The Muslim Psyche by Dr Afiza Azmee

I am going to be quite blunt (or sharp), here.

This is something that everyone should understand. While there may be some dispute as to whether or not Malaysia is ‘negara Islam’, there is NO DENYING that Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country.

And anyone who wishes to be a politician in Malaysia should realize that it is foolhardy – indeed, a political suicide – to ignore the sentiments of Muslims, especially when it is regarding their MOST BELOVED prophet (pbuh).

I am NOT going to cast my vote favouring an anti-Islam government. At the moment however, I am in the biggest dilemma of my life. I COULD NOT decide which one between PR and BN ,is more beneficial for the cause of Muslim in this country. PR has in them the most wretched anti-Islam party in our midst. On the other hand, BN is not that appealing either.

This is, without a doubt, a heart-breaking, soul-wrenching SADNESS for Malaysian Muslims.

I think it is time that Malaysian Muslims cease being political and start being united.

***

I studied in Newcastle, Australia.

I came back because I am deeply attached to my country. I have never been the sort to air dirty laundries about our country to my Australian friends. I say only the best of things about my country to other people – because I am a loyal person ( I am not bragging – I am stating the truth).

Back in my country, I may go around complaining about the health system and about general peculiarities of our society – but it’ exactly because I love my country that I even bother to write about my frustration. But in the foreign society, I have NEVER said a bad word about my country. Just like I would never say a bad word about my family to non-family.

To me, it’s not just a matter of loyalty. It’s a matter of common sense!

It’s bad form to badmouth your own family members to others, no matter how much you are frustrated with them – common sense right?

I argued with my GP (my supervisor who would be doing my evaluation sheet) when I was a student because he condemned our judiciary system. Westerners, in general, are anti-Mahathir and pro-Anwar. I rolled my eyes and said, do you want to talk about Guantanamo?

Now, our judiciary system may not be perfect. But that’s why you have to come back to Malaysia and talk about it among Malaysians. There’s no sense of you talking about it with foreigners when you are all nice and easy in a foreign country (what can the foreigners do? They are foreigners laa….duh!). That’s LOW!  You say you want some change in our country? Come back and serve the country laa! You are not serving the country when you go and talk about our appalling atrocities in a foreign land. That’s just cowardice in its grand form.

Grow up!

That’s the main reason I despise Anwar Ibrahim. I despise anyone who goes around talking and attempting to sound intelligent while they are smearing shit on our good name. Please, people. Have some standard and have some pride. CNN just loves to interview anyone who hates his own country for some imagined injustice/ crime against humanity. CNN should talk about Guantanamo and the illusionary weapon of mass destruction much more than they should talk about the (lack of) democracy in other people’s countries.

Please get it in your head that no one sounds intelligent when they talk bad things about their own mother. Okay? Even if what they said about their mother is true, we just don’t speak about it to others. Instead, what we should do is go home and talk about it with our mother.  Get it?

I come back and talk about our health system. Some people hate it. I guess, they’d rather I go and talk about it to Australians? Sorry, but that kind of cowardice and attention seeking behavior as well as ass-kissing attitude towards the West is just not in my gene!

I love my country so much because this is where I hope my religion will prosper and thrive. I have had 5 years of being a minority in a foreign country, albeit it being a rich and developed one, and I know how it feels to not have my RAYA because it is not a public holiday.

I know how it feels having to rush for prayer because I couldn’t pray earlier while following the consultant’s rounds. I know how it feels being stared at just because I supposedly wore a towel on my head in public. I know how it feels having to pray at the changing room because there’s no proper praying place for us. I know how it feels to go to the toilet carrying a bottle of water to clean myself –  because toilets over there have no running water.

Now I am back in Malaysia, and I expect public holidays during my religious events. I expect to be able to break my fast during Ramadhan on time, unless my patients are collapsing left, right and centre. I expect to be allowed to excuse myself for prayers if the rounds get too lengthy and late and I want there to be no complaints regarding me performing my religious duty regardless of whatever religion my superior subscribes herself to! I expect to find a surau at every corner of the hospital and mosques at every few kilometers of the streets. I want there to be no issues if the azan are on loudspeaker – even if it is early in the morning!

***

The fate of the minorities in other countries are clear – no public holidays for their religious events. No special schools for their own religion or race. All races have to be able to speak the country’s national language if they don’t want to be looked like the stupidest person in the universe. They have to master the culture and the language of the country before they are granted citizenship.

