I am an atheist in practice, born into a Christian family, but I respect those who follow the moral and principle teachings of any religion as long as they tolerate other religious existence.
Most people become over-passionate when discussing religion in minute detail, forgetting therefore the core teaching and the purpose of their religion. Such is the scenario in the saga of usage of the term 'Allah'. Religion is about faith, and it's personal. It doesn't matter what you call your God, unless God specifically stated what He would like to be called in the Holy Scriptures.
Religious discussions often overheat whenever there is disagreement, fueled by the immense power of faith that defines the purpose of life. In some circumstances, tolerance with other fellow sapiens and life are sacrificed in the name of their faith. Because of this, there will never be peace on earth until major religions learn to tolerate each other and stay current with the evolving society.
In our beloved country, Islam is the predominant and official religion. That means that non-Muslims must observe and understand the Islamic way of life, therefore avoid offending the majority of Muslims. But that does not mean that Muslims in this country do not have to reciprocate the same way just because they are the majority.
Any attempt to suffocate other religions in any way is not only in violation of freedom to practise any chosen religion as stated in our much abused federal constitution but also can be seen as an attempt to forcefully propagate Islam. It is not merely an unfair game endorsed by our government, but a dangerously sensitive one.
No doubt the Muslim population in Malaysia is increasing, attributable to three main factors, ie, a faster increase in the Malay population, the 'no opting-out clause in the syariah law for those who were born or convert to Islam and lastly the active promotion of conversion to Islam done subtly by our government for their own political agenda.
It is understood that in Islam, once you are in, you are in for life. My question is, is Islam in Malaysia a matter of faith or a matter of declaration and registration? If you are registered but do not believe and want out, then the poor fellow should not be forced into a brainwashing session or jailed. Let him/her be judged by the qualified one, which is God himself.
There are a lot of people who convert on paper to Islam for the sake of love and marriage, but never practise the teachings. These people are caught in massive predicaments when divorce occurs and wish to return to their previous faith. The judiciary decision in the Lina Joy's saga has nailed the coffin for these people.
Many will ask, why sign the papers to declare our faith to Islam if you don't believe in it? Love is blind people say, and people make mistakes. Most people are too young, naive and uneducated to know the implications. Whatever the reasons, converting just for marriage without having the faith and without knowing the implications is unwise.
The Islamic authorities should also determine the genuineness of a Muslim faith declaration before accepting it.
Many may consider this letter as Islam-bashing, but I have no qualms with Islamic practice in general. The problem is with the way Islamic authorities here impose themselves on other faiths and the politicisation of the religion. This is retrogressive to our aim of national unity and is a threat to the diversity of a truly 'Malaysian flavour'.
