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April 22, 2006

Malaysia: Islamist Authorities Bulldoze Hindu Temple

We have reported on the manner in which the Malaysian government, abetted by individual state legislatures, appears to be stating its Islamist credentials to be above the original constitution. We have described how Hindus have been so alarmed by the increasing powers of Islamic Courts to interfere with their lives, that they have set up a rights group, the Hindu Rights Action Force, or HRAF. The most notorious example of anti-Hindu legislation came when a Syariah or Sharia Court ordered a Hindu man to be buried as a Muslim on December 28 despite his wife's protestations.

We described how the Law Minister, Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz, has said he will invoke the sedition Act against non-Muslims who "belittle" Islam.

Now, news has come from Kerala Online and The Statesman of the authorities once again flexing their muscles and attacking the rights of Hindus to worship freely.

For a hundred years, Hindus have worshipped at the Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliam-man Temple in Kuala Lumpur. 300 worshippers were inside the temple on Tuesday (April 18) when police with bulldozers arrived, sent by the authorities, and halted the prayer session. They then began to reduce the century old temple, dedicated to the deity Devi, to rubble. Though "hundreds of thousands" of Hindu devotees came to protest, many in tears, at this act of municipal vandalism, their pleas were ignored.

The vice-president of the temple, Mr Subramaniam Ragappan, sent a complaint to the police. The temple had been cleared to make way for a building project.

Such callous disregard for Hindu traditions, when the government is supporting the rights of Islamic extremists to prevent Muslims from apostasing out of the faith, shows how far away from democracy the country has become.

Malaysia is officially a Muslim nation. Article 3(1) of the constitution states that 'other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation', but despite conciliatory noises made in January by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the deputy prime minister, who claimed Muslims and non-Muslims would have redress under law, the march to Islamic totalitarianism appears relentless. Even Razak stated that conciliatory measures would only be allowed which did not "threaten the administration of Islamic law."

Muslims account for only 60% of Malaysia's population, and these are Malays. At the age of 12, each person is given an identity card, which states, amongst other details, the faith of an individual. It is impossible for any person to leave Islam under the current system. Only one person has ever been granted the right to change her faith, and she was dead. Nyonya Tahir died on Thursday January 19, aged 89 years. Born a Malay (and therefore automatically considered Muslim), she had converted to Buddhism in 1936. Only when she had passed away were her repeated requests to be recognised as a non-Muslim finally granted by the Islamic Courts.

Amongst the Hindus of Malaysia, who comprise 9% of Malaysia's population, most are of Indian origin. Most speak Tamil, though there are Punjabis, Malayalis and Telegus who practice Hinduism.

The other main ethnic group are the Chinese, who make up 30% of the population, though their contribution to the economy is the highest. These are mostly Buddhist, with Confucianism and Taoism practiced.

Christians make up the smallest religious minority, but figures for their presence are limited, as most are apostates from Islam. Consequently many of these Christians do not officially exist.

And in MMU University in Malaysia, courses funded by US company Motorola openly discriminate on who can apply for scholarships: LINK.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at April 22, 2006 10:46 AM

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