Dealing with Islamophobia

Muslims and non-Muslims in this country have enjoyed a mutual friendship and bond that predates any state or federal law dictating how we should or should not behave towards one another.

There were also fewer religious authority figures then, fewer religious- based policies and fewer religious pressure groups from the various communities that make up Malaysia. But that long-standing mutual friendship and trust have taken more than a few dents in recent years.

Several major clashes of opinion have divided us further, annotated by several minor incidents perhaps slightly blown out of proportion. The same incidents and opinions, ironically, are used by both sides to fortify their own argument that the other side is encroaching into theirs.

Broadly speaking, at least in this writer’s humble opinion, there are two often denied competing religious phobias that are fuelling this problem that is eating into our society.

The first is Islamophobia. Though reluctant to admit it, I believe quite a few non-Muslim Malaysians are quite Islamophobic, intentionally or unintentionally.

The problem could stem from the bundling of race, governmental policy and the perceived unfairness that comes along with it by many non-Muslims. The fact that our own government and corporate policies themselves have more or less intertwined “Bumiputera”, “Malay” and “Islam”, to the point where whatever problems non-Muslims may have with the first two categories, is projected, rather unfairly onto the third.

This is exacerbated by the fact that, contextually, in Malaysia, today, Islam, “religious authority”, and to an increasing extent, even “government” has become further intertwined with each other.

Yet I believe non-Muslims, to some extent, have themselves to blame as well.

For example, we often hear of the divide between us and how there are so few non-Muslims left in civil service or how there are so few non-Muslims leading GLCs, but never ask the same question of ourselves in the private sector or with multinationals.

We would hear complains on social media on “creeping Islamisation”. But, at the same time, jump on the next big halal industry tax break or a better Islamic banking product. To an “observant” Muslim, this could be easily be perceived as hypocrisy or even exploitation.

Perhaps non-Muslims should stand up for Muslims more.

Then there’s the flip side to Islamophobia – “BukanIslamophobia”.

While BukanIslamophobia is less discussed in a similar vein, its sporadic issues often are.

We increasingly hear of kids being denied wearing non-Muslim religious symbols. We hear of “little Napoleons” making rather offensive religious-tinged remarks. We hear NGOs questioning the building of churches and temples, event to the point where recently an NGO even suggested a door of a temple to face a certain direction – Banting – because many Hindus apparently live there.

Perhaps that NGO could next suggest which direction Buddha’s palm should face. Maybe all statues of Buddha should point towards Puchong, since many Buddhist live there. And all Jesus’ slant their heads towards Subang.

And as sporadic as the problems are, so are responses by the government. Immediately after a BukanIslamophobic issue is played a few days in the media, some minister somewhere would make a statement denying this is government policy. An investigation is launched. Politicians weigh in. English daily The Star makes some noise. Malay daily Utusan makes some noise about The Star making some noise. The issue dies out.

This is not the solution.

At the end of the day it’s about boundaries and the perception of both sides that the other is trampling into theirs. The fact that religion is involved only makes it worse. Religious arguments often employ a strong emotion coupled with weak logic – a reflection of the nature of religion itself, a concept based on zeal and faith. And that alone is a cause for alarm, especially in a tinderbox like Malaysia.

There needs to be a review of Islamophobia and BukanIslamophobia and it needs to be tackled by the Cabinet, given the concurrent nature of both problems, and that they feed off each other. Perhaps one of the ten ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department can look into it. – January 20, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.