Iskandar Dzulkarnain
Malaysia, like Indonesia, is in danger of being Christianised. We’re grateful to Ridhuan Tee Abdullah for the revelation and the warning.
Unlike ordinary journalists, who are not qualified to speak about Islam, Tee is an Islamic academic. It would do us well to heed him.
According to him in a recent article, at the current rate of conversion of Indonesian Muslims to Christianity, our southern neighbour will have a Christian majority by the year 2035.
How can Malaysian Muslims let that happen! Over our dead body!
Ridhuan Tee, who has long styled himself a champion of Islam, noted that Muslim Indonesians converted to Christianity due to a variety of factors, including the high poverty rate there and the lack of laws to protect Muslims against Christian proselytisation.
He warned that the Christianisation movement was on the upswing in this country.
Now it would be embarrassing to find out that after all our efforts to proselytise among the non-Malays, the number of Muslims in this country is actually declining.
If what Ridhuan Tee says is true, then there is really a cause for concern and we need to stem the tide. No wonder our concerned government decided to ban Malay Bibles and to prohibit non-Muslims from mentioning God’s name.
And with so many Malays still living below the poverty line, the danger is ever present, especially when one considers the fact that the Indonesians are converting in order to get out of poverty.
But how come so many Malays in Malaysia are still poor? Why hasn’t Umno done its job of lifting the Malays out of poverty?
Perhaps Ridhuan Tee will answer these questions in a later article. Continuing with our review of his latest article, Ridhuan Tee cited a passage from the Quran to suggest that Muslims should treat Christians as their enemies.
Well, if the Christians continue to proselytise among Muslims, then they are indeed the enemy. Luckily, the Muslims have not tried to proselytise among them instead.
Ridhuan Tee emphasised that Christians had great financial power and were using that power to target the Malay Archipelago after failing in their missionary attempts in the West.
Yes, with so many cases of sexual abuse brought to court involving Catholic leaders, of course the West is slowly abandoning Christianity.
And because of the Christians’ financial power, no wonder Muslim nations throughout the world are still trying to hoard and consolidate the bulk of their wealth before it falls into the wrong hands of the non-Muslims.
Tighten the loopholes
Ridhuan Tee called on Muslim Malaysians to save their brethren in the archipelago. “Remember, my brothers, the Indonesians are our brethren too. If they are safe, we too are safe.”
So something must be done to arrest the situation in Indonesia. And pronto! if we continue to let things slide, Indonesia will become a Christian nation by 2035.
There will be chaos, with daily live concerts and everyone wearing the cross, celebrating Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas, gays and lesbians running around half-naked.
Indonesia will drown in a sea of alcohol and ruin itself with free sex. There will be loud music blaring from the discos. We may never get to hear the soothing sounds of Azan again.
Even the traditionally Christian West would be threatened, and the next Pope may come from Indonesia. It is the most populous Muslim country now, but by 2035 it will become the most populous Christian country. Christians around the world may headquarter their holy administration in downtown Jakarta.
The Malays should reconsider their options, leave political differences aside and vote for the obvious coalition that will protect Ketuanan Melayu, religion and royalty. This way, we can stem any threat to our way of life at the root.
Malay unity is important to ensure a peaceful, corrupt-free nation. PAS’ insistence on Islamic unity instead of Malay unity is simply a ploy and a play of words. Malay unity means Islamic unity. The two cannot be separated.
We are truly lucky that in multicultural Malaysia, non-Muslims are prevented by the law from spreading their faiths among Muslims even as they are constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to practise their religions.
But several right-wing religious groups have accused churches here of converting Muslims to Christianity.
Yes, we have to tighten loopholes. Hudud must be implemented without delay. And new laws must be enacted to prevent Muslims from overstepping their boundaries.
We have to ban Western values with immediate effect. Astro should stop broadcasting rubbish and concentrate on wholesome Islamic movies. Muslims must be barred from subscribing to sports channels because they show athletes in skimpy outfits, and from movies channels because they glorify Western thoughts and values.
Personal choice and critical thinking should be discouraged because these cause Muslims to question the religious authorities on even the slightest details.
Leading the jihad
Ridhuan Tee must lead the jihad to prevent such a tragedy from happening. He should resign from his unimportant role in the Defence University and concentrate his efforts on saving Indonesia and Malaysia.
I too may resign my day job in time and consider joining him in a jihad to save the Indonesians from themselves.
Ridhuan Tee should chide Najib (Tun Razak) for wasting good money to restore dilapidated church buildings in Sarawak.
The RM1 million can be put to better use to check the downslide of Islam in this country. The billions we could save from building dams and LRTs can be used to beef up the Dakwah Outreach and moral squads as well as to eradicate poverty among Muslims.
