Greetings VDKMS,
When you said that all Malaysians are born Muslims- I challenged that because that statement was infered to be all citizens of Malaysia- which is not true. By your response, I now understand you are referring to Malays- I hope I am not wrong in my assumption.
You may wish to note that there ARE Malay Christians in both Singapore and Malaysia. I have a former schoolmate who was born Muslim but converted to Christianity at a later age. I decided to remain friends though many others shunned him- why they did that? I don't really know... All I can say is that it is the mentality of the people who did what they did. I decided to still continue to be friends because I see him as a person, not a Christian, not a Muslim, but a person...
It is very natural behaviour for an ethnic group, when they congregate at a given location, will start to try to impose their beliefs and culture on the very population they are in, especially when their numbers are large enough... They forget why they are there in the first place. It is the local authorities job to ensure that harmony is maintained. In Singapore, we faced the same issue when PRCs (Chinese mainlanders) came in large numbers- some start to demand that things be done here to suit them, in order words, the way it is done back home. It create tensions, though minor, even with the local Chiniese population. The authorities put a stop to many such moves (by the PRCs). It is not religous, but the trend is the same.
When an ethnic group gains superiority in numbers, it is very natural for one to try to exert some form of control over others- is it not why Spain has no lyrices to its National Anthem- because of the many diverse ethnic faction in Spain?
As for education, Islam does not forbid anyone from learning- male or female. What you mentioned about the Pakistanis, the Afghans, or the Taleban- that goes along tribal or ethnic culture lines- not Islam. Allow me to share some of my Malay culture and believe with you...- many years back, only the boys in the Malay comunity were given all the opportunities for education- the girls were given the rudimentary basics in education, and that would be it...
Why? the concept and understanding is this- why do I need to give my daughters so much education because they will be married and end up in the kitchen- you do not need a degree to be able to run a kitchen and cook meals. I am happy that that mentality is thing of the past now. Both female and male are given EQUAL opportunities to education.
So, my good friend, this argument that religion is bad does not stand. Religion is based on beliefs- and most of these set of beliefs are idealistic. It is the people that will carry out these beliefs according to their interpretation.
When you said that all Malaysians are born Muslims- I challenged that because that statement was infered to be all citizens of Malaysia- which is not true. By your response, I now understand you are referring to Malays- I hope I am not wrong in my assumption.
You may wish to note that there ARE Malay Christians in both Singapore and Malaysia. I have a former schoolmate who was born Muslim but converted to Christianity at a later age. I decided to remain friends though many others shunned him- why they did that? I don't really know... All I can say is that it is the mentality of the people who did what they did. I decided to still continue to be friends because I see him as a person, not a Christian, not a Muslim, but a person...
It is very natural behaviour for an ethnic group, when they congregate at a given location, will start to try to impose their beliefs and culture on the very population they are in, especially when their numbers are large enough... They forget why they are there in the first place. It is the local authorities job to ensure that harmony is maintained. In Singapore, we faced the same issue when PRCs (Chinese mainlanders) came in large numbers- some start to demand that things be done here to suit them, in order words, the way it is done back home. It create tensions, though minor, even with the local Chiniese population. The authorities put a stop to many such moves (by the PRCs). It is not religous, but the trend is the same.
When an ethnic group gains superiority in numbers, it is very natural for one to try to exert some form of control over others- is it not why Spain has no lyrices to its National Anthem- because of the many diverse ethnic faction in Spain?
As for education, Islam does not forbid anyone from learning- male or female. What you mentioned about the Pakistanis, the Afghans, or the Taleban- that goes along tribal or ethnic culture lines- not Islam. Allow me to share some of my Malay culture and believe with you...- many years back, only the boys in the Malay comunity were given all the opportunities for education- the girls were given the rudimentary basics in education, and that would be it...
Why? the concept and understanding is this- why do I need to give my daughters so much education because they will be married and end up in the kitchen- you do not need a degree to be able to run a kitchen and cook meals. I am happy that that mentality is thing of the past now. Both female and male are given EQUAL opportunities to education.
So, my good friend, this argument that religion is bad does not stand. Religion is based on beliefs- and most of these set of beliefs are idealistic. It is the people that will carry out these beliefs according to their interpretation.
Last edited: