Malaysiakini via Malaysia-Today:
Religious Brainwashing In Schools
by FA Abdul
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A few years ago, when my son was still studying at a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, I received a letter from the school informing me about “Kem Kepimpinan Pelajar Islam” (leadership camp for Islamic students) which was scheduled once a week, for several weeks, after school hours.
The letter, however, did not seek my consent as a parent and guardian to send the student under my care to the after school programme. Instead, it was more of an acknowledgement.
Knowing very well what takes place in such after school hours religious programmes, I wrote a letter to the school informing them that my son will not attend the programme and had assumed that since the school has been informed, my son would be excused from attending it. But I was wrong.
A couple of hours before school ended on the first day of the “kem kepimpinan”, my son called me from his school’s public telephone booth. He informed me that the school has rejected letters from parents who did not give their consent for their children to be held back for the religious programme.
I advised my son to pack his bags after school hours and make his way to the school gate with other non-Muslim students. I convinced him that no one can stop him if he wanted to leave after school, and I would be waiting for him outside the school like I always do.
When I arrived at my son’s school at 1.25pm, the main gate was shut. Only the side door next to the main gate was open, and I saw non-Muslim students walking out through it. I decided to wait for my son.
A few minutes later, I received another phone call from my son.
“Ma, I cannot come out. They have locked the main gate and informed the guard not to allow Muslim students to leave the school. I tried to leave, but the guard stopped me. I guess I don’t have a choice, I’ll see you after the programme ends at 4pm.”
I was furious. I stepped out of my car and went to the school’s main gate which was shut tight. I tried pushing it, but it wouldn’t open.
I knocked on the side door and called for the guard: “Why is the main gate closed? I was supposed to fetch my son after school, why was he not allowed to leave school?”
“Principal’s orders. All Muslim students cannot go back. There is a school programme for them. They must attend,” he replied.
“I am a parent. And I want to take my son home. The school cannot force any students to participate in a programme without the consent of the parent!” I was fuming with anger.
“Sorry, but I am just doing my job,” the guard was apologetic.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down before asking the guard to allow me to enter the school premises.
“I want to see what the programme is about,” I told him.
“It is a leadership programme,” he said.
“It’s a religious programme,” I corrected him.
The guard then asked me to wait outside while he contacted the school office and informed the teachers on duty about me. A few minutes later I was allowed to enter the school premises.
“Go straight to the office. Please. You can tell the teacher that you want to take your son home,” the guard reminded me a couple of times.
At the school office, I informed the clerk of my intention and was advised to wait for a teacher. After waiting for quite some time, a teacher walks in and asked me what the matter was about.
I informed him about my letter to the school.
“But the programme is good, Puan. Your son will learn all about wuduk (ritual purification), solat (prayers) and other religious practices,” he explained.
“My son is now in secondary school. He has been learning about wuduk and solat since Standard One, what else is there to learn?”
The teacher then excused himself and said I would be attended by another teacher who has the authority to release my son from school.
A while later, another teacher walks in, “Are you the one who wishes to take the student home?”
I nodded.
“May I know the reason?” she asked.
“Well, first of all, I did consent my son attending the programme in the first place,” I replied.
“But it’s good for him.”
I reminded myself to keep calm and repeated myself like an old recorder: “I am sure it is. But my son already knows the basic of wuduk, solat and other practices.”
“The students don’t only learn the basics, they learn more. Like I said, the programme is good for Muslim students.”
“Look, I don’t want my son to learn more. The basics are good enough. If I want my son to learn more about religion, I will send him to sekolah agama (religious school). Now, can I take my son out of the programme?” I asked.
The teacher then turned to the clerk and asked her to provide me with a form.
“Please fill up this form. Your son will be sent to the office and then you can take him home,” said the teacher before leaving.
Quite bitter with the process of taking my own son out of an after school programme, I filled out the form and gave it to the clerk. She then had to run down, get the teacher on duty to sign the form and then start looking for my son.
After almost half an hour sitting in the office being stared at by other teachers, my son appeared at the office with his school bag.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Can we just leave?” he pleaded.
Since that day, every time there was a religious after school programme, I would be sitting in the school office, filling up the same form before school was over.
On the month of Ramadhan when these religious programmes took precedence and Muslim students were made to leave their Science, Mathematics and English classes and assemble in the school surau, my son would end up doing his revisions at home.
For many years before May 9, 2018, religion was brought into our schools and Muslim students were forced to swallow these religious teachings with or without parents’ consent.
Today, after we have been promised with the hope of a new future under New Malaysia, religion is still creeping its way into our educational institutions.
