Ignorance is a sad thing. Ignorance plus zealousness is a bad thing. Ignorance plus zealousness and power is a terrible thing.
Firstly, there is ignorance, and ignorance. A few years ago there was a report in the newspaper about a farmer who found a “magic” stone in Kuantan. The rock floats and the finder claimed that it has healing properties, and he said that a faith healer wanted to buy it from him for RM10,000 but he refused to part with it. The report came complete with a picture of the floating rock.
Poor Mr Farmer, or more tellingly, the nearly poor Mr Faith Healer who was willing to part with his RM10,000 for the so-called “magic stone”. In fact, the rock in question is a pumice stone. The fact that it floats has nothing to do with its “magical” properties. Rather, this type of volcanic rock is full of tiny air pockets making it very low in density. This is because it was formed from an airborne frothy magma. As the magma cooled rapidly it solidified into rock and at the same time trapping the gas in tiny pockets.
It was Archimedes (c. 287 BC – 212 BC) — he of the running out of the bathroom naked and shouting “eureka” fame – who found out that the buoyancy of an object is determined by its density. Simply put, if the weight of an object is heavier than that of water of the same volume, then the object will sink, and if it is lighter then it will float. If we were to pulverize that piece of “magic” rock and the re-constitute it into a denser form, minus the air bubbles and therefore of lesser volume, it would lose its co-called magical property of positive buoyancy.
The farmer may be forgiven for being ignorant. He may be not that well read or educated. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of one so-called motivational speaker, religious teacher and a Dato to boot. She appeared on national television claiming that Valentine Day is a Christian religious feast. By some leap of logic she deduced that the celebration of that day would drive our youths into an orgy of you-know-what. Then with amazing convoluted argument she made her triumphant link between Christianity and vice. Wow! What brilliant logic. I suppose she thought she was adhering to the classic formula — A equals to B; B equals to C and ergo, A is equal to C.
Mr Farmer was ignorant because he did not know any better. Maybe the poor fellow can’t even read and write. However, Ms Motivator certainly has the ability to read and write. I understand that she is a renowned speaker and author and has even been given a slot on national television. I am sure she went to school and a university no less. Yes, she certainly has the wherewithal to be informed. It would take her a few minutes to find out about the various writings on the origin of Valentine Day. Perhaps she was too lazy to do any proper study or maybe she was too busy as she zealously carried out what she perceived as her religious duty. No doubt she is busy, because at her relatively young age she has already written scores of book and recorded dozens of motivational CDs.
But zeal and ignorance is such a bad concoction. In this case it was not just a question of error of fact but also an error in judgment. A person is certainly misguided if he were to think that to do God’s work he needs to belittle other religions. In the above case, such was the zeal of the preacher that she employed warped creative thinking to connect the celebration of love to vice and then, combining flawed logic with chosen ignorance, she went on to insult another religion.
Rather alarmingly from what I am told and read, this misguided preacher is not an isolated case. It is most unfortunate that many a zealot believes that it is his divine duty to hate people of other religions. Such a person is completely unaware that his religion is here to bring peace of mind and heart and that we should love all of mankind. And when his Good Book talks about wrongdoers he immediately assumes that is in reference to people who are not adherence of his particular religion. In fact, if any religion were to chastise wrongdoers, it means wrongdoers per se, including those of our own faith.
When I told my friend Jack that I am going to write about this issue (Valentine Day and all that) this Sunday, he said “What again? Isn’t that so yesterday? Aren’t you flogging a dead horse?”
Indeed, I am flogging but the horse is far from dead. It is alive and dangerous. Ignorance and zeal is bad and if they reside within those who have power, then it is very bad indeed – it is terrible. There are those who have power because they what say and act have influence, like the case of the unmentionable lady preacher. She broadcasted her view on national television and writes prolifically. Goodness knows how many impressionable minds she has influence.
Then there are those who not only have power to influence but they actually wield power. It was reported that on 14 February one religious agency went on a spree, raiding budget hotels. Apparently, they netted in about 100 couples, caught not exactly in compromising position but at least in “close proximity”. So far it is said that such “monitoring” is confined to the Muslims. I don’t Know what is in store for those “arrested” but I am sure they will be given lectures of the sins of other traditions.
Ours is a multi-racial, multi-religious nation. Our politicians have been shouting themselves hoarse about “1 Malaysia”. If influential personalities and agencies can go about blatantly, and with impunity, denigrate other religions of the land, one would wonder if the “1” means “hegemony” rather than “unity”.
On that note I am heartened by speech of our Prime Minister at the recent World Interfaith Harmony Week.
“Malaysia has shown that difference in religion is not a big problem, but extremist understanding is, whether in Islam or any other religion . . . in Islam, the Watiyyah (intermediacy) concept is the right way for Muslims, obeying God in His wish for them to be fair not only to other Muslims but also the followers of other religions.”
Datuk Seri Najib went on to say that Malaysia is a plural society which had proved that difference in race, religion, culture and language is not a big problem for people to live in peace and comfort.
I can only say “Amen” to that.