Friday, October 03, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Gandhi,Jesus and Christianity
He remains a conscience in the hearts of men
October 2nd 2008 is the 139th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and this year marks the 60th anniversary of his death. Gandhi is one of the greatest personalities of recent times and he can be considered the saint of non-violence. He did what he preached and preached only what he did.
Although a devout Hindu, Gandhi was a follower of Jesus in many ways. His actions proved that one does not need be a formal Christian to be a follower of Christ. One can be a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or for that matter any religion but can still be a devout follower of Christ. All one needs is to love God and love fellow men to be a disciple of Christ.
This is what he had to say about Jesus:
“Jesus was the most active resister known perhaps to history. His was nonviolence par excellence.”
As Christians, who claim to be the followers of Jesus, we very often do not emulate Christ in actual life. It may be timely for us to reflect on our lives to see how Christ-like we are in daily living.
This is what Gandhi had to say about Christians:
“It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.”
Though his views were influenced by his experience with the racist policies and hegemony of the powerful Christian British Empire at that time, his observations are nevertheless true to this day. He continued,
“Do not flatter yourselves with the belief that a mere recital of that celebrated verse in St. John makes a man a Christian. If I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, ‘O yes, I am a Christian.”
Today many of us have the misguided notion that to be a good Christians we must have a thorough knowledge of the bible. We spend a lot of time and energy to muster the bible. What about those who cannot read and write? What about those who are physically or mentally handicapped? They cannot read and comprehend the bible but can’t they be good followers of Christ?
Gandhi,a devout Hindu, appeared to have understood Jesus much more than many of us. Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy of India said “Gandhi would go down in history as 'on par with Buddha and Jesus Christ', I cannot agree less with that statement and I even go a step further to say that the Mahatma was a modern version of the man,Jesus.
Gandhi believed in the universality of God, “The Allah of Islam is the same as the God of Christians and the Ishwar of Hindus.”
This concept of the universality of God is something, which is badly needed in today’s world where violence in His name is so rampant. It is also something we as Christians can learn from him; despite belonging to different faiths we are in fact all children of one God.
We are so intent in fighting one another to claim superiority over our adversaries, man against man, race against race, religion against religion and nation against nation. We resort to all the resources at our disposal; powerful arms, violence and war, to achieve victory over our enemies. We justify the use of violence to protect our perceived rights.
But to the great man of non-violence “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”
That philosophy he proved right when he single-handedly defeated the all-powerful British colonialist, not by power and might but peace and love. Doesn’t his action resemble those of Jesus whose love, humility, non-retaliation and forgiveness, brought him victory over the powerful Roman Empire?
Many of us today find it difficult to believe how a small, timid and frail looking man like Gandhi could dare to challenge the mighty British Empire. Just after sixty years we are finding it difficult to believe how Gandhi could have brought down the British Empire. As Albert Einstein, another great man and genius said 'Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Mahatma Gandhi may have left this world but his memories remain very much with us, alive and relevant. Like Jesus he did not possess power, position or wealth. His simplicity, integrity and a heart for fellow men had touched many and he will remain a conscience in the hearts of men for generations to come.
Dr.Chris Anthony
October 2nd 2008 is the 139th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and this year marks the 60th anniversary of his death. Gandhi is one of the greatest personalities of recent times and he can be considered the saint of non-violence. He did what he preached and preached only what he did.
Although a devout Hindu, Gandhi was a follower of Jesus in many ways. His actions proved that one does not need be a formal Christian to be a follower of Christ. One can be a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or for that matter any religion but can still be a devout follower of Christ. All one needs is to love God and love fellow men to be a disciple of Christ.
This is what he had to say about Jesus:
“Jesus was the most active resister known perhaps to history. His was nonviolence par excellence.”
As Christians, who claim to be the followers of Jesus, we very often do not emulate Christ in actual life. It may be timely for us to reflect on our lives to see how Christ-like we are in daily living.
This is what Gandhi had to say about Christians:
“It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.”
Though his views were influenced by his experience with the racist policies and hegemony of the powerful Christian British Empire at that time, his observations are nevertheless true to this day. He continued,
“Do not flatter yourselves with the belief that a mere recital of that celebrated verse in St. John makes a man a Christian. If I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, ‘O yes, I am a Christian.”
Today many of us have the misguided notion that to be a good Christians we must have a thorough knowledge of the bible. We spend a lot of time and energy to muster the bible. What about those who cannot read and write? What about those who are physically or mentally handicapped? They cannot read and comprehend the bible but can’t they be good followers of Christ?
Gandhi,a devout Hindu, appeared to have understood Jesus much more than many of us. Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy of India said “Gandhi would go down in history as 'on par with Buddha and Jesus Christ', I cannot agree less with that statement and I even go a step further to say that the Mahatma was a modern version of the man,Jesus.
Gandhi believed in the universality of God, “The Allah of Islam is the same as the God of Christians and the Ishwar of Hindus.”
This concept of the universality of God is something, which is badly needed in today’s world where violence in His name is so rampant. It is also something we as Christians can learn from him; despite belonging to different faiths we are in fact all children of one God.