Sure Barack Obama is a black – but he is a Christian. He doesn’t speak Swahili. He speaks American English. He doesn’t practice the culture of his racial origin – he practices the American culture and possesses whatever it is that passes of as an American Dream!

I too want my PM to be a Muslim. Who speaks excellent Malay. Who practices the culture of the country rather than the culture of his own racial origin.

Find one country – JUST ONE – which has a prime minister who is not of the majority race and ALSO does not practice the culture of the majority race? That just doesn’t happen.

I have seen how Muslims are being thrashed around, discriminated against, ridiculed at when they are a minority in other countries. Imagine what kind of laughter a Muslim will get if he goes around demanding to be prime minister in a Christian-majority country? Imagine what kind of outrage that will ensue if we demanded that no bells be rung and no music should be played during the church masses because they are noisy?

Being a minority in Australia, we cannot even demand that they recognize our public holidays. We cannot even demand that we have our own school with our own syllabus from Saudi Arabia or Al-Azhar University or something. We cannot even demand that we get the same privilege that the Australians get even though the Muslims over there pay taxes just like everyone else. Chinese over there didn’t know Mandarin. Indian over there didn’t know Tamil or Hindi. Lebanese over there didn’t know Arab. They speak in Australian English complete with its unique sing-song slang.

They are THAT alienated from the culture of their own origin –  EVEN then they didn’t demand to be made Prime Minister, okay! To find even one Muslim or other minorities in their parliament  was like ‘fat chance!’

In Malaysia, we recognize everyone’s religious holiday. That is generous! We even allow them their  own school.  When they don’t know how to speak the national language, we tolerate their inadequacies. Some MP’s command in the Malay language are laughable at best!

They are busy organizing so many demonstrations – from stupid scandalous LGBT demonstrations to ineffective BERSIH rallies – but when we want to organize a PEACEFUL demonstration against the moronic film regarding our prophet Muhammad, how dare the MP DAP Ngeh Koo Ham then said ‘it would be a waste of time’.

How dare you!

When it comes to defending the honor of my prophet, you think it is a waste of time? The LGBT one is not a waste of time, I suppose?

The BERSIH rally with the ass-flashing scene over the picture of Najib was okay, I suppose – a thoroughly beneficial usage of the time then, showing your gluteus maximus muscle (the butt muscle) for the delectable enjoyment of the public ?

That DAP MP is so CLUELESS about how MUCH we esteem our prophet?

When it comes to defending our prophet, it is not a political agenda. UMNO youth had asked PAS youth to join in the demonstration and PAS Youth has  accepted.

For once, this is not about politics. Do you get it? Or are you scared of what will happen when all Muslims finally become united making your party once again become irrelevant?

***

I am not racist. It is against my religion to be a racist.

But be fair to my religion. This is a Muslim-majority country, remember that.

A politician would do well to respect the sentiments of the majority of the vote casters.  A politician who wishes to be successful in his career should start understanding the psyche of the Muslim voters. We can tolerate ALMOST anything but NOT an insult to our religion.

The British Resident once, were able to control us ONLY because they promised to still put the Sultans in charge of the Islam religion and the ‘adat Melayu’ and would stay away from our religious matters.

They had the wisdom to recognize that the religion and the ‘adat’ was off-limits! You would do well to learn from the British…after all they brought you guys in and you are welcome to this country as much as everyone else who pay taxes. But don’t push it!

We may be blasé about the economy. We have a lackadaisical attitude towards other matters that other people may find of utmost importance. Malays, in general, are easy-going and not OCD or kiasu-prone!

But if you touch our religion, we will go to war for it. That’s a fact and it ain’t changing! This is not a threat but a promise. If you don’t know how serious this is, you have a long way to go towards understanding the Muslim psyche. Arab spring, if it occurs in Malaysia, will bring you untold nightmares you couldn’t even imagine.

Be warned.

PS: For once I am glad I am not a politician. I can say whatever I like without fear of what people would think? Not even the fear that people would label me as racist would shut my mouth. I am not racist, I am just someone who, although being an imperfect Muslim, loves nothing else more than I love my religion. You will find most Muslims are like me. They may not be a perfect Muslim, but they love their religion intensely. Please be mindful of what you said about our religion. It hurts. And like a wounded lion, we are at our most dangerous when we retaliate!!!
afizaazmee | September 21, 2012 at 12:23 am | Tags: Innocence of Muslims, Muslim Psyche | Categories: Islam and Religion | URL: http://wp.me/ppjc6-ku