Sense and Sensitivity

Star Q

i.  Penutup Karnival Sukan Pra-U 2013

ii.  Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

iii.  Flipping Fantastic

Image sourced from Google

Having a sense of forgiveness towards others who have somehow caused someone some kind of pain, be it physically or emotionally, can be a huge thing to ask from that particular person.  Indeed, it is always easy for others to make that suggestion but it is always painful to be hurt and even more painful to forgive.

I have recently read two articles in the local Star newspaper asking for the community, the Malay community in particular, to have a little sense and find it in themselves to forgive those who have hurt them.  Both writers were referring to two separate incidents; one was referring to the Facebook status about the Breaking of fast while dining on Ba Ku Teh (I don't even know how to spell this word correctly and I'm quite sure I don't want to!) and the other writer made reference to the use of a certain 'surau' (there were many more incidents prior to these two).  And that the Malay community should, in the spirit of Islam as a way of teaching, should forgive those people who have insulted their religions.

I would like to offer a piece of my mind where religious teachings are concerned.  I am sure no religion in this world (regardless of whatever the religion may be) teaches it's followers to blatantly insult other religions by portraying messages that are against the beliefs of these religions (unless these people do not believe in any religion and are not devotees of any religion at all!)  Being Malaysians who have been living in this country (I would expect since birth!), I would expect other Malaysians to be just as sensitive to the religious beliefs of others and not go on an insulting spree specifically targeted towards one particular religion.  Common sense and sensitivity would tell us Malaysians about areas that we should carefully tread on in order not to cause insult to others.

Common sense and sensitivity would also tell you that religious insults towards one particular religion in the multi-religious society would seem like , other than being unlawfully unfair, a blatant attack on the particular religion especially when you recollect that it is this one religion that is often being attacked and insulted.  How then do these two writers expect me to empathise with them and offer my forgiveness for those insults?  Would these religious criminals be as forgiving if it were their religions that were being insulted and lambasted all over the cyber world?  I think not!  Unless, of course if they don't believe in any religion at all.  Even then, as humans (that is if they are humans in the first place!), they do not have the right to simply insult other people's religions.

And lastly but definitely not the least, common sense and sensitivity would also tell these criminals that you cannot go around insulting other people's religion and expect to be forgiven all the time.   No bad deed goes away with any kind of repercussions because what goes around, comes around.