We are so intent in fighting one another to claim superiority over our adversaries, man against man, race against race, religion against religion and nation against nation. We resort to all the resources at our disposal; powerful arms, violence and war, to achieve victory over our enemies. We justify the use of violence to protect our perceived rights.
But to the great man of non-violence “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”
That philosophy he proved right when he single-handedly defeated the all-powerful British colonialist, not by power and might but peace and love. Doesn’t his action resemble those of Jesus whose love, humility, non-retaliation and forgiveness, brought him victory over the powerful Roman Empire?
Many of us today find it difficult to believe how a small, timid and frail looking man like Gandhi could dare to challenge the mighty British Empire. Just after sixty years we are finding it difficult to believe how Gandhi could have brought down the British Empire. As Albert Einstein, another great man and genius said 'Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Mahatma Gandhi may have left this world but his memories remain very much with us, alive and relevant. Like Jesus he did not possess power, position or wealth. His simplicity, integrity and a heart for fellow men had touched many and he will remain a conscience in the hearts of men for generations to come.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Madam Nayagam : The lady who lived for God
She saw God in all her perils
Many people pass us by in life but only certain individuals leave a lasting and vivid impression in our minds. Those who impress us during our childhood seem to leave a permanent imprint in our memory. Sometimes these memories are pleasant but at times they can be bitter and disturbing and haunts us for the rest of our lives.
As the years pass, as we grow up we may encounter many obstacles in our struggles to seek success and happiness in our lives. Many of us become very successful but the memories of these individuals who had impressed us during our childhood remain vivid in our minds.
One such person to me is Mdm.Nayagam, a grand old lady from the parish of St.Joseph,Batu Gajah.Her recorded age is 90years but according to her children she may be100years old and they recently celebrated her 100th.birthday with friends and relatives.
At a time when women rarely go to work but stay at home to take care of the family and children, she was forced to work as a hospital attendant at the age of 35,which she did till her retirement at the age of 55 in 1973. She was widowed at the age of 53 but as her husband was sickly and of little help in supporting the family, she single-handedly struggled to bring up her 9 children, one of them mentally and physically retarded from birth due to Down’s syndrome.
Children with Down’s syndrome rarely survive until adulthood. It is notable that her handicapped son, fondly called Benny is still very fit and lives with her at an age of 57.His well being speaks volumes for the love and care she had given him all these years.
I used to know Mdm.Nayagam from my childhood days as her sons were my schoolmates and we studied and played together in the neighborhood. Even at that age I was impressed with two main characteristics that she possessed - her profound faith in God and her unselfish love for her handicapped son.
Her very strong faith in God was a pillar of strength and source of inspiration in her struggles to bring up her 9 her children, including Benny. It was this unshakable faith in God that provided her solace in her times of peril and solitude. I remember her going to church for weekday mass almost every day without fail. During those days in the fifties and sixties going to church was not an easy thing. The mass used to start at 6.00 am and she had to walk about 3-4 miles every morning which she religiously did without fail. Sickness and rain did not stop her from attending mass and receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. I must admit that Mdm.Nayagam’s devotion to the Eucharist was mainly instrumental in influencing many of us as children,to attend daily mass without fail.
Many elder parishioners and surviving priests and brothers who had worked at St. Joseph ’s Church know this practice of Mdm.Nayagam. The most prominent person who would bear witness to this is none other than our Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, whom she knew when he was a boy. The Archbishop, who has visited her on several occasions, does not fail to drop by to see her whenever he is in Batu Gajah. Her commitment to God was so deep and it never diminished with time until she her legs started to fail her in her eighties.
Today she may be physically frail and unfit but spiritually strong. She continues to recite her rosary and receives her holy communion every week at her house. She keeps praying for her children. Throughout her life she had always looked up to the Church whenever she had problems and she was never turned down. The Church doors were always open, both physically and spiritually unlike today when they are closed most of the time for various reasons. We have come to a stage when we have to even lock up Jesus in the tabernacle for fear of being hijacked or stolen.
The second characteristic of her that impressed me was her unselfish love for her handicapped son. Despite all her troubles she never neglected this unfortunate son. In fact she paid special attention to him. Bathing, dressing, feeding and washing up a normal child is already a big task. You can imagine doing these for a handicapped child for fifty over years. It was a tormenting task but Mdm.Nayagam accomplished all that unselfishly for the love she had for him.
She did not see the chores in those daily routines nor did she curse God for giving her a handicapped son but she saw God in him, which took away any pain and agony of that task.
Today she sits on a wheelchair. She may be senile and her memory has failed her but you can see the calm, serenity and satisfaction in her face. She conveys a look of contentment for having lived a life of dedication to God. She had been a true servant of the Lord for almost a century.
At this advanced age, Mdm.Nayagam may be of no use to anyone in this highly materialistic world but she remains a shining example of what a follower of Christ should be – humble and ever willing to accept the challenges in life with full trust in Him.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Many people pass us by in life but only certain individuals leave a lasting and vivid impression in our minds. Those who impress us during our childhood seem to leave a permanent imprint in our memory. Sometimes these memories are pleasant but at times they can be bitter and disturbing and haunts us for the rest of our lives.
