Malaysians at the ‘cross-roads’

IT was a disturbing Sunday.

Fifty residents staged a protest on April 19 against a church housed at a shoplot in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, for putting up a cross on the frontage of the building. The demonstrators gathered outside the church at about 10am while a congregation of 15 was attending their worship service.

The group’s grouse was that the sight of a cross in a Muslim-majority area was an affront to Islam and the faith of the Muslim residents there – and it could also influence young Muslim minds.

“After meeting with the priest, the church agreed to take down the cross by next Sunday. If they have the authority to operate, we cannot stop it. But we ask – out of concern that this is a predominantly Malay area – that they take down the cross,” a Taman Medan leader, Datuk Abdullah Abu Bakar, was quoted as saying.

By the way, Abdullah Abu Bakar is the brother of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who later claimed he was there as a mediator to prevent any untoward incident to happen.

One can justifiably be exonerated for expecting the brother of the top cop who protects and safeguards the security and safety of the nation, to know the law better than the ordinary citizens and that he should not take the law into his own hands but seek to address and resolve the matter amicably through the proper channels.

Following the protest, the church took the cross down within hours.

The way I see it, this was probably an initial attempt to settle the matter peacefully. The church’s small congregation could be uncertain if they were allowed to house a place of worship in a shoplot, choosing to seek clarification first and would then address the matter after obtaining the clarification – either way – from the authority concerned.

No one, especially Christians, should reprimand this small congregation for taking this swift action and criticize them “to bow to oppression and threats and question their faith”.

Incidentally, a disturbing Sunday was followed by a worrying Monday.

On April 20, holding placards with the word “misleading”, written on them, seven Youth Wing members from the Bawang Assan and Pelawan branches of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) staged a protest in front of two signboards with the BN logo, put up by the United People’s Party (UPP) at the roadside to show the community service that the party had done for the people.

After that, the members uprooted the signboards, lodged a police report and held a press conference.

A picture provided by the members themselves showed there were only seven of them but the organisers said their numbers were more than a dozen. SUPP Bawang Assan Youth chief Marcus Yek said it was a clear case of abuse when UPP put up two roadside signboards bearing the BN logo as UPP, being outside the BN, had no right to use the BN logo.

“It is misleading,” he stressed.

A disturbing Sunday and a worrying Monday have led me to visualize Malaysians at “cross-road” – is this going to happen?

One day, as you walked into a busy market with a majority of Malay stalls, 50 people surrounded you and asked you to get rid of the cross (and chain) you were wearing around your neck because they said you were trying to challenge their faith. Then a dozen fierce-looking young people, holding placards saying “misleading,” stripped you of your T-shirts bearing the BN logo because you were a member of a non-BN component party.

This is not funny with the way some leaders are using – or misusing – people to suit their own political agenda or the way political parties, in the name of grooming youth leaders, are actually leading them down the wrong path – that of taking the law into their own hands.

However, be thankful for a sanguine Tuesday (April 21) – hopefully, from hopeless to hopeful and hereafter.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in his immediate response, took a tough stance against the cross demonstrators, declaring their actions were seditious, and promising action.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, after a Cabinet meeting, said “police will investigate and take action if the protesters are found to have violated the law.” Many Muslims took to the social media and news portals to apologise to the church.

One said: “To the church that became a victim of bullying, maybe even by a politically motivated Muslim mob, I extend my apologies as a Muslim, even if I’m not exactly the pinnacle of piety.

“Put your cross back up. The cross is your symbol, so wear it with pride. You have every right to put it on the building, provided you have the licence for it. You are not propagating your Christianity to be masses. You are exercising your constitutional right to practise your faith.”

Christians will not want anybody punished on account of sheer ignorance that putting up a cross is an act of challenging people from other faiths. The cross is a reminder to Christians of how our Lord loves us and how He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins.

Could this be the time for the protesters and those who believe they are “challenged” by the sight of cross to know the true meaning of the cross to Christians? The Lord always speaks through circumstances and I firmly hold on to this belief.

Apropos the signboards protest, from the reaction of the leaders, I was convinced that those who removed the signboards had the consent of their leaders, most of whom are professionals – people well-versed with the law.

How are we teaching our youths? Are we using them to challenge the law, endorse the unlawful act, then wait and see what’s next before we step out to “rescue” them?

I may sound undiplomatic but the way I see it, the political parties, in the name of grooming the youths in giving them opportunities, are actually doing so not by way of proper training and guidance – either morally, ethically or in a law-abiding fashion.

Rival politicians were quick to point out that the 50 Muslim residents of Taman Medan may not even have been outside the church to demonstrate on their own but were sent there for some political motives of some parties.

Likewise, the dozen of SUPP youths may not even have been there to voluntarily protest the use of the BN logo by UPP and took the law into their own hands but were sanctioned to do so by those who want to advance their party leaders’ political interests.

It’s another Sunday.

May His will be done that both the offenders and the offended in both incidents be blessed, healed and restored.