YOURSAY | ‘What else will PAS ban to avoid disrespecting the majority’s sensitivities?’

PAS rejects Oktoberfest events, even behind closed doors

Anonymous_3b6c1f0c: While I do not support alcohol festivals, the organising of one does not mean that it is being done for the purpose of promoting or indulging in vice or drunkenness.

These are organised to promote the sale of various brands and types of alcoholic products to non-Muslim patrons. It is not a religious or cultural festival, even though the word 'festival' is used.

Drunkenness can happen in any place and time and is not confined to organised sales promotion. There are adequate laws to deal with unsavoury behaviour which need not necessarily be the result of drinking alcohol.

To permit such a concession to Muslim sensitivities would then be a licence for PAS to push for the abolition of non-Muslims’ celebrations of their religious and cultural festivals, their places of worship, their languages, their cultural practices, et cetera.

PAS is insensitive to the rights of non-Muslims and is being belligerent. It would do well to help people in poverty who resort to extreme means to earn a living, such as the woman who sold her body just so she could get food for herself and her child.

For all their religious observances, PAS just cannot seem to prioritise the need to do work to uplift humanity, rather than dwelling only on compliance with form as if that is the only way to ascend to heaven.

David Dass: There is a problem of drawing a line somewhere. The argument that the line should be drawn restrictively or narrowly because Muslims are the majority and Islam is the official religion is wrong.

It is an argument that would deny non-Muslims their rights as equal citizens. It would make nonsense of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of worship.

If accepted, it will provide Muslim extremists with an excuse to further restrict the freedom non-Muslims enjoy as equal citizens.

Oktoberfest is an occasion for revelry – for music and dancing and, yes, some beer-drinking. It is not an excuse for drunkenness or drunk driving or bad behaviour.

The truth is, celebrations of weddings and other events often take place in banquet halls at hotels, clubs and restaurants. And if hosted by non-Muslims, they will often serve alcohol. Muslims may be among the guests, but they will not consume alcohol.

The consumption of alcohol is not mandatory, even for a festival like Oktoberfest.

I do not generally consume alcohol, condemn anyone who drinks and drives, and abhor bad behaviour stemming from excessive consumption of alcohol. But I accept that drinking some alcohol as a recreational activity is something people do. And all should tolerate that.

Anonymous 7478653098613829: Maybe PAS would like to ban the Kadazan Harvest Festival where there is public drinking of tapai, lihing and talak alcohol.

So if Oktoberfest is banned, what else will PAS ban in the near future to avoid disrespecting the so-called sensitivities?

Malaysians of all religions have been getting along very well until some fanatics tried to outdo those from the Middle East and turn this country upside down. At the same time, social problems and corruption, which are more critical, are totally ignored.

To me, these hypocrites are not concerned about sensitivities but are just trying to create friction to serve their own selfish agenda.

TehTarik: I don’t drink beer but have no qualms about others enjoying Oktoberfest. PAS again shows its intolerance to the beliefs of non-Muslims, which is similar to their protests against rock singers and groups.

These guys want to morally police others. But when you look closer at them, they are hypocrites and morally bankrupt as manifested by their support for child marriages and disputed conversions.

Determined Sarawakian: I think these ulama have gotten the wrong idea that Oktoberfest is an event organised like a street party. It's not.

It's actually held at selected venues internally and mostly in shopping centres where there are drinking pubs and bars.

Even if the shopping centres hold it in an open venue, it is within their premises. So this talk about organising it like a Mardi Gras is highly unlikely.

Faith and Reason: I'm not Muslim and I don't agree with religious authorities interfering in the affairs of non-adherents, but to be honest, I'm kind of with them on this one.

Let's face it, Malaysians are absolutely terrible when it comes to drinking alcohol. Over-consumption, crazy drunkenness, drunk driving, flagrant public order flouting, these are all common among Malaysians.

If Malaysians want to shout about their rights, I think they should establish that they can be responsible with their rights before crying victim.

If all Muslims saw that the non-Muslims can handle drinking alcohol with dignity and restraint, instead of trading stories about puking, falling over, picking fights, or punching people, then perhaps they will not see enough reasons to oppose us exercising our rights in a responsible way.

Mafeeah: If anyone misbehaves as a result of being drunk, let the authorities handle them.

In fact, I have seen well-behaved people who drink a lot but don't act like rowdies, as opposed to beer bottle-smashing, doing martial arts stunts, and issuing racial slurs during protests.

Anonymous 770241447347646: Yes, we have enough enforcement officers to handle misbehaviour and drunkenness.

Secondly, most of the people who drink know their limits. It is only a tiny fraction of people who actually misbehave.

There are many decent social drinkers, who just want to have a good time, relax and spend some time socialising with their families or friends.

You cannot have a narrow mind by thinking that all drinkers do not know how to limit themselves.

Not all who have sex are sex offenders, as not all who drink are drunkards.

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