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."
Who will stop the rogue religious fanatics? By Mariam Mokhtar
Saturday, February 11, 2023
Malaysiakini : Who will be converted? It seems like there are five main target
groups; schoolchildren, young women, the Orang Asli, single mothers and
elderly parents - according to my sources.
The next question is
"why". Why dismiss Article 11 of the Federal Constitution? Why convert
non-Muslims? The answer is not so straightforward.
Some believe God will grant them rewards (pahala). Others want to curry
favour with their superiors. A few do it for promotion and career
progression. Many think that they can be fast-tracked to heaven by
converting non-Malays.
The easiest target is schoolchildren. Children,
especially those in boarding schools, like the Orang Asli children and
the indigenous population of East Malaysia make perfect targets. They
are very vulnerable without the protection of their parents.
Christian parents
who waved goodbye to their child at the start of the academic year, are
horrified to receive a tudung-clad daughter, at the end of term.
The child will bear an Islamic name and bring an identity card with “Islam” written under “religion”.
It's
not just the dress code, the dietary requirements or the new prayer
routine that upsets parents. It is the insidious nature of the
conversion.
The principal will have failed in his duty of care
towards the child. Sadly, the parent's trust in the school is rewarded
with this unimaginable betrayal.
The teenager whose parents lodged a police report yesterday, alleged
that his teacher had told him that his chances to become a national
footballer would improve if he were to embrace Islam.
The
teacher took advantage of the boy's passion for football and gave him
false hope. Did he impress upon him that success is also dependent on
his dedication, commitment, determination, discipline, hard work and
personal sacrifice?
Tragedy struck other teenagers in the past. In 2015, a 14-year-old from Port Dickson, G Thiyaggurudeen, attempted suicide by drinking coffee laced with paraquat.
After
Thiyaggurudeen's father divorced his Indonesian Muslim mother, both
father and son applied to be apostates, but only the father's
application was successful.
When his father banned him from
attending the school's Islamic classes, Thiyaggurudeen's teachers urged
him to lodge a police report against his father. They even forced him to
drink “air penawar” (holy water), before he endured a traumatic
indoctrination by religious missionaries.
Young non-Malay/Muslim
girls are considered ripe for conversion. The details of “Project Cinta”
are sketchy and secret, presumably because it is highly controversial.
As
for Project Cinta, it involves impressionable young women fall in love
with Malay/Muslim men. Some become pregnant or become engaged, before
they marry and start a family.
Soon after, the man abandons them.
The woman will find it impossible to revert to her former religion and
anyone who marries her will have to convert.
Single mothers victimised
The non-Muslim single mother
is often the victim of converts. The former husbands of Indira Gandhi
and Loh Siew Hong were Hindus. They converted to Islam and kidnapped
their children, despite the High Court granting the single mothers
custody. These women and their children experience a living hell.
Were
the men promised an easier life, with access to business loans for
small enterprises, or housing applications upon conversion? What are the
real reasons for conversion? Did they finally see the Islamic light?
Not
all victims are young. Elderly and sick non-Malays have allegedly been
converted on their deathbeds by their own children over inheritance
issues.
Indira Gandhi
The
Muslim convert will inherit the property of the parent he helped to
convert. All that is required is the parent's thumbprint or signature on
the conversion papers. Bitter family feuds originate from deathbed
conversions.
The final easy target is the Orang Asli. Occupying
government-built brick-and-mortar homes are not without conditions. It
is alleged that the electrical supply and piped water connection will
only become available after conversion.
In fact, Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) director-general Juli Edo himself had admonished the Kelantan government in the past for its plan to convert the Orang Asli people in the state to Islam.
Loh Siew Hong
In
the 1970s and 1980s, East Malaysian leaders were claimed to have used
helicopters to reach the longhouses deep in the interior. NGOs who
worked closely with the indigenous communities alleged that the help
provided was a front for dakwah activities.
The conversion issue
has existed for decades, but if the victims are reluctant to come
forward, these coerced conversions remain as mere allegations. That is
why the teenager who lodged the police report yesterday should be
praised.
It was courageous of him and his parents to expose these
bigots, but by keeping quiet, more damage will be done. Their exposé
will save others from a humiliating ordeal and help to overhaul the
teaching fraternity and sports bodies.
The teenager realises that he and his family will be targeted, not just at school, but also in the community.
Another
teenager, Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, reported her teacher for making
jokes about rape. Everyone, including the minister and police, dragged
their feet over this scandal. Ain Husniza has not received justice. In
fact, the teacher sued her for it.
We
may not know the teenager, but the least we can do for this footballing
teenager is to offer our moral support, share his story and continue to
pressure the authorities to take action.
This
teenager's case covers a wide spectrum of agencies. The school, the
Education Department and the Education, Sports, and Law Ministries.
One final question. How will the government stop these religious fanatics? Doing nothing is not an option.
