped when advised by the government
to do so, following public protests against his presence in Malaysia.
With
PAS leaders in charge of religious affairs in the country, I am the
least surprised if one of the party’s fanatics suddenly called for a ban
on celebrating Christmas.
I am ready and prepared for that day to
dawn. To these bigots and extremists, let me inform them that a village
idiot from Borneo also knows his constitutional rights and will
retaliate accordingly when necessary.
