The Christians bear the brunt of it again.

It was recently ‘revealed’ by a state exco that the state’s religious department has in their possession ‘talking bibles’ purportedly used for proselytizing to Muslims. This was the follow up to his earlier claims that the Christians are using solar-powered talking bibles to try and covert the Muslim ummah to embrace the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

This latest incredulous claim is part of a larger narrative; that there is a ‘Christianisation’ movement to try to convert the whole country and turn it into a ‘Christian state’. So convinced are they of the Christian threat to the faith of Muslims that a number of Malay-Muslim NGOs have formed a coalition in order to ‘save’ the faith of Muslims from this Christianisation wave. At the time of writing, the coalition has garnered some 12,000 or so ‘likes’ on Facebook. Which is rather ironic, as the very same coalition charged that Facebook exposes young Muslims to apostasy.

In the middle of last year, a blogger claimed that there were moves by the Christian community to install a Christian prime minister and to amend the Constitution to make Christianity as the official religion of the Federation. The incredulous claim was picked up by a Malay-language newspaper who carried it as if it is the gospel truth. Yet to date, neither blogger nor newspaper has provided proof of their assertions.

That very same Malay-language newspaper has also alleged that the Bersih 2.0 coalition is being funded by Christian groups overseas. The objective? Purportedly a change of government through street protests. We also saw last year how a state religious authority raided a church in Damansara for allegedly attempting to convert Muslims.

Not forgetting the constant threats the Christians pose to the faithful through things like Valentine’s Day, Santa Claus and Christmas greetings. Some even go so far as to ‘read’ symbols of Freemasonary and Illuminati into mundane things and linking them to them to Christianity.

On top of being constantly demonised, Christians also have to contend with impediments to their constitutional right to profess and practice their religion.

Some want to regulate and dictate what are the names they can call their God. Their holy books have been confiscated and defaced. They struggle just to obtain permission to build their houses of worships. Then, some of these places of worship are themselves torched. Even the relatively harmless activity of Christmas caroling now requires a police permit.

In short, it would appear that everything that is wrong in this country is directly or indirectly the fault of Christians. Christians, to them, are like a plague upon the nation, one that must be confronted and combated before it becomes a bigger menace.

I could never understand this paranoia. Perhaps, it is because I have lived my whole life surrounded by Christians and Christianity. My alma mater, a school in Petaling Jaya, was founded by missionaries. Walk around its halls and you will many vestiges of the missionary school of yore. I spent years walking around in its compound under the shadow of a very noticeable cross. Once, a couple of parents wanted to remove the cross, but the objections from everyone else meant that the idea remained an idea. I was never tempted or wondered about switching school.

Some of my closest friends are Christians. Yet never have I once been proselytised by them. They have not even questioned the faith I have in my faith, even if religion is far from being a taboo subject to us. Surely if there was indeed a movement, why have they not tried to convert me?

My involvement with the MyConstitution campaign also meant that I had to visit a lot of churches for events and workshops. We would be treated with wonderful hospitality, but I have never been asked to leave my faith.

It saddens me when these allegations are banded about my fellow Malaysians in the name of my religion. When I know of so many Christians who are so passionate about their country, who are contributing their blood, sweat and tears to make a better Malaysia, yet treated as if they are high level national security threats. It is heartening to note that Christians of Malaysia have reacted with calm, turning their collective cheeks and still loving their neighbours.

I believe a lot of the paranoia and demonisation of Christians are due to ignorance. For some reason, these people see Christians as a homogenous and singular community. That is why they buy into the idea of a Christian conspiracy. Yet to see Christians as one entity betrays their lack of knowledge in the history of the religion we know of as Christianity. That is why a Protestant church was firebombed when the challenge in Court to use the name ‘Allah’ was brought by Catholics. They know not of the difference.

Prejudice and paranoia are difficult to eradicate. Even more difficult when you are constantly bombarded with propaganda. Yet it must be done, for what other choice do we have? After all, is it not true that God help those who help themselves?

*first published in The Star iPad application on 12 January 2012

Advertisement