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."
The Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) president S Shashi said his organisation will not be making a police report against Firdaus because nothing has come of it every time they do.
What
do you think Firdaus thinks of all the police reports lodged against
him and others of his ilk? Firdaus knows he is untouchable when it comes
to the religion of the state.
When
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim presided over the conversion of a young
man, this signalled to the religious bureaucracy and its emissaries that
in-your-face proselytisation was acceptable no matter the tense
religious and racial climate this country was experiencing.
We live in a country where non-Muslims are banned from using certain words, we live in a country where there are cases of non-Muslim children being unilaterally converted and kidnapped, we live in a country where non-Muslims are warned not to disturb Muslim rights when advocating their democratic rights and social justice.
We live in a country where non-Muslim economic endeavours are curtailed because of Muslim piety, we live in a country where in some states, non-Muslim places of worship are subject to restrictions on who can enter.
We live in a country where celebrity preachers mock non-Muslim religions, we live in a country where non-Muslims are often demonised and used as scapegoats by political operatives and political elites, we live in a country where non-Muslims are told that we are not citizens but rather pendatang.
So,
when Anwar presided over the conversion of that Hindu youth, he was
representing the religious reality that non-Muslims face in this
country. He was not merely welcoming a new convert into the religion, he
was reinforcing religious narratives.
The terrifying reality
Now,
Firdaus understands this reality. I would argue that he benefits from
it. However, do the minors he enables and advises to deceive their
families understand this reality?
As I said, religious
experimentation in minors is expected but when it comes to the Malaysian
context religious experimentation comes with severe consequences.
And
I do not mean solely when it comes to non-Muslim minors. Indeed, so
terrified of any kind of possible conversion or undue influence, the
state authorities monitor the social landscape in case Muslims are
influenced by other religions.
This is what the Selangor Islamic Council (Mais) chairperson said when he proclaimed it was unlawful for Muslims to visit non-Muslim places of worship to learn about other religions:
“Although
the objective of this programme is said to give exposure towards a
religion (sic) practised in this country and to form close unity among
the believers of different religions, programmes to learn about other
religions other than Islam in any churches or any houses of worship
needs certain controls and restrictions to ensure there is no element of
persuading Muslims to be influenced and interested in other religions
besides Islam and also no involvement of Muslims in other religions’
rituals.”
With all this in mind, we really must ask ourselves, does the Madani state condone what Firdaus does?
If there are no repercussions, then we know the answer.
