Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas was reported to have said in an interview given to Malaysiakini that the "fact is the non-Muslims look to the Muslims for guidance because Islam is a complete religion."
Such a statement from the Director-General of the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) is a challenge to the governing law of Malaysia -the Federal Constitution - by which our country is recognised by the nations of the world. A remark like this can be construed as an insult to the people of other religions in this country.
This attitude from the think-tank of a government body on Islam surely would give cause for worry among the people of other religions in this country that they are being treated as second class citizens. The non-Muslim religions have experienced the attitude of Islam as the "complete religion" by receiving a non-response from the Muslim body to the invitation of MCCBCHS to be in dialogue and also in solidarity with one another when justice is denied.
Despite all that, it is not fair of the director-general to say that "if non-Muslims are worried over 'creeping Islamisation', [then] it is the fault of the Muslims for failing to allay their fears". Further emphasis is given when he explains why it is so: "Because the Muslims are confused, the non-Muslims also become confused."
But who will not be confused when he explains Islamic Family Law by saying that Muslims believe that all children are born, "Muslims (sic) regardless of the parents' faith until the age of maturity"?
Elsewhere in the interview he says, "You cannot deny that the ethical moral principles of government come from religion. And because Islam is already complete, it is used as the official religion with which to derive the system of the constitution."
Could this be the way to make the Constitution operate as Syariah Law?
We continue to pray that in upholding the Federal Constitution we will be able to uphold the dignity of every citizen and value each person as a child of God without any confusion because God is simply Love. Let love prevail in all our hearts and banish all fear and hatred from all our lives....from the Herald.
My first response : This is one arrogant supremacist. He even belittles Malay culture and language by denying the origins of the rich Malay culture and language. Appropriately some of the readers of Malaysiakini have responded.Aryan, Dravidian influence on Malay world undeniable by Malaysian First, some extractts, "Dr Syed continues by saying that the Malay language is derived from the Arabic language. Dr Syed, ‘dunia’ and ‘akhirat’ are not yardsticks for you to say that the Malay language is derived from the Arabic language. It’s true that the Malays owe their identity to the Malay language but Indian cultural traditions and the use of Sanskrit as a common language had already existed in Sri Vijaya times in the 12th century".
Another letter Strong ancient Hindu influence on Malays by A Kader Razak, some extracts," I am inclined to believe that he is deliberately trying to twist the history of the Malay race or trying to confuse readers by mixing race with religion. To say that a Malay is Muslim first is doing injustice to the Malays as a race with a rich culture. What is Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas’ agenda?
It is well-documented history that the Malays existed as mostly Hindus before the arrival of Islam to Malay archipelago. Many customs, practices, dress code and the language all point to the Malays having been richly influenced by the Indian/Hindu culture. Even after conversion to Islam in the 14th century, the Malays today still do retain many of the Indian/Hindu influences on their culture".
Here is another classic rebuttal to this so called Director General Beginning of the closing of the Malay mind? by Proud to be Malay, here are some extracts, "Assertion 1: ‘The Malays are Malays because of Islam, and therefore they are Muslims first. They are not Malays without Islam.’ If this assertion is true then Parameswara was not a Malay before he converted to Islam. If so, what was Parameswara when he was a Hindu? Surely, he was still a Malay prince. Likewise, my Batak Christian friend would be deeply insulted if I considered him a non-Batak or non-pribumi Indonesian just because of his religion. I won't even mention my Balinese Hindu cousin. Or my Muslim Indian in-laws from India. Don't get me wrong - I am not denying the importance of Islam in the religious identity of most Malays. But surely it is not the only defining marker".
This is my response after all he has insulted me. I am actually educating him. The capital of Andhra Pradesh in India is Hyderabad. I am a Telugu. The early traders who came to Malaccca could have been Telugu Muslims. The word "Puki" must have been derived from the Telugu word "Pukulu". So to him I say, "Pukulu Thengara". The second word, I leave to the imagination of my readers.
