Saving Islam or same old race-religion games?

I read with dismay when Jais officials raided the Dream Centre on August 3 during a thanksgiving dinner held by an NGO named Harapan Komuniti to appreciate their efforts in helping Malaysians from all walks of life. This was simply a community event where the Dream Centre was used as a venue to host this event.

What was supposed to be a dream celebration turned out to be a nightmare for the participants, when they were rudely interrupted and premises trespassed by the police and JAIS without a warrant.

The Dream Centre is merely a venue that is rented by DUMC and Community Excel Services. There is no justification to believe that this dinner would be used for proselytisation, other than to host events from any organisation that would like to rent its premises with the number of halls that are available.

The recent raid by Jais on a church has brought to the fore the element of instilling fear in our society. It has brought about a situation where human rights and the freedom to assemble under article 10 of the federal constitution are rendered illusory, based on a mere complaint that certain individuals are found in its premises.

Does this warrant Jais to infringe on basic human rights and freedom to assemble, without an iota of concrete evidence of proselytisation has been found? Jais is simply abusing its powers under the so-called state enactment that was passed by the BN state govt in 1995.

It would seem that Jais has acted on its own with the blessings of a renegade state exco Hasan Ali. Such departure from the basic norm of fact-finding and investigation prior to any action is simply shocking to human rationale and decency.

It creates a dangerous precedent whereby a mere complaint or a hunch could give a blanket licence to the religious authority to launch a raid on private property anytime it wishes. It is learnt that Hasan Ali has evidence to show that DUMC has attempted to proselytise Muslims who were present at the dinner function.

However, the fact that he has failed to produce the evidence thus far and even offered to resign proves that he is not being truthful all this while, but is merely fabricating a story.

Efforts by certain quarters to lay blame on the Christian community is most unfair and high handed. Hasan Ali and his like-minded people are in effect driving a wedge between peoples of different faiths. The driving of this wedge has made it seem that only fear and intimidation rules, whilst freedom under the federal constitution is dead.

As Malaysians, we must not let fear overrule our right to freedom of assembly and association as guaranteed under the federal constitution. We must not let state religious authorities hijack our basic fundamental human rights of freedom of assembly with the flimsiest excuse of acting on a complaint without proof.

The mere fact that the new Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) had a talk on electoral reform in Dream Centre on July 29, where top Bersih leaders like Ambiga were there just a week prior to the raid on the thanksgiving dinner will only raise questions as to the timing of the raid.

I believe the notion of a conspiracy will become more credible each day, as being hatched from powers that be to create fear in the Christian community for their support of Bersih, whereby Muslims are being instigated at the mere mention of the word 'proselytisation', thereby straining the good relationship between people of different faiths for the sake of clawing back lost Malay Muslim support, but sacrificing and rendering the concept of 1Malaysia as nothing more than a myth.

It is hoped that all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion will weed out religious extremism amongst us and work towards moderation and national reconciliation in the spirit of love, truth and justice. Jais and the police must endeavour to exercise wisdom and not subject Malaysians to fear and intimidation.

Freedom should reign and let fear be buried for a better Malaysia. We certainly do not need Hasan Ali's independent stance and extremism to instill fear in Malaysians.