Gambling a civil right but freedom of expression isn't?
It's as well bad the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz, resorted to stereotype notions of 'non-Muslims' as well as cock-eyed ideas of what constitutes their rights.
'You contingency recollect that the nation does not go to the Muslims. There have been things that infrequently non-Muslims do, for example, gambling. It is their culture, their way of hold up as well as you have to apply oneself their rights' was his headline-grabbing statement on Jun 20.
And Nazri is positively right that the nation does not go to the Muslims. He is also correct to demand that Muslims have to apply oneself non-Muslim rights, nonetheless he should have combined 'and vice-versa'.
But he is positively wrong to indicate that gambling is the non-Muslim 'way of life' that ought to be respected. This is the cock-eyed view of what constitutes non-Muslim culture, even reduction that it is the non-Muslim right that contingency be respected.
First of all, gambling is the world-wide materialisation as well as gamblers come from all continents, countries as well as religions. If the single doubts this, stop how there has been the little big-time Muslim state exco members as well as dignitary gamblers who have strike the headlines about their debts ever so often.
The indicate is that gambling has nothing to do with any religion as well as all religions discourage their supporters from gambling. And usually the little non-Muslims as well as Muslims gamble. Most do not.
Second, the BN supervision has consistently argued that certain polite liberties as well as rights contingency be curbed for the greater usual good. This is why they argue you have the ISA, the Societies Act, the Printing Presses as well as Publications Act, Trade Unions Act as well as the Sedition Act.
Time as well as time again, you have argued opposite these unnecessary curbs imposed upon the rakyat around the introduction of additional Acts by Parliament. Yet, suddenly, when it comes to ga! mbling, the BN supervision takes the stand that gambling is an comprehensive right as well as you should apply oneself that right.
Whatever happened to those alternative some-more elemental liberties similar to the freedom to express ourselves, to accumulate as well as to associate, between others?
Third, it is most regrettable that the BN supervision as well as the minister chose to portray gambling as such an integral partial of non-Muslim rights. Where was the minister as well as what is the position of the BN supervision when it comes to carrying entrance to land to set up the church or church in general, or in the specific area, say in the partial of Shah Alam, where the majority of the population is Muslim?
Or to use sold Bahasa Malaysia words in non-Muslim ceremony as well as in their eremite publications? For that matter, do you have comprehensive rights when it comes to choosing our religions? And converting from the single religion to another? Cakap tak serupa bikin? (you don't practice what you preach)
Finally, the minister needs to be reminded that all religions share most values in common. It is not only the usual abhorrence towards gambling. All religions also teach their supporters to be compassionate to all, indeed in any case of the religion the alternative professes.
All religions also teach us to apply oneself women, to live in peace with Nature that is partial of God's creation, as well as to extend the helping hand especially to the needy as well as the downtrodden.
No consternation there's no '1Malaysia'.
The writer is secretary, Aliran.
'You contingency recollect that the nation does not go to the Muslims. There have been things that infrequently non-Muslims do, for example, gambling. It is their culture, their way of hold up as well as you have to apply oneself their rights' was his headline-grabbing statement on Jun 20.
And Nazri is positively right that the nation does not go to the Muslims. He is also correct to demand that Muslims have to apply oneself non-Muslim rights, nonetheless he should have combined 'and vice-versa'.
But he is positively wrong to indicate that gambling is the non-Muslim 'way of life' that ought to be respected. This is the cock-eyed view of what constitutes non-Muslim culture, even reduction that it is the non-Muslim right that contingency be respected.
First of all, gambling is the world-wide materialisation as well as gamblers come from all continents, countries as well as religions. If the single doubts this, stop how there has been the little big-time Muslim state exco members as well as dignitary gamblers who have strike the headlines about their debts ever so often.
The indicate is that gambling has nothing to do with any religion as well as all religions discourage their supporters from gambling. And usually the little non-Muslims as well as Muslims gamble. Most do not.
Second, the BN supervision has consistently argued that certain polite liberties as well as rights contingency be curbed for the greater usual good. This is why they argue you have the ISA, the Societies Act, the Printing Presses as well as Publications Act, Trade Unions Act as well as the Sedition Act.
Time as well as time again, you have argued opposite these unnecessary curbs imposed upon the rakyat around the introduction of additional Acts by Parliament. Yet, suddenly, when it comes to ga! mbling, the BN supervision takes the stand that gambling is an comprehensive right as well as you should apply oneself that right.
Whatever happened to those alternative some-more elemental liberties similar to the freedom to express ourselves, to accumulate as well as to associate, between others?
Third, it is most regrettable that the BN supervision as well as the minister chose to portray gambling as such an integral partial of non-Muslim rights. Where was the minister as well as what is the position of the BN supervision when it comes to carrying entrance to land to set up the church or church in general, or in the specific area, say in the partial of Shah Alam, where the majority of the population is Muslim?
Or to use sold Bahasa Malaysia words in non-Muslim ceremony as well as in their eremite publications? For that matter, do you have comprehensive rights when it comes to choosing our religions? And converting from the single religion to another? Cakap tak serupa bikin? (you don't practice what you preach)
Finally, the minister needs to be reminded that all religions share most values in common. It is not only the usual abhorrence towards gambling. All religions also teach their supporters to be compassionate to all, indeed in any case of the religion the alternative professes.
All religions also teach us to apply oneself women, to live in peace with Nature that is partial of God's creation, as well as to extend the helping hand especially to the needy as well as the downtrodden.
No consternation there's no '1Malaysia'.
The writer is secretary, Aliran.
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