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."
Malaysiakini : Fifteen years ago, anything resembling a cross was deemed an affront
to their religion, so much so, that I had suggested (in jest) that the
plus sign (+) sign be removed from school textbooks so that their
followers will not ābe confusedā as they had claimed.
This was
followed by Selangor PAS which wanted the Pakatan Rakyat state
government to implement a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol in all
Muslim-majority areas.
Then came the protests against Oktoberfest events, described as āpesta arakā,
without understanding its origins, notwithstanding that it is a German
cultural festival. Even local authorities supported the call for a ban
citing āsecurity reasonsā.
If the state cannot provide safety for
citizens to enjoy their beers in a pub or a restaurant or in any
licenced designated place, then, all we can say is that the system has
failed and its hidden hands are exposed.
In between, Umno leader Jamal Yunos used a sledgehammer to smash
crates of beer bottles outside the Selangor State Secretariat (SUK)
building in Shah Alam, back in 2017.
Umno leader Jamal Yunos using a sledgehammer to smash crates of beer bottles
"If
you want to drink, let (then-Selangor menteri besar) Azmin Ali and the
gang, the executive councillors, drink and get drunk in their offices.
But don't let the Selangor people become drunk at beer parties," Jamal
charged.
āReligious elementsā
Then, PAS
again called Muslims to stay away from the Bon Odori Festival due to
concerns of āreligious elementsā at the Japanese cultural event despite
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ordering the Selangor Islamic Religious
Department (Jais) not to forbid Muslims from attending the festival.
As
an act of defiance, both the PAS Ulama Council and its womenās wing
issued statements to urge Muslims not to participate in the Bon Odori
festival.
In between, there were isolated reports of self-appointed vigilantes going around shops ordering them to stop selling beer.
Over
the weekend, a video of Permatang Pauh MP Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan
holding discussions with a Penang mallās management on beer promotion
emerged.
Why would he take umbrage at the promotion as such events
are held in almost all malls and shopping centres throughout the
country? The sale is not being carried out in a public place but within
the confines of the mall.
The PAS lawmaker said that during the meeting, he had expressed a
āstrong objectionā to the large-scale promotion and sale of alcoholic
beverages in the main lobby area.
Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad his attire is very offensive, he ain't no Camel Jockey!!
āTo safeguard the sensitivities of Muslimsā¦ it is hoped that such a situation does not recur,ā Fawwaz said.
Utter
bunkum. How does it affect the sensitivities of Muslims? No one is
putting a gun to the heads of anyone to compel them to buy the beers or
consume them. It is an individualās choice.
At every supermarket,
there are areas where crates of beer are stacked up for sale. Every day,
customers push their trolleys past these stacks and it only attracts
those who buy beer. Period.
The beer promotion is inside the mall
and it is not for on-site consumption. It is for consumers to take them
home, and share them with friends and family. Or if they use it to
fertilise their rose plants, it is not the business of an elected
representative, let alone a lawmaker.
Going into overdrive
Five
years ago when the protests against Oktoberfest went into overdrive, I
wrote: āā¦the nation is being held to ransom by a handful of zealots.
Yet, the government is watching with folded arms and refuses to stand up
to this kind of bullying.
āEven the civil service has become
subservient to the frolics of the few. All and sundry have got their
priorities wrong for political expediency.
āAt every turn,
religion is creeping into our daily lives unabated. Despite espousing
moderation, both verbally and in writing, these so-called advocates of
temperance and reasonableness retreat into their cocoons when confronted
with issues.ā
Religion is being used to interfere with our
rights. It is not that we are consuming bootleg as there are two
licensed breweries through which the government collected more than
RM2.2 billion in taxes in 2021. Besides, both employ over 1,500 people
and they indirectly provide income for another 52,000.
Each
religion has its own sets of values and diktats and they differ. But to
impose oneās morals, ethics and beliefs on another is surely not
acceptable.
I previously wrote: āWe cannot continue putting up our
hands and saying, āWhat can we do?ā We have to say, āEnough is enoughā,
and collectively drown the voices of the few who are trying to impose
their values on the rest of the citizens.ā
If Fawwaz did it for
his two minutes of fame, he succeeded, but his actions have left a
bitter taste in the mouths of Malaysians - worse than stale or flat
beer.
