cakap cakap...religion.

I think that over 90% of Muslim in Malaysia are Muslims by birth. Not by conviction but by birth. The conviction may or may not come later. Now pray tell me what would have happened if these 90% of Muslims who became Muslim by birth were born Christians? And I can already see Muslims coming on to me to tell me that they were born Muslims because they were the chosen one – as the Jews claim themselves also to be the chosen ones! There are no chosen ones  - only those that claim to do the choosing upon themselves!

I am appalled that Sultans are Sultans by accident of birth. And by accident of birth they are gifted with a life that is paid for by the Rakyat. A life they live without contributing anything to our life, our country or our religion – if your religion happens to be Islam!

And by accident of birth, Najib and Hishamuddin are where they are now. One a useless Minister of the Rumah Ministry and the other our equally useless Prime Minister. If anything is to be said in favor of these two it is that they have taken what advantages that have accrued to them from their Prime Minister father to carve out for themselves a more then decent living through UMNO.

Then there are the Malays who are, by accident of birth, Bumiputras in this country of ours. Accident of birth and location made them the preferred ethnicity in Malaysia. A Malay who calls Australia his home is no Bumiputra. He is just another Australian! Period.

And so for the Muslims, the Sultans, Din and Najib and the Malays, what they are and what they have become, was to a great extent decided at birth. But whether they become a good Muslim, a good Sultan or a good human being will depend on what they do with their life.

What irks me is how testy and defensive Muslim becomes when there is talk about any encroachments by other religion into Islam. There always seems to this “them”and “us” mentality between the Muslims and non-Muslims bordering upon a paranoia that gives me a sense of dread if not fear of physical hurt if I was to stray into this ‘no-go” zone of questioning Muslims for their fear of other religion taking Muslims away from their religion.

Why should a Muslim, any Muslim, prevent another Muslim from opening himself to other religious conviction? If not for knowledge or self improvement then he might do so in order to prepare himself to  defend Islam against all the too common accusation that Islam is too self centered for its own good.

What I am getting at is this. You are what you are due to a number of factors. Whatever they are you make the best you can of the situation you are in. None of those factors that made you what you are should make you think yourself better or worse then the person next to you for they too are what they are because of the circumstances that they are in.

All religion, all ethnicity – all humans should respect and allow another human being to live their live as they think fit – as a Muslim, as a Christian or whatever it is that they chose to believe in. Even the atheist must thank GOD for making him an atheist! Amen.