Hadi arrogant, sowing hatred, says BERSAMA

PENAMPANG : The recent disparaging remark against Christianity and East Malaysians, by PAS president Datuk Hadi Awang, was insensitive, uncalled for and spoke volumes of the personality of the man and his arrogance.

Bersama took exception of Hadi’s allegation that natives in the Interior of Sabah and Sarawak converted to Christianity because the missionaries gave them money and food, which was not only misleading but dangerous as it implied Hadi’s belief that money and food would convert people to Christianity.

Hadi must be reminded that Christians have all the liberty to leave the religion and embrace other religion as there is no forcing them to remain Christian. If at all, the natives, or whoever, converted to Christianity, it is because of the love and salvation message brought by Jesus and the Gospels.

We trust that Islam would not approve of Hadi's opinion which is insulting and demeaning in nature. How could Hadi have seen himself as adviser to the Barisan Nasional leadership when BN comprised of so many multi-cultural and multi-religion parties? Bersama would like to ask whether PBS, Upko, PBRS or PRS agree to Hadi's observation.

We don’t even need government or various public-funded agencies to force the people to remain in one religion, a fact arrogant Hadi refused to believe. Hadi’s contention that the educated shunned Christianity could be totally wrong, is simplistic and outdated.

Certain parts of Europe, which Hadi might have frequently visited, might have shunned churches for reasons best known to them. However Christianity is not short of the learned and educated even in Europe, Americas, Middle East or even in Asia and Africa. Many Malaysians, including those in PAS, were educated in Christian countries, including by Christian scholars, for that matter.

Hadi’s remark in the party’s mouthpiece Harakah, which has since been picked up by online portals, was a calculated attempt to stir racial tension in the already polarised country, you know by who. Hadi could be trying to entice even more extremists to his islamic party by trying to show some hardline hatred against non-Muslims. 

How would Hadi explain the so many professionals and educated who left and are leaving PAS for the new more progressive party, Amanah?

Let Bersama reminds Hadi and PAS that there is nothing to be proud of if religion extremists like suicide bombers, even though made of educated engineers, lawyers, architects and scientists, were allowed to hijack the purity of Islam, which Bersama held in high esteem.