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Sunday, February 24, 2019

Don't be insensitive to non-Abrahamic religions



Malaysiakini - Police urged to take swift action after Hindu idols found at Klang surau (extracts):


Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa has called on authorities to take swift action and put an end to alleged attempts to stoke religious tension.

This follows the reported discovery of two Hindu idols placed on the wall of the Sabilul Huda surau in Klang, just three days after a statue of a deity, also known as 'Datuk Gong', was found outside its entrance
.


Apart from an earlier prank being repeated, to wit, placing non-Islamic religious icons in or on the perimeter walls of a surau, which BTW is not funny and in fact can be dangerously provocative and inflammatory, the use of the word "idol" as in "Hindu idols" in above news article has been quite insensitive.

The word "idol" is at best condescending, and can even be far worse and insultingly derogatory. It's not unlike the earlier years of British colonialism when Christians referred to images, statuettes or icons of Buddha and Bodhisattva as "pagan gods" (when the Buddha and Bodhisattva were/are NOT gods).


A better word in above Malaysiakini article would have been "icon" or even better, "Hindu religious icons".


8 comments:

  1. [PAS today welcomed a statement by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief that it had so far found no 1MDB-linked funds deposited into its bank accounts, saying it proved there had been an “evil plot” to tarnish the Islamist party’s image.]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As HY said who cares about the truth? On the same note; who cares about the truth on WMD? Mutilate Iraq and kill Saddam first. Likewise, who cares about the truth on kleptocracy & RM42.0 billion 1MDB? Kill UMNO/BN and imprison Najib first.

      I agree with HY.. it is all about the political game of perception, (and aspersions and fitnah).

      I also agree with Hadi/PAS that indeed "Islam Memimpin".

      Delete
    2. Wakakakakaka…

      BS-ter, now u not ONLY r championing for rosmajib. U also trying hard to shield pus about that RM90M pocket money for the zombie elites!

      Where's my take about hadi bawang/pus that "Memimpin Islam"?

      Delete
  2. Language is rooted in, and often a prisoner of, the cultural base of its origins.
    Unfortunately, 2 of the most commonly utilised languages in Malaysia, Bahasa Malaysia and English arise from cultures rooted in Abrahamic religions, Islam and Christianity.
    Unless you make a conscious effort to use alternative or neutral words , many of the common terms used in referring to other religions are often unflattering and even insulting.

    The Pope himself has been guilty of (unintentionally, I believe) publicly denigrating non-Christian religions.

    Similarly, due to China's long historical inward-looking mentality, isolation and , later, ill-treatment at the hands of foreign powers, many of the terms Chinese commonly use to refer to non-Chinese and foreigners are actually disrespectful and disparaging.

    Chinese themselves are often insensitive to the overtones of those words.
    One case I personally knew happened over Chinese New Year, a woman was pulled aside by his son , not to use certain words in front of her Australian daughter-in-law, who can speak Chinese, wakakakka..

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  3. Muslims in Malaysia also frequently belittle Catholics for having statues, images and relics of Mother Mary, Infant Jesus, various saints etc and consider these as idols. Heck, even crosses on buildings and churches are objectionable. Like garlic to Count Dracula. What's the matter with these people. Don't worry. Allah is all powerful. Idols will be crushed.

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  4. Since everyone is insulting everyone's else religion from time to time, the question remains "Why do their religion or God/God's needs protection from mere mortals?"

    Why don't those who feel their religion are insulted, pray to their God/God's for divine intervention on those perpetrators?


    Is it because, everyone is just using religion as an excuse to further their own personal agendas?

    Or is it because no one actually believes in the power and greatness of their God/God's and need mere human beings to intervene on behalf of their God/God's.

    Does it not show God/God's in religions are actually creations of humans and need mere mortals to protect the sanctity of their religions?

    Do everyone need to continue being stupid and believe all these fairy tales created a few thousand years ago?

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  5. https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/465504

    Looks like the work of a Muslim man who is not quite sane.

    ReplyDelete