‘Islam comes second to Umno’

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | July 25, 2011

Najib will soon pay dearly politically, at least, for meeting up with the Pope, says a former Umno state assemblyman.

A friend called me recently and asked “hey, why is your former boss (Umno president Najib Tun Razak) ranting about defending Islam and saying all those things about Islam?”

My retort was: “What former boss? He is still my boss. Don’t listen to those pro Umno bloggers. I am still an Umno member.

“Unless they sack me. Until then, I am an Umno member.”

Are those belligerent and shrill statements from Najib going to tear us apart – pitting one religious group against one another?

Yet he just came back from visiting the Vatican and meeting the Pope, head of the Catholic Church.

My friends, don’t be unduly alarmed. Let me give you an analogy.

Najib saying he will defend Islam and saying all those things about Islam is like Hugh Hefner or Larry Flint defending and talking praises about Christianity.

Will Christianity be elevated just because Larry Flint and Hugh Hefner gave their endorsements?

Christians will be generally bemused and will smile it off.

So you people would be better off doing the same when Najib speaks about Islam. Najib will soon pay dearly politically, at least, for meeting up with the Pope.

His minions will write gloriously about his inclusiveness and his statesmanship.

Defending Islam?

But the Malays in the heartland will have other things to say.

They will say why didn’t Najib meet up with leading Islamic scholar, Sheikhul Al Azhar?

Is Najib sprinkled with Holy Water to win the next elections?

Malays in the kampungs will next be listening to PAS telling the voters that Najib is even willing to get accreditation from the Pope to appease Christians in Malaysia.

Now about Umno defending Islam, let me give you an example.

Remember the removal of the ban of entertainment in Kedah?

Well after the Kedah government rescinded the ban order, it was Barisan National partner, Gerakan, who wanted the ban written in as a permanent rule.

A state that is led by an Islamic party does what Islam commands in not discriminating against other religion. So it does what Islam commands it to do.

The one who should be supporting the move should be Umno whose president has said and continues to say that he will defend Islam.

But it’s Gerakan who came to the fore and Umno supports what Gerakan says.

In supporting what Islam wants, Umno comes second.

I would like to meet up with Hugh Hefner and Larry Flint. I too will do that in the name of inclusiveness.

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman and FMT columnist.