I have never expected that the fights between Muslims and Non-Muslims are in almost every country. I have just read a book called 'The Politics and Government of South East Asia' on Islam in each ASEAN countries.
Based on what I have read, I am quite surprised on the discrimination against Islam in Burma. Muslims lived in Arakan and it is bounded to the north-west by Bangladesh, and to the north by India and their local language is Rohingya also their population is estimated as 4 million. Conflict between Muslim and Burmese- Maghs started in 1942 when both Burmese and Maghs jointly conspired to depopulate the Rohingyas and they have created a dreadful massacre in which more that 100 000 Rohingyas were killed. It will not be a shocked if all they did were closing up the schools and not allowing the Rohingyas to be in the government system or whatsoever. It is such a shocked when the Maghs used their powerful exploitative group and secretly planned the systematic extermination of the Rohingyas Muslims. As a results, thousands of innocent Rohingyas were put into prison, hundreds of them were killed, the Rohingyas women were raped, religious sites were desecreted and the old were tortured. To escape this, the Rohingyas had to flee to Bangladesh to seek for shelter and security in 1978.
In 1988, General Sau Maung has faithfully following the policies Ne win set up agaist the Rohingyas and thus he put Rohingyas students into prison. tortured them, deployed army in Rohingyas areas, uprooted many Rohingyas villages and established millitary camps and Buddhist settlements. The Rohingyas Muslims were victims of killing, tortured, and rape. The consequences, Rohingyas that seeks for help becomes the refugee in another country. Why is this so?The above statement happened years ago.
Looking at the present times, in Malaysia. What is the status of Islam in our country? It's true that Islam is the official religion of the country as stated in the Federal Constitution Article 3(1) maintains that 'Islam is the religion of the Federation: but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation'. This clause certainly provides the distinctive position of Islam in this country. But, looking at the situation in our country now, I really couldn't see the position of our religion. Yes, our Agong is a Muslim, our PM is a Muslim but do the position of Islam really preserves by them? I might not have a-lot of knowledge about this but based on my observation, I can see that the Muslims or I can say the Malays now have done a really bad job in preserving their own race and religion. What have they done to preserve their rights? A DEMONSTRATION? That's not the way. Other races for example Chinese. Only once I heard that one of their temple have to be moved to some other places and they have made a huge issue on it. There were quite a number of mosque that has been 'bulldozed' away for development but have we said anything to stop that? I don't think so. Teoh Beng Hock's case which has been a huge issue this year that was claimed by the Chinese that it was some sort of discrimination towards the Chinese but based on what I have read, the case not only involved TBH ( Chinese) but also a Malay. Have the Malays say anything to defend this case? No?
Not only that, in Bangsar, there were a number of Islamic Kindergarden that were instructed to closed down for so called development but surpringly, other Kindergardens along the same road have not received any intruction to close down? Hurmm..Have anyone done something? Not even the Government who claimed to be the one who will preserve Islam in our country? I don't think so. Seriously I'm asking. Who is the one that is responsible in preserving our religion now? What are the Malays doing now? Blaming each other?
Again I'm asking, what is the status of Islam in our country right now? Right now, I'm looking at the argument between Malays. So, where is the Malay unity? Why when something happend to other races, they make a big-fuss about it and when something happened to the Malays, no one says anything?
I might not have a strong argument on those stated above but I am just wondering. I am a student and I need answers. It has always been Muslims against Non-Muslim and Malays against other races. Why is this so?
Love,
MARL
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