After years of trying to rescue my son from the religious indoctrination in school, my son who is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science ended up being forced to attend Islamic classes in his university as part of his academic course. This time around, I am unable to do anything about it.
While listening to my son grumble about his Islamic classes in university, I continue to hear similar grumbles from friends whose children are in our public schools.
Stories about ustads and ustazahs punishing Muslim students who admitted to not praying at home; advising Muslim students not to be friends with the non-Muslims or face the risk of having their faiths shaken; and forcing Muslim female students to substitute pinafores with baju kurung and head scarves – the stories just never ends.
We may have voted our old government out, but our new government is filled with the products of our old government. How do we change a system when the people we entrust to change the system are the same people who are already indoctrinated by the old system?
How do we change an education system which is tainted by religious indoctrination, especially since the indoctrination was spearheaded under the same leaders back then that we have now?
The letter, however, did not seek my consent as a parent and guardian to send the student under my care to the after school programme. Instead, it was more of an acknowledgement.
Knowing very well what takes place in such after school hours religious programmes, I wrote a letter to the school informing them that my son will not attend the programme and had assumed that since the school has been informed, my son would be excused from attending it. But I was wrong.
A couple of hours before school ended on the first day of the “kem kepimpinan”, my son called me from his school’s public telephone booth. He informed me that the school has rejected letters from parents who did not give their consent for their children to be held back for the religious programme.
I advised my son to pack his bags after school hours and make his way to the school gate with other non-Muslim students. I convinced him that no one can stop him if he wanted to leave after school, and I would be waiting for him outside the school like I always do.
When I arrived at my son’s school at 1.25pm, the main gate was shut. Only the side door next to the main gate was open, and I saw non-Muslim students walking out through it. I decided to wait for my son.
A few minutes later, I received another phone call from my son.
“Ma, I cannot come out. They have locked the main gate and informed the guard not to allow Muslim students to leave the school. I tried to leave, but the guard stopped me. I guess I don’t have a choice, I’ll see you after the programme ends at 4pm.”
I was furious. I stepped out of my car and went to the school’s main gate which was shut tight. I tried pushing it, but it wouldn’t open.
I knocked on the side door and called for the guard: “Why is the main gate closed? I was supposed to fetch my son after school, why was he not allowed to leave school?”
“Principal’s orders. All Muslim students cannot go back. There is a school programme for them. They must attend,” he replied.
“I am a parent. And I want to take my son home. The school cannot force any students to participate in a programme without the consent of the parent!” I was fuming with anger.
“Sorry, but I am just doing my job,” the guard was apologetic.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down before asking the guard to allow me to enter the school premises.
“I want to see what the programme is about,” I told him.
“It is a leadership programme,” he said.
“It’s a religious programme,” I corrected him.
The guard then asked me to wait outside while he contacted the school office and informed the teachers on duty about me. A few minutes later I was allowed to enter the school premises.
“Go straight to the office. Please. You can tell the teacher that you want to take your son home,” the guard reminded me a couple of times.
At the school office, I informed the clerk of my intention and was advised to wait for a teacher. After waiting for quite some time, a teacher walks in and asked me what the matter was about.
I informed him about my letter to the school.
“But the programme is good, Puan. Your son will learn all about wuduk (ritual purification), solat (prayers) and other religious practices,” he explained.
“My son is now in secondary school. He has been learning about wuduk and solat since Standard One, what else is there to learn?”
The teacher then excused himself and said I would be attended by another teacher who has the authority to release my son from school.
A while later, another teacher walks in, “Are you the one who wishes to take the student home?”
I nodded.
“May I know the reason?” she asked.
“Well, first of all, I did consent my son attending the programme in the first place,” I replied.
“But it’s good for him.”
I reminded myself to keep calm and repeated myself like an old recorder: “I am sure it is. But my son already knows the basic of wuduk, solat and other practices.”
“The students don’t only learn the basics, they learn more. Like I said, the programme is good for Muslim students.”
“Look, I don’t want my son to learn more. The basics are good enough. If I want my son to learn more about religion, I will send him to sekolah agama (religious school). Now, can I take my son out of the programme?” I asked.
The teacher then turned to the clerk and asked her to provide me with a form.
“Please fill up this form. Your son will be sent to the office and then you can take him home,” said the teacher before leaving.
Quite bitter with the process of taking my own son out of an after school programme, I filled out the form and gave it to the clerk. She then had to run down, get the teacher on duty to sign the form and then start looking for my son.
After almost half an hour sitting in the office being stared at by other teachers, my son appeared at the office with his school bag.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Can we just leave?” he pleaded.
Since that day, every time there was a religious after school programme, I would be sitting in the school office, filling up the same form before school was over.
