It has come to our attention of the incident in Taman Medan involving a group of concerned Muslims holding a protest over the display of a cross and so marked the shop lots as a church. Whilst the question on legality of the shop lots to operate as a church remains unsettled, we are comforted by the fact that both parties willingly submit themselves to negotiation and the incident seems to be only a history with a promising and fruitful end.
However, I am flabbergasted over a video involving our old ‘friend’, Alvin who just recently “rocketed” to fame with his limitless (and meaningless) creativity causing Muslims uproar and prejudices towards Muslims, Islam and its position. It is a video of his azan parody singing like it is a true sense of music accompanied by keyboard play so as to add its musical impact which is rather a disappointing piece.
I would reckon this as a major disregard to the sensitivity of Muslims, or at least to those who may concern, and the sovereignty of Islam as a religion of the Federation given that he is still considered as Malaysian to which his duty lies and his non-infinite rights are protected and governed. Running away seems to make him lose more sense and consciousness of who he is and what his duties are as a citizen, among others to bravely submit himself to justification if he were truly not guilty in the event of questionable default on his part which until today remains unresolved.
The previous condemnation and disinterests among Muslims towards him seems inadequate to educate him about respect and integrity. And it seems that it is fun for him to make a comeback over the same theme.
But it is not. It is never a fun thing to do to ridicule the signs (syiar) and practices of other religions and its practitioners. Some would cite the incident in Taman Medan which also involved the cross as a sign of Christianity but I beg to differ. It is not similar to what Alvin has done. The protest group did not parody the cross or make any downgrading expression or statement of the cross or of the religion to which the cross belongs to.
Whilst some people would question their behaviour during the protest, that I would accept, and in the instance that they should be found acting outside as what would a righteous Muslim does, I would submit myself to such proposition if it is reasonably justified on its context.
Has it become a practice, rather a repetitive routine or habit, for someone who committed themselves to harmonious coexistence in a multi-racial and multi-religious community that they purportedly claim, to do such a ‘fun’ thing?
I was in one small town in South Australia when I was travelling with my relatives and we stopped by to refresh ourselves. It was when we were outside of our rental car that a number of people showed up and imitated a joke parody of Prophet Muhammad wearing a serban covering a bomb on top of the head. Was it fun? Not on our side.
Because that was and is considered as an act of degrading and insulting similar to what Alvin has done through his video and this is nothing similar to the protest group, should anyone wish to draw the similarities so I hereby suggest that it is not. Causing chaos, if it were truly caused by the protest, is one thing and ridiculing other religions’ practices and its signs (syiar) is another thing.
If I were to compare with the incident involving me and my relatives in South Australia, that would be of a different mediums as it was happening in real life with no recordings to publicize what actually happened and what was said at that instance. However, Alvin has taken steps forward by making a video so everyone would share the video and hatred feelings arising from it. And certainly the sharing part is not the issue depending on your intention which is difficult to assess (I shared the video to show to people who Alvin really is), but it is the making of such video and the intention accompanying it that makes us curious and feel outraged.
Nonetheless, I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to what his act brings upon us especially Muslims. It only strengthens our existing proposition that you are one of a real life example and precedent to any acts or omissions of degrading, causing prejudices and insulting other religions in which the values that we seek to protect is fundamental under the governance and sovereignty of Islam in our country, Malaysia in case you forgot.
You have actually enlivened the true meaning of extremism and infinite freedom which do not have their way in this world especially in Malaysia and even in other countries in which the ideal is always manipulated. And certainly members of the public will be able to realize that there are some groups in this country be it groups based on race or groups based on religion or both which in reality do not and cannot comprehend your acts and or omissions in so doing, not even close to being identical.
You may wish to continue to live such a life when at the same time your other fellow non-Muslims actually can live harmoniously with their Muslims neighbours and friends, even their own blood-related relatives. You may stay wherever you are and continue to lose more sense of truly living in multi-racial and multi-religious community and later on becoming a keyboard warrior with only offensive jokes and hypothetical expressions of what you could not understand about in the real context.
Unless and until you return and set yourself right, you will still remain someone unworthy of any honourable mention.
Danial Ariff Bin Shaari
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
The University of Adelaide
Australia
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, and should not be attributed to, ISMA or ISMAWeb.
