This little nugget was reported in today’s New York Times:
Worshipers at two Malaysian mosques found the severed heads of pigs when they arrived for morning prayers on Wednesday, according to the police. Pigs are considered unclean by Muslims. The incident followed vandalism and arson at 11 Christian churches this month and appeared to be part of a continuing dispute over the use of the word Allah by Christians to designate God in the Malay-language Bible.
I’m overwhelmed by the morality and love demonstrated by these two groups. No doubt that the Muslims setting fires and the Christians lopping off pig heads were fundamentalists believing they were doing God’s work. Surely, these criminals are patting themselves on the back believing God/Allah/Jesus/Mohammad are condoning their psychotic actions. This is the pathological delusion that unchecked fundamentalism can bring certain followers.
Given such extreme behavior by religious fanatics, I wonder how some nations, such as Nigeria or Malaysia, where Christianity and Islam co-exist in tension, can make it without turning into sectarian deathtraps.
By the way, have you ever noticed how gay or mainstream churches never burn down the worship houses of others or mutilate animals for the Lord?
Maybe the conservative crazies could learn a little something about their own religions from the liberals and moderates they so despise.
Dont think it was the Christians who put the pig head there. Probably the muslim themselves. They have done it before to the Hindus. It is a very political game.
Except for one church, the rest – more than 11 churches sufferred very minor damage – eg slightly damage front gate. It was all meant to make a point.
The incident was started by the Government by wanting to ban the word “Allah” from the Malay bible to gain malay votes. ie like taking out “God” from the English bible. The courts said the ban was illegal and it sparked off riots at Mosques by the Muslims. The Gov had earlier confiscated 15,000 bibles.
Not sure what you meant by moderate/Mainstream church in Malaysian context – non are moderate. Gay churche(s) hardly exist or are underground – hunted down by Christians.
It is also very different very Malaysia and Nigeria. In Malaysia, it is 9.1% Christians, so they must behave meakly. In Uganda, it is close to 50%, and religiously motivated killings are very common.
It may not be good morality or love that Christians do not respond in kind. They just don’t have the numbers…
Lamb:
What you are saying is possible, but also conjecture. It is also possible that the Muslims owed a gambling debt and the mob used a pigs head because no horse could be found in the vicinity.
I’m just quoting the Times blurb. In any case, the original point still stands. Religious fanatics of all stripes seem to love violence.
My point is that your allegations that Christians put the pig head there is unproven for the moment.
Soem background knowledge would have helped your understanding. Based on previous precedence that attacks on the Mosques have been found to be insitgated by the Muslims themselves. They [muslims] also have done it to Hindu temples, by putting a cow head there. So it follows a normal pattern of their actions and not mere conjecture or imagination as you have implied.
You may have taken the Time quote out of context, because the dispute by the Christians thus far was a legal dispute which was escalated into vandalism by the Muslims when the Muslims lost the court case. The Christians here are so scared that they sometimes don’t even put up their church banner.
I am not sure whether you had implied that the Christians in Malaysia are moderate and of “religious tolerance at its finest” because they are not. They are linked to the Religious Right that the Americans have exported to our country.They have tried to use very underhand method to stop the first gay Christian service in KL (the capital) 2 years ago.