No Race Card Please...

I hate what the current election season is doing to Malaysia.

I hate how they are playing the race cards and inciting the races against each other.

I hate how they keep on throwing the May 13 incidence at our faces.

Let me make it clear, I’m not a follower of both parties. I’m one of the so called “unprincipled” atas pagar individuals who is still trying to make up her mind on who would be the best leader for my beloved country. The best thing about not being a hardcore follower of any party, I’m forced to work harder for my information. I don’t rely mainly on U.tusan Malaysia, TV3 and RTM for news nor is Har.akah and Malaysia.kini my only reference point. 

I read every media available to me and am still deciding. My problem is the more information I gather, the less faith I have on both alliances. I really hate it when candidates play on the race sentiment to garner votes and support (admittedly one more than the other)

Let me tell you something about my childhood. Since I was 7, I am usually the only Malay girl in my “group”. Don’t ask me why, at that time I was too young to base my relationships on things like race or religion. I was mostly attracted to my friends based on common interest. We like the same books, play the same sports, listen to the same music and watch the same movie etc. It just so happen the Malay girls my age does not share the same interest. I never find anything wrong with that though I do know people who thinks that there is something wrong with me :p “Mat Salleh celup, perasan bagus, tak sedar diri” are just some of the less colorful words that are thrown at me. 

I never cared because I truly love my friends. Instead of focusing on our differences we choose to focus on our similarities. We don’t just TOLERATE each other religion and customary beliefs we truly respect them. For example when we go out and if it’s time for prayers, my NON MUSLIM friends would remind me of the prayer time and wait for me while I perform my solat. During fasting time and if we were to go out, they would refuse to eat or even drink in front of me as a show of respect. There was even once when my friend refuse to eat in a restaurant with a “no pork-no lard” sign because she said there was a no HALAL sign from JAKIM. 

In return, I remembered sending my mates to the church in time for their Sunday mass once I received my license (and a car; p), attending their weddings and even listening to their mums lecturing me about the chinese/indian pantang larang and things I should do and not do when I was pregnant.

You see being a Muslim, there a certain parts of other races beliefs that are forbidden for me to practice as it considered as khurafat. However, in order to be respectful, I do not throw my religious beliefs in my friend’s faces. What I try to do is 1. Don’t look at weird animals photos in front of my Chinese friends when I’m pregnant (haha)  2. Nod and smile. 

In return my friends don’t make fun and make unnecessary remarks about Islam. If they truly do not understand the Islamic practices, they will just ask me to explain it to them and I will do so in the simplest way I know how. No making fun of the ulama’ and their teachings, never questioning fatwa knowing they do not NEED to understand the reasoning of things that do not apply to them and NEVER ridiculing my efforts to be a better Muslim. Now you know why I LOVE them and stayed friends with them even after all these years??

The problem with the current election fever and with this so call liberation of “freedom of speech and expression” people take it as a license to INSULT and to comment on EVERYTHING and even things that don’t apply to them. I find it incredibly insulting when non-muslims make fun and question issuance of fatwas that they have no understanding off. Questioning to learn more is one thing, but questioning the wisdom of the learned ulama’ without trying to even understand the basis of them coming up with the decision is uncalled for. Oh well but I can’t blame them, not when my fellow Muslims brothers/sisters is a part of the ones doing the ridiculing…..

I guess “tolerating” does not cut it anymore, people need to bring back the RESPECT and sometimes respect is really about shutting up even when you think you know better… 

Let’s try to look at people beyond their race and religion. At the same time learn to accept our differences and respect it. Maybe one day we all would truly learn to live harmoniously. For the time being I’m scared for my children and how the situation may push them to become a racist lot (Nauzubillah).

This is going to be one tough lesson to teach :(