A joyous Deepavali marred by another eff-ing 'Zakir' but from Bangla

A joyous Deepavali marred by foreigner’s viral clip



Despite all the gloom brought about by Covid-19 and a budget that appeared unbalanced to some for showing a huge disparity in allocations for the various communities in the country, Deepavali this year was different for me.

Personally, I experienced a burst of positive energy, thanks to my many Malay/Muslim friends who kept the lovely wishes, and hampers in certain cases, coming even a day after Deepavali. I must admit this was the first time I had this many wishes. And I heard similar comments from a few others.

This was way different from the past when certain individuals and some in authority, advised Muslims against sending Deepavali greetings to Hindus. Their reason was that by doing so, he or she recognises the Hindu religion which is against the belief of Muslims.

This time, I could sense many coming from the hearts of the senders, making me forget the nonsensical racists in our midst who dampen our spirits on and off, threatening the Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) with their brand of stupidity.

I also spotted another heart-warming Facebook post by a Malay man asking why some call it Deepavali while others refer to it as Diwali. In reply, one Mr Sasi replied saying that north Indians call it Diwali while for the southerners, it is Deepavali.

He said Deepavali in full means “The Illuminated Path” while north Indians are fond of shortening words and call it Diwali. They also use Ram instead of Rama and Shiv instead of Shiva. Not only that, Mr Sasi gave a brief enlightening lesson on how the celebration started and what its significance was.

But what took my breath away were the comments by mostly Malays and a few Chinese. Most, if not all, thanked Mr Sasi for his meaningful explanation and said they have a clearer picture now as to what the celebration is all about. These were signs of acceptance, and not one of tolerance.

Normally, I dread reading comments on Facebook posts when it involves religion and race-based festivals as there will be lots of insults. But the calm and respectful tone of the commentators this time gave me hope that there are many sensible Malaysians out there who abhor racism.

To be honest, the thought did cross my mind that the impending Melaka and Sarawak state elections and a general election expected next year could have been the reason for the bigots and racists to go into hibernation. But never mind that, it still gave me a glimmer of hope that the Malaysian path is being lighted up by some wise citizens.

Then came a Tik Tok viral clip on Deepavali posted by a foreigner, believed to be a Bangladeshi residing in Malaysia, which must have upset not only Hindus but every right-thinking Malaysian who yearns to see a harmonious and united nation.

In the clip posted by @sabbirhossen2186, a bearded young man with a skull cap is seen insulting the festival as one of Syirik (sin of idol-worshipping and polytheism in Islam). He said those celebrating Deepavali do not pray in the morning while during Hari Raya, Muslims pray first. He said this is a celebration of the infidels and told people in general not to follow it.

In retaliation, a Hindu man countered with a clip urging the Malaysian police to act against him for disrupting national unity and security, threatening to take matters into his own hands if police do not do so.

Now, this, if left unchecked, could lead to disastrous consequences.

It did not stop here as @sabbirhossen2186 countered by sending his location to the Hindu man, saying he is free to come over and meet him there, a location which has 5,000 people. What he meant by mentioning the number of people is worrying. Has he got 5,000 followers or a clan of foreigners who control the area?

Many Malaysians have thus been asking why haven’t the police acted to nip this disturbing development in the bud?

Has he been emboldened by the nation’s political push for race and religious supremacy so much so that @sabbirhossen2186 feels he will be protected by the local authorities?

For many Malaysians, thoughts of the recent religious strife in Bangladesh entered their minds. Temples were desecrated and hundreds of houses and businesses of the Hindu minority torched that resulted in the death of seven people.

So Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who has been using his favourite tagline “Keluarga Malaysia” in all his speeches with all ministry websites having that huge banner when you enter the sites, needs to put his words into action.

If he wants to show that “Keluarga Malaysia” comes from his heart, the government must act against this irresponsible and fanatical foreigner who is openly fanning the flames of racism and religious bigotry in a nation where he is merely a guest.

I suspect he might have permanent resident status like some other foreigners who are here to spread the message of hate against non-Muslim minorities, obviously to build a home for themselves here at the expense of others, using Islam as the access card.

Let me remind @sabbirhossen2186 that many of the non-Muslims here are third, fourth and even fifth generation Malaysians who have been faithfully and loyally residing in this nation which is their motherland. Many of them are taxpayers too.

I am sure Bukit Aman will not spare any individual who is out to blatantly destroy the great Malaysian harmony. The nefarious @sabbirhossen2186 must be sent home and barred from returning to a nation that upholds the spirit of the Malaysian Constitution which protects the freedom of worship.