MGG Pillai Commentary View

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Shi'ites and Reformasi Rallies

The Malaysian minister in charge of Islamic affairs, Dato' Abdul Hamid Othman, is a very worried man. In this Sunni land, he worries that renegade Shia followers have combined to make the prime minister, Dato' Seri Mahathir Mohamed's life difficult. They gang up with reformasi supporters to cause demonstrations against the government. So, he has told the police he would help identify the Shias. He is not worried about the Sunnis who form the bulk of the demonstrators. But the Shias! They should be rooted out. It is not a political issue, of course, he reassures us. He says it was unfortunate that Shias are involved. Good. But is he now saying it was fortunate that the Sunnis are involved? If Shias join the demonstration, he says, "this cannot be seen as a political issue or an individual matter anymore as it could turn into a religious dispute." Is the minister saying it is Pusat Islam's view that Sunnis may demonstrate against the government, but not the Shias?

What gobbledygook does he talk about? Religious dispute? Between Muslim and Muslim? Or is he telling us that Shias are not Muslims? Could he please tell us if Iran is Muslim? Whether Chechyna is Muslim? Why is it important that Shias be targetted now? Why should the police care what the religion of the demonstrator is? Or is this the minister's way of saying that from now only Sunni Muslim demonstrators would be allowed, and all others -- Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, freethinkers -- who take part would be subject to extra harsh treatment? Has there been any Shia-Sunni Muslim violence in Malaysia that necessitates this fear? Why does the minister raise the bogey of religious violence when there is no need to? Why does he not accept that the demonstrators are a political affair, and until the minister brought it up, religion never entered into it. No Shia would go on the demonstration intent on creating a clash with Sunnis, as no Hindu Saivite would go to a Vishnuite temple intent on creating trouble..

I can understand the minister's desire to be reported wholesomely in the press. After all, he wants to be an UMNO's elected vice president (he has, for the moment, rejected blandishments from such as Penghulu Tiku Rasputin that he would be an able replacement for He Who Must Be Destroyed At All Cost). But does he have to say such stupid inanities to attract public attention. Or, as Perlis mentri besar Tan Sri Shahidan Kassim seems to, does he think this is the best way to ensure that he gets his name into the newspapers? If so, I hope this piece would at least earn him some votes in June.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my

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