Count your blessings as Malaysians

• Main Author: Abdul Razak, Dzulkifli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd 2019
• Subjects: HM Sociology
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/72643/1/72643_Count%20your%20blessings%20as%20Malaysians.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/72643/; https://www.thesundaily.my/opinion/count-your-blessings-as-malaysians-MN960806

WHILE Malaysia and its diverse population celebrates Eidul Fitri peacefully across all cultures and beliefs, different countries have different stories to tell. Some are not so lucky as in the case of Sudan where talks over a transition to civil government turned bloody. Libya was still gunning for Tripoli, and migrants from other war-torn countries continued to suffer especially women and children. The lessons of Ramadan seem to have trickled down very little in saving humanity as it is intended to do. It is heart-wrenching to read reports on what is taking place behind China’s “hi-tech” curtain. For a long time many suspected that all was not right in the country with reference to minorities. For Muslims, for example, stories were rife of a million from different ethnic origins being kept in “confinement” centres. But there was no confirmation until recently when the centres were dubbed as “vocational education centres” teaching Mandarin and Chinese laws aimed at keeping the inmates away from extremism so to speak. The Xinjiang government was reported to have said that religious activities “are not allowed” in the so-called educational facilities. One would have thought the reverse, as Islam is a religion of peace to begin with. The more one is familiarised with the “real” teaching the better it would be to avert the notion of extremism. Somehow this is not the case for some reason. They are allowed to practise Islam only on their weekend off at home.