On the month of Ramadhan when these religious programmes took precedence and Muslim students were made to leave their Science, Mathematics and English classes and assemble in the school surau, my son would end up doing his revisions at home.
For many years before May 9, 2018, religion was brought into our schools and Muslim students were forced to swallow these religious teachings with or without parents’ consent.
Today, after we have been promised with the hope of a new future under New Malaysia, religion is still creeping its way into our educational institutions.
After years of trying to rescue my son from the religious indoctrination in school, my son who is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science ended up being forced to attend Islamic classes in his university as part of his academic course. This time around, I am unable to do anything about it.
While listening to my son grumble about his Islamic classes in university, I continue to hear similar grumbles from friends whose children are in our public schools.
Stories about ustads and ustazahs punishing Muslim students who admitted to not praying at home; advising Muslim students not to be friends with the non-Muslims or face the risk of having their faiths shaken; and forcing Muslim female students to substitute pinafores with baju kurung and head scarves – the stories just never ends.
We may have voted our old government out, but our new government is filled with the products of our old government. How do we change a system when the people we entrust to change the system are the same people who are already indoctrinated by the old system?
How do we change an education system which is tainted by religious indoctrination, especially since the indoctrination was spearheaded under the same leaders back then that we have now?
In GE14 50% of voters did not vote for a New Malaysia. Many of this 50% "Old Malaysians" still hold positions of major and minor Napoleons. There was no Disneyland magic wand to "convert" these people overnight, especially after decades of indoctrination.
ReplyDeleteFa Abdul asks the correct questions below, but we cannot sack hundreds, if not thousands of these "Deep State" people in government, education and religious institutions.
QUOTE
We may have voted our old government out, but our new government is filled with the products of our old government. How do we change a system when the people we entrust to change the system are the same people who are already indoctrinated by the old system?
How do we change an education system which is tainted by religious indoctrination, especially since the indoctrination was spearheaded under the same leaders back then that we have now?
UNQUOTE
Zombies worship form over substance bcoz afterlife is more real to them than present!
ReplyDeleteBlur-sotongs just tag along with what their 'educated' udang planned for them. They DON'T have the time & knowledge bcoz after a whole day of etching a living, they r just glad that there r someone to help them 'guiding' their kids!
Ketuanan freaks play on these sentiments from both group to achieve their aim of staying on top of their pack.
There r ONLY that much of the liberal melayu around to REALLY care about the well-being of their future & their kids!
That's practically dumped up all the writer wanted to say in so many words!
what a discenting parent n mum, luckily she is living in msia n not ccp china, she can at least say n write what she perceive as right n truth.
ReplyDeleteMfer, still living in kmt era!
Delete"luckily she is living in msia n not ccp china, she can at least say n write what she perceive as right n truth."
When is the last time u read webbo?
Or u don't even know what's webbo!
Ooop… tempurung has CCP firewall propaganda preventive function.
Basically OCBC Dangdut is saying that the Chinese in China are totally brainwashed by its 'communist' leaders and wouldn't dare even to cough without getting permission, that the Chinese don't have any 'freedom and democracy' the likes of the good US of A. And many a times, he likes to allude to the 'bravery' of the Hong Kong rioters and hooligans and deemed it perfectly right and proper that these cowardly masked rioters are hoisting the flags of the US and UK and burning their own country's flag.
DeleteSo freedom for whom in the land of the US of A which Mr Dangdut so apparently admired and wish to emulate ? Democracy for whom in this so-called land of freedom and democracy?
We are talking about the US and should aptly allow an American to give the answer...he's worth a read, albeit quite a longish write :
"The US want to stop the rise of China by screaming that China is communist, authoritarian, evil n corrupt and that USA is promoting democracy, freedom n rule of law. So let’s examine the USA’s premise:
For any country’s development, the proof of the pudding is in the eating i.e. what are the deliverables from China thus far?
a) Rule of law for who? Look at what is happening when a president and his Republican party who does not dare to show his taxes, who discard the US constitution that they swore to uphold by not answering his congress, openly lied to his people, withdrew from an U.N. security mandated agreement with Iran n then threaten n stop other countries who want to trade with Iran, who withdrew from a Climate Agreement that was signed by 120 nations or TPP signed by 12 nations and stop the process of WTO by not appointing a judge for arbitration.
USA only adopt the rule of law when it suited her interest n she will use economic sanctions on others to obey her position of the rule of law
b) freedom for whom? In USA, real freedom is for top 1 percent. The middle class and students are sliding into debt that they cannot pay in their lifetime n even women n doctors there are slowly being criminalize n deprived of freedom of choice over their own body health.
