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."
Why does Umno want to destroy KK Mart? By Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy
Monday, March 25, 2024
Malaysiakini : “Business practices” imply a history of behaviour and so far neither
Akmal nor his supporters can point to anything that KK Mart has done
which would invite such political or religious opprobrium.
Hasan
said it was yet to be determined if this act was done maliciously or in
ignorance. Indeed, we have to ask ourselves why KK Mart or its vendor
would subject itself to such acts as doxxing, police investigations, and
online harassment just to sell garments with the word Allah on them.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan
We
have to ask ourselves why a business which caters to a large Muslim
clientele would risk their bottom line selling garments which would
offend.
The elites in Umno have no real idea what it takes to grow
a business like KK Mart or what it means to employ people and ensure
their sensitivities are taken into account.
And can anyone make the argument that non-Malays are ignorant of the sensitivities of Muslims in this country?
For
decades we have been told what the sensitivities of the Muslims are.
For decades we have been warned not to trespass into the religious
domains of the majority.
The political system is predicated on
non-Muslims knowing and understanding the religious sensitivities of the
majority. So Hasan would have us believe that the owners of KK Mart
either deliberately or in ignorance sold socks with the word Allah on
them.
Hasan also said this is not a partisan or racial issue but a
religious one. Since race and religion are not mutually exclusive for
the majority community in this country, he cannot make this
qualification.
How much anger?
The fact that Akmal has said he would risk anything
including position and power to defend Islam and that Umno (no matter
who their friends are) would always defend Islam - this is a racial
issue because Umno claims to be the sole defender of race and religion.
As reported in the press, Zaid Ibrahim said there must be limits to your anger.
“First,
you asked the Chinese trader to apologise, and they did. Then, you
revoked the factory licence, and they are now out of business. Then you
said the boycott would continue.”
So, the question becomes how much is your anger towards the Chinese community?
Zaid also said, “No one should use God to break the law, incite hatred, and destroy businesses.”
If
people have a phobia about Islam as a state religion in this country,
it is because policies that disenfranchise them are done in the name of
Islam. It is not hidden.
Political and religious operatives use it
as a selling point. And we non-Muslims cannot fight back because to do
so would mean, you guessed it, that we were Islamophobic or worse,
invite sanctions from the state.
Even Muslims who speak up against fascist dogma are targeted by the state, to make an example of them.
I
have no idea why Umno would want to see KK Mart close shop. I have no
idea why they think this would work in reaffirming their position as the
sole defenders of bangsa (race) and agama (religion).
Electoral support
Enjoying
the spotlight, Akmal likes to behave as though he is speaking for the
majority community. But is he really? Umno is haemorrhaging Malay
support. Perikatan Nasional has got the Malay popular vote and its
provocateurs have gained traction with the Malay majority, especially
young Malays.
So if Akmal thinks that his shenanigans really carry
weight with them, he may well be in for a rude surprise. Don’t get me
wrong. They may very well support his ideas but this may not translate
to electoral support.
Akmal has made it clear that nothing but the
total destruction of KK Mart would satisfy him. And believe me, if his
friends at KK Mart find another business, you can bet your last ringgit
that Akmal would be there not satisfied but wanting more payback.
Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh
And
what does the prime minister think of Umno wanting to destroy a viable
business which hires many Malay-Muslims? Does he really think that Umno,
a partner in his government acting this way, is going to burnish his
racial and religious credentials?
Does he really think that
stoking religious sentiment on a business which is beneficial to the
Malay-Muslim community is going to enable his economic agenda?
What
exactly is the play here? Destroy KK Mart and then attempt to build
back a successful business using the machinery of government? How did
Low Yat 2 work out?
Zaid said that a rampaging Umno must be
stopped but the problem here is that this government so far has enabled
the rampaging Umno and the non-Malays have been cowed into thinking that
disrupting the apple cart would open the gates of Putrajaya to PN.
So the question then becomes why does Umno want to destroy KK Mart and why is the prime minister allowing the party to do so?
Mohamad is right about one thing. Malaysia is at a pivotal juncture.
