YOURSAY | The silence of our leaders speaks volumes

YOURSAY | ‘Condemning another faith or group of people is an intentional action.’

Controversial preacher Syakir says video took his sermon out-of-context

Vijay47: I had to read this article several times, slowly, to understand what learned and renowned Islamic scholar Syakir Nasoha had explained about his sermon which had caused much confusion, especially among non-Muslims.

My takeaway from his explanation can be listed as follows:

1. The hadith are complex Islamic teachings that cannot be grasped by most, including Muslims. This explains former Umno MP Tawfik Ismail’s haste in making a police report. Fortunately, he, Syakir Nasoha of great wit and theological wisdom, is here to show the world the heavenly light.

2. Needless to say and as is always the case, his speech was “taken out of context” and the poor editing of the video, even if with good intentions, did him no service.

3. He was not aware his speech was being recorded. I am not sure what role this fact plays in the larger scheme of things.

4. When he used the word kafir, he was specifically referring to kafir harbi and not kafir zimmi. Unfortunately, a speech impediment he suffers from compelled him to use only the single word kafir. Like the Mad Hatter who Alice met, kafir to this preacher from Wonderland meant whatever he wanted it to mean.

5. His speech was directed to non-Muslims, which is why he gave it to an all-Muslim audience. Please, people, don’t ask me the logic here, I am only stating what he stated.

6. Wait, it gets better. To illustrate his point, he gave examples of incidents abroad where Muslims were attacked by Buddhists, Hindus, and Dayaks. Dayaks? Yes, Dayaks, who number by the millions in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Pakistan, merrily slaughtering Muslims.

And this, folks, is the Islamic scholar so well-beloved of his brethren that not a single Muslim political leader here cared to condemn him.

Falcon: Indeed, the inexplicable silence from the political leadership speaks volumes. The minorities can rant all they want but do they really care?

How many have been prosecuted for such mindless attacks, race and religious baiting, and the defilement of places of worship?

We have also yet to be told whether those missing by enforced disappearance are alive or dead so that one can at least initiate funeral arrangements in absentia.

Such insensitivity is getting louder and worse with the likes of preacher Syakir Nasoha and others from abroad now living here.

I’ve even told my children to make a living for themselves abroad as it’s only going to get worse for us minorities. May the Almighty protect and help us all.

JW: “Taken out of context.” Using that excuse is usually the refuge of a coward. We know you and what you are at heart, Syakir.

Obviously, you didn’t bother to be careful with what you were saying. You just took the non-Muslims for granted and just spoke ill about them without any consideration. You probably also assumed the non-Muslims would not be able to do anything about it.

This is a sign of someone who couldn’t be bothered to respect others, to begin with. It is like you don’t have respect for women and you don’t bother to consider them and just speak however ill you want about them.

People who respect others would consider their words in the context of others and make sure the point to be made will not offend others.

VioletTurtle1759: When these cases happen, the common refrain is always “taken out of context”. Condemning another belief system or group of people is an intentional action. Whether it is in a private meeting or public meeting, the intention is always to bring discord.

Why can’t one speak of the greatness of their own belief system without putting down others? Why can’t they expound on the strength of their belief system rather than finding the weakness of another belief system? Why the need to build the strength of their own belief system upon the perceived weakness of others?

If one has to resort to putting down others or to create fear in order to elevate their own belief system, then something is really wrong in the person’s view of his/her own belief system.

OCT: In Malaysia, Malay-Muslims can say anything bad about other races and religions with apparent impunity as they are deemed to be protecting Islam and the dignity of the Malays.

All the “Malaysian Family” talk by the PM is hogwash. There is no give and take, there is only take. Look at the 51 percent rule by the government for bumiputera equity in freight forwarders.

Discrimination is practised legally by the government against the minority. The non-Muslims are always at the losing end.

Guglu: No one here has watched his sermon in its entirety, so we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

That said, Muslims, especially Muslim preachers, must know that you can recite 1,001 verses of the Quran and hadiths about the beauty of Islam, but in the end, people are attracted to Islam only through the behaviour of Muslims.

I helped my close friend, an Englishman and nominal Christian, who converted to Islam. Not even once have I recited the Quran to him or preached to him to be a Muslim. In fact, every Sunday, I sat with him listening to the church sermon on the BBC because both of us love listening to church hymns and music.

I was also amazed that some churches in the UK invited Muslim preachers and Jewish rabbi to give sermons during church services. Not even once have I heard Christian priests say anything bad about other religions.

But when people asked my friend why he converted to Islam, he said he was impressed by how my Muslim neighbours helped each other, how they treated him like a brother, and how I spent my time rescuing and feeding stray cats and dogs.

The greatest enemy to Islam could be the Muslims themselves. They support corrupt, greedy leaders, immoral and unprincipled politicians, and fight among themselves.

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