To counter proselytisation efforts, which are illegal in this country, the Dakwah Outreach must be adequately funded to reach out to the non-Muslims.
In this way we can target a 90% Muslim population, which would be an adequate guard against Christianisation, especially when Indonesia becomes a Christian country.
Non-Malays should, perhaps, consider Islam as a way of life and study the beauty of this great compassionate religion. They too can enjoy the benefits of Bumiputeraship and be part of 1Malaysia. Imagine! No more racial conflicts. And together we can join hands to build a better nation.
Riduan Tee should remember that Indonesians are free to choose their religion and they are not forced by law to define their race to embrace the religion not of their choice.
Comment by Mizz Bidayuh — August 12, 2012 @ 5:09 PM |
Christians shall not vote for a highly corrupted, abusive , repressive and oppressive UMNO controlled BN government and shall instead offer daily prayers to righteous and clean politicians like Rafizi Ramli, Lim Guan Eng and their families.
Comment by Bidayuh Headmaster — August 12, 2012 @ 12:34 PM |
Christians are majority in Sarawak!
What is this about Christian threat?????
Comment by Peter — August 11, 2012 @ 5:37 PM |
What we should do is stone Rhiduan Tee.
He’s just a paid proselytizer employee to talk rot to the Malaysian soldiers. But that’s what UMNO/BN people do – public servants talk rot, Sophian the SB fellow talk rot – oppositionists are communists. For all you know Rhiduan is a communist !
Muhyiddin Yassin is a communist – he just met China’s Communist Party Secretary in his Office in Putrajaya.
Ismail the IGP just said Bersih should not take part in Merdeka day celebration highlighting free and fair elections. Ismail is a communist anyway. Like China, he doesn’t believe in free and fair election. What does this make the PM Najib? More like a communist gangster!
Comment by Merdeka — August 11, 2012 @ 5:27 PM |
Well, “The Christian Threat! Really?” is quite a controversial article’s title by the columnist. Anyway, I give him a good credit for that.
So, recently the PM’s threats perturbed us greatly and now Ridzuan Tee’s personal choice and critical thinking have added up to the already deteriorated racial, religious and political situations in this country. His viewpoints are amounting to christian threat towards muslims in Malaysia. To this so-called islamic academic, his findings, if it is true, on the around two million indonesian muslims converted to christianity per year might trigger endemic religious tsunamis at various territories in Indonesia. His statement in a recent article that Indonesia would become a christian majority nation by the year 2035 is a far-fetched prophecy ; and does he think that a great majority of indonesian muslims or even muslim scholars are morons or just dumb? What are about the various big islamic organisations in Indonesia, and are they dumb too? Ridzuan Tee should know the answers as he is a self-appointed champion of islam.
What’s about the plight of the so-called poor muslim malays and muslim bumiputras in Malaysia as they are the end products of Umno/bn’s New Economic Policy? Have they too become the victims of christian proselytisation? I would like to remind Ridzuan Tee that Christianity, I know of, advocates freedom of religions and believes that no religious faiths should be imposed on anyone without his/her own free will. That is why when christians converted to become muslims through various factors and high poverty especially in Sarawak and Sabah, their churches have no choice but to respect their choices although the lost sheeps have indeed disheartened the shepherd.
The so-called UMNO/BN’s fixed deposits in Sarawak and Sabah, that have enabled the corrupt and power abused ruling elite to stay in power, are made available by the majority of non-muslims inclusive of christian voters. So, Ridzuan, do not hit the bees’ nests unnecessarily! The same too with the semenanjung christians and other non-muslims and they won’t be able to deliver what the Umno/bn wants.
Ridzuan’s statement on considering christians as enemies to islam is uncalled for and highly subversive.
It is really a surefire way to get deep hurts among the malaysian people.
Comment by Justice Lover — August 11, 2012 @ 3:26 PM |
Reduan Tee is like a mangy stray dog looking for a new owner. The guy would sell his own mother for a song. The way he sucker it up to Umno shows that he has no dignity and shallow he is. I wouldn’t even let him touch my dog.
Comment by ihateumnodogs — August 11, 2012 @ 3:11 PM |
All Muslims should learn from YASSER ARAFAT how to get both Christians and Muslims as FRIENDS help, protect each other….
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In Bethlehem, Arafat Looks to Jerusalem
LA Times, December 24, 1995| MARJORIE MILLER |
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat arrived on the doorstep of Jerusalem on Saturday to celebrate Christmas in the city regarded as the birthplace of Jesus, now under Palestinian control for the first time.
Speaking to tens of thousands of Palestinians from the rooftop of the Church of the Nativity on Manger Square, Arafat told doubters among his ranks to look at how far he had come in the peace process with Israelis and to keep their sights fixed on Jerusalem, a few minutes up the road.