When Other countries ( like Germany)who do not want to follow her lawlessness n want to trade with emerging markets like China or Russia ( via Nord Stream II gas pipeline n against Hwawei ban) or Iran, they are blocked because USA does not want these freedoms for these countries and companies. What right does USA has to apply their laws on other countries n companies? If USA wants to punish, then she should punish her own companies not the companies n the subsidiaries of other countries.
c) Democracy for whom? In Iran, USA toppled a democratic government in 1953 under Moseddaq n now she want to provoke a war in order to topple the Islamic government n make the Iranian people suffer (USA is doing to Venezuela now n rumoured to use cyber hacking to attack her electrical grid). To punish a whole nation just because you don’t like an Islamic government or any government is inhuman. If this is not an example of evil of USA, what is?
All people have a right to choose their own government rightly or wrongly. No one tell USA to change their regime when they toppled other governments using CIA. No one ask for the USA people to topple their government when they use “gun boat” n economic sanctions diplomacy in Venezuela n Iran now. (continue below)
(cont'd)
DeleteDemocracy is supposed to lift many out of poverty, give the people a voice for peaceful existence n not to be used as a pretext to fight “democracy n freedom” wars or create conflicts for your own political n Economic interests.
USA is very good at this type of “democracy n freedom wars”. Not all nations are Christian n they don’t follow the Christian ethos which by the way, historically, is an ethos n culture that subjugate people using slavery, physical n cultural genocide of native people, divide n conquer, racism n colonization.
China, India n Iran have their own thousands of years of ethos n culture n combined with other non Christian countries consist of more than 70% of the world population. They do not believe the history or culture that the world’s n human progress revolve around the bible or her unbelievable stories derived from Greek n Egyptian mythology. These stories caused havoc in Middle East n other lands that had suffered greatly for hundreds of years under these pretext for colonial wars to “civilize” the natives.
At present time, we know n have proof that a meritocratic communist country like China can also practice Capitalism type of economic system n able to distribute wealth better than a so-called democratic country like the USA.
For example China lifted 700 to 800 millions people out of poverty ( more than twice the population of USA) in the last 40 years without firing a bullet to enslave or subjugate another nation. This is the essence of Socialism which to benefit the maximum number of ordinary citizens instead of just the 1% rich. It is an epic achievement of historical proportion esp when you know that in 1970s China’s GDP is dwarfed by USA (a billion USD vs hundreds of billions).
Why can’t USA lift up her people out of poverty n homelessness n create great infrastructure such as high speed trains, safe bridges, renewal energy etc with the wealth they had from 1970s till now? Where have all the USA wealth gone to? Why is it that China can do this with from such a low GDP in 1970s till now? Why is the American people so docile n brainwashed that they are unable to see this great gap of deliverable by their government?
This is the proof of deliverables of China’s governance. No amount of fear mongering n disinformation can negate this kind of achievement. People are not stupid. They can see for themselves by just visiting China n that’s why China wants to open up to showcase their achievement n let others judge their governance n compare.
In short, we know evil n corruption when see it.
Evil is when USA sanction n strangle a whole nation n even companies just because she lost the competition of technology n governance.
Corruption is when you buy influence to those that benefit you only.
Authoritarian is when you put a gun at someone’s head to ensure that your economic sanctions are obeyed and When you blatantly ripped off international agreements n want to change them to your benefit like the WTO n forced others to follow your rule of law.
No one respect that kind of rule of law.
By accident or by luck, China protected her internet based industries n disallowed Google to enter their spheres. If she had opened to Google, China will not have Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, Hwawei etc n all the present subsequent emerging industries esp AI n 5G. Also had she opened to Google, and now with Google banning her from using their OS, China internet industries would have been severely crippled.
This is a lesson for the whole world. Open your economy n industries to the USA technologies n risk having your nation being ransomed (by a present or future USA administration who is mad for personal, racial n seemingly fascist type of power n has no respect for international law) when you disagree with her policies or governance like buying gas or products from Russia or China or any country which USA wants to strangle like Iran.
I have seen myself the non-muslim students (my kids) were forced to wait at assembly when the muslim prayers recites. Why non-muslim students need to go through this? Those days assemblies all about singing Negara-Ku, State song and the head master will give a short speech/update what is going on at school and also he will remind the students about disciplines. But now they do prayers and and non-muslim students need to go through this whether they like it or not.
ReplyDeleteKetuanan maa.....2nd class kaffir citizens tunggu la sikit until the Supreme race have finished their conversation with god and get his daily blessings... but hey, no blessings for the little piggies down the lane, so goes the nursery rhyme, hahahaha. Padan muka for not wanting to potong and be one and half class.
Delete