Going Back to Medieval Times?
So it is the fasting month once again and as we all know, especially for a majority of this country and I, this is a very religous season. I can't say for certain I am affected by that feeling but then I am not religious myself; yes I am muslim but I am not what one can say as an 'alim', and I know that for a fact.
Stragely enough though I have been thinking a number of times on the matter, though without doubt it is from that book on the Inquisition, as well as the owner of the book himself, my friend Omar, whom I think discusses on the subject of religion (not limited to Islam only) a lot. Anyways, the thing that hits me is that when I hear that Malaysia can be said to be like a proper muslim country. No, I do not think that this claim is wrong, because in comparison to some other islamic nations, we have it pretty good here. The economy is stable, we live in peace and progress is thus far good. Malaysians have a lot of opportunities which some of our fellow muslims don't have these days, and that's really something to cheerish about.
But the fact is that despite our progress, the society, not all but quite a considerable number of them, reminds me of what I read in medieval times. Some of the facts I would state is the fact that more and more 'old men' are coming up with very strict and inflexible view on how religion should be enforced and more and more we should push aside the 'earthly things' in our life. That's not right because the Islam I was taught states that we should balance both for they are all equally important. But these people seem to shun technology and progress and prefer us, especially young folks, to be the constantly-surau-going types.
Despite that the thing that I hate most about the whole thing is how some of such people put paranoia in our daily lives. This issue is mainly about how certain food is non-halal and all despite the fact that the entire country, muslims and non muslims alike, have been eating for years. Like KFC or Burger King. I was really pissed off when my young sister said she didn't want to go to eat at KFC because it is not halal, and the same could be said for almost my entire family's view on Burger King. I mean not only that government has certified this places, but they're also like... everywhere in the country, and if it really was not hala, shouldn't the news be put forward in a more formal and national manner instead of being passed on by narrow minded old men or school children via (probably misguided) teachings and chain-letters like some sort of rumor?
It is this paranoia and the constant suspicion over almost all things out of the routine and ordinary (and in some cases, even the ordinary because KFC and Burger King are rather ordinary no?) that reminds me of the Inquisition by the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval days. Are we reverting back to the mentality of the old days despite our march into the future? For all the good our progress has achieved, it will be for naught if we still think in a backward manner.
And in my case, it's not just a matter of religion that is bothering me when it comes to backward thinking. It's also in some domestic aspect of my life as well. Right now I'm under pressure to firstly get a job and thus money, and secondly to stop my other fun-and-nocturnal activities. Yes, I do hang around with friends till late at night, but thats only because they welcome me with fun, acceptance and understanding, while my family thus far have only been trying to bend me to conform to what THEY think is a 'Utopian Life'. I even remember being told that being normal is cool and that I only need to be unique in my work, but in day to day life i have to be just like everyone else.
BULLOCKS~! That's what I'd say. I've seen their life, and while they are welcome to it, that is not something I want myself to be, and if anything I think we all have the rights to dictate the kind of person we are, and not anyone else, even if they are family. Well, in anycase, I don't have much else to say, so I feel I've vented out some inner frustration, so.... that's it for now.
Stragely enough though I have been thinking a number of times on the matter, though without doubt it is from that book on the Inquisition, as well as the owner of the book himself, my friend Omar, whom I think discusses on the subject of religion (not limited to Islam only) a lot. Anyways, the thing that hits me is that when I hear that Malaysia can be said to be like a proper muslim country. No, I do not think that this claim is wrong, because in comparison to some other islamic nations, we have it pretty good here. The economy is stable, we live in peace and progress is thus far good. Malaysians have a lot of opportunities which some of our fellow muslims don't have these days, and that's really something to cheerish about.
But the fact is that despite our progress, the society, not all but quite a considerable number of them, reminds me of what I read in medieval times. Some of the facts I would state is the fact that more and more 'old men' are coming up with very strict and inflexible view on how religion should be enforced and more and more we should push aside the 'earthly things' in our life. That's not right because the Islam I was taught states that we should balance both for they are all equally important. But these people seem to shun technology and progress and prefer us, especially young folks, to be the constantly-surau-going types.
Despite that the thing that I hate most about the whole thing is how some of such people put paranoia in our daily lives. This issue is mainly about how certain food is non-halal and all despite the fact that the entire country, muslims and non muslims alike, have been eating for years. Like KFC or Burger King. I was really pissed off when my young sister said she didn't want to go to eat at KFC because it is not halal, and the same could be said for almost my entire family's view on Burger King. I mean not only that government has certified this places, but they're also like... everywhere in the country, and if it really was not hala, shouldn't the news be put forward in a more formal and national manner instead of being passed on by narrow minded old men or school children via (probably misguided) teachings and chain-letters like some sort of rumor?
It is this paranoia and the constant suspicion over almost all things out of the routine and ordinary (and in some cases, even the ordinary because KFC and Burger King are rather ordinary no?) that reminds me of the Inquisition by the Roman Catholic Church in the medieval days. Are we reverting back to the mentality of the old days despite our march into the future? For all the good our progress has achieved, it will be for naught if we still think in a backward manner.
And in my case, it's not just a matter of religion that is bothering me when it comes to backward thinking. It's also in some domestic aspect of my life as well. Right now I'm under pressure to firstly get a job and thus money, and secondly to stop my other fun-and-nocturnal activities. Yes, I do hang around with friends till late at night, but thats only because they welcome me with fun, acceptance and understanding, while my family thus far have only been trying to bend me to conform to what THEY think is a 'Utopian Life'. I even remember being told that being normal is cool and that I only need to be unique in my work, but in day to day life i have to be just like everyone else.
BULLOCKS~! That's what I'd say. I've seen their life, and while they are welcome to it, that is not something I want myself to be, and if anything I think we all have the rights to dictate the kind of person we are, and not anyone else, even if they are family. Well, in anycase, I don't have much else to say, so I feel I've vented out some inner frustration, so.... that's it for now.
posted by Raccoon General | 2:59 PM
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