“For those who said, ‘Gaza first and last,’ we say, ‘Gaza first and then Arab Jerusalem, to an independent state,’ ” Arafat said.
The largely Muslim crowd, gathered beneath a fusion of Christmas decorations and Palestinian flags, roared its approval.
Under a 1993 Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, Arafat first took control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho. A second agreement between Arafat and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin before the Israeli leader was slain last month will give the Palestinians control of seven more West Bank cities and hundreds of villages and paved the way for the first Palestinian elections, set for Jan. 20.
The two sides are to begin negotiations over control of Jerusalem and other outstanding issues in May.
Israelis insist that they will never redivide Jerusalem and give up the Arab half of the city conquered in the 1967 Mideast War.
Arafat flew by helicopter from the Gaza Strip to the town of Beit Sahur and, surrounded by Palestinian security officers, drove the few blocks to Bethlehem.
He made several attempts to be conciliatory in his speech, calling Bethlehem a “city of peace” and saying that it should serve as an example.
“My brothers, we are now in a historic period in the life of the Palestinian people and the Arab nation. Yes, Muslims, Christians and Jews on this Holy Land created by the Lord,” he said.
While hailing the Israeli pullout after 28 years, many Christian residents of Bethlehem and other West Bank towns have expressed concerns about living under the rule of a Muslim majority.
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Arafat, a Muslim who married a Christian-born woman, appeared to be speaking to Christian residents Saturday when he opened his speech quoting in Arabic from the biblical book of Luke, “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
Christ, he said, was “a Palestinian prophet.”
The Muslim call to prayer rang out on loudspeakers against the sound of church bells and the pounding of drums from young Palestinian marching bands in the square.
Bethlehem is about two-thirds Muslim, and the celebrants in Manger Square were overwhelmingly Muslim.
Security was extremely tight, with uniformed and plainclothes police watching the crowd for weapons.
Access to the Church of the Nativity was restricted for several hours leading up to Arafat’s speech. And yet there was an air of gaiety in the plaza that many residents and visitors said they had never felt in the years under Israeli control.
A huge portrait of Arafat hung from the New Tourist Shopping Center welcoming the Palestinian leader, and the red, green, black and white Palestinian flag draped the facade of the Church of the Nativity.
The square was tightly packed, with the ebullient crowd overflowing down side streets where vendors sold hot falafel in pita, sunflower seeds and pistachio nuts.
In Christmases past, they said, there was always the tense expectation of rock-throwing or shooting, a fear of confrontation between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers or police.
“In other years, it was really all European or American tourists here, and the local folks weren’t really allowed in like this,” said the Rev. Sandy Olewine, a pastor from the Holman Methodist Church in Los Angeles who is doing research in Israel.
“The feeling in the air is very different,” said Nancy Bowen, a professor of Old Testament studies from Richmond, Ind. “Last year we came in a bus with Israeli police escorts on the bus and in two jeeps in front of us. This year, we just walked in.”
Originally, Arafat’s rally had been scheduled for Christmas Eve. He changed his plans reportedly after Roman Catholic Church officials said they feared that the holy day would be turned into a political event.
Arafat’s wife, Suha, arrived in Bethlehem on Friday to light the main Christmas tree near the Church of the Nativity.
Although she converted to Islam before marrying Arafat, she prayed in the church on Saturday and laid her baby daughter in front of the place where tradition says Jesus was born.
“The baby, of course, is a Muslim, but there is a tolerance between Christians and Muslims,” Suha Arafat said.
She said her husband represented tolerance and was carrying out Christ’s “message of peace.”
In the square outside, Louris Odeh, a resident of neighboring Beit Sahur, was among the Christian minority who turned out to greet Arafat.
“This holiday is like two–Christmas and Arafat’s coming. It is the first time we have come here without passing through an Israeli army checkpoint,” said Odeh, waiting with her daughter and grandson.
After the rally, Arafat held his weekly “cabinet” meeting in Bethlehem, then effectively dissolved the body to allow members to run in next month’s elections.
“We officially resigned tonight,” Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said. “This was the last Palestinian Authority meeting, and the meeting was sort of a farewell party.”
Arafat and Suha are scheduled to stay in Bethlehem for midnight Mass tonight.
“This is a historic visit. It is the first one of its kind in the history of Palestine,” Mayor Elias Freij said in a live broadcast on Voice of Palestine radio.
The radio quoted Arafat as saying that from the roof of Church of the Nativity he had been able to see “the light at the end of the tunnel, the turrets of mosques and churches of Jerusalem.”
Comment by Teddy Gumbang — August 11, 2012 @ 8:52 AM |