As the years pass, as we grow up we may encounter many obstacles in our struggles to seek success and happiness in our lives. Many of us become very successful but the memories of these individuals who had impressed us during our childhood remain vivid in our minds.
One such person to me is Mdm.Nayagam, a grand old lady from the parish of St.Joseph,Batu Gajah.Her recorded age is 90years but according to her children she may be100years old and they recently celebrated her 100th.birthday with friends and relatives.
At a time when women rarely go to work but stay at home to take care of the family and children, she was forced to work as a hospital attendant at the age of 35,which she did till her retirement at the age of 55 in 1973. She was widowed at the age of 53 but as her husband was sickly and of little help in supporting the family, she single-handedly struggled to bring up her 9 children, one of them mentally and physically retarded from birth due to Down’s syndrome.
Children with Down’s syndrome rarely survive until adulthood. It is notable that her handicapped son, fondly called Benny is still very fit and lives with her at an age of 57.His well being speaks volumes for the love and care she had given him all these years.
I used to know Mdm.Nayagam from my childhood days as her sons were my schoolmates and we studied and played together in the neighborhood. Even at that age I was impressed with two main characteristics that she possessed - her profound faith in God and her unselfish love for her handicapped son.
Her very strong faith in God was a pillar of strength and source of inspiration in her struggles to bring up her 9 her children, including Benny. It was this unshakable faith in God that provided her solace in her times of peril and solitude. I remember her going to church for weekday mass almost every day without fail. During those days in the fifties and sixties going to church was not an easy thing. The mass used to start at 6.00 am and she had to walk about 3-4 miles every morning which she religiously did without fail. Sickness and rain did not stop her from attending mass and receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. I must admit that Mdm.Nayagam’s devotion to the Eucharist was mainly instrumental in influencing many of us as children,to attend daily mass without fail.
Many elder parishioners and surviving priests and brothers who had worked at St. Joseph ’s Church know this practice of Mdm.Nayagam. The most prominent person who would bear witness to this is none other than our Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, whom she knew when he was a boy. The Archbishop, who has visited her on several occasions, does not fail to drop by to see her whenever he is in Batu Gajah. Her commitment to God was so deep and it never diminished with time until she her legs started to fail her in her eighties.
Today she may be physically frail and unfit but spiritually strong. She continues to recite her rosary and receives her holy communion every week at her house. She keeps praying for her children. Throughout her life she had always looked up to the Church whenever she had problems and she was never turned down. The Church doors were always open, both physically and spiritually unlike today when they are closed most of the time for various reasons. We have come to a stage when we have to even lock up Jesus in the tabernacle for fear of being hijacked or stolen.
The second characteristic of her that impressed me was her unselfish love for her handicapped son. Despite all her troubles she never neglected this unfortunate son. In fact she paid special attention to him. Bathing, dressing, feeding and washing up a normal child is already a big task. You can imagine doing these for a handicapped child for fifty over years. It was a tormenting task but Mdm.Nayagam accomplished all that unselfishly for the love she had for him.
She did not see the chores in those daily routines nor did she curse God for giving her a handicapped son but she saw God in him, which took away any pain and agony of that task.
Today she sits on a wheelchair. She may be senile and her memory has failed her but you can see the calm, serenity and satisfaction in her face. She conveys a look of contentment for having lived a life of dedication to God. She had been a true servant of the Lord for almost a century.
At this advanced age, Mdm.Nayagam may be of no use to anyone in this highly materialistic world but she remains a shining example of what a follower of Christ should be – humble and ever willing to accept the challenges in life with full trust in Him.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Thursday, September 25, 2008
ISA must be abolished
There can be no justice with ISA
The recent arrest of Selangor State Exco member Teresa Kok, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the infamous Internal Security Act(ISA) is a deplorable act that has been condemned by all Malaysians. Although we laud the release of Tan and Kok but Raja Petra,the Hindraf leaders and about 60 others are still languishing in detention, not knowing what crime they had committed.
Of late the condemnation of the ISA not only comes from the opposition parties, NGOs and various human rights groups from within and outside the country but by even the members of the ruling party including cabinet ministers, like former Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who has even resigned in protest, a honorable gesture that is rare among our politicians these days.
We hope more of our parliamentarians attain the courage to stand up against this draconian law which has been abused frequently for political reasons. Most significantly the rakyat themselves, regardless of their race, religion and political ideology have come to detest the draconian law. Even the various religious leaders have condemned the ISA as being against the basic tenets of every faith.
Due to overwhelming public objection from all Malaysians, the government has no choice but to reconsider the use of the ISA to detain anyone for whatever reason. In fact the government should seriously consider abolishing the ISA altogether as there are enough laws to deal with those who are out to create chaos in a multiracial and multi-religious society. What is important is to apply these laws promptly and fairly on anyone who breaches them. Ethnicity and political alignment should not be the factors that determine prosecution.
Instead of heeding the call of the people and taking steps to abolish the ISA, the government is adamant that it is good and refuses to even review its implementation. The blatant disrespect for public opinion indicates its arrogance that has not reduced even after its losses in the last general election. The BN appears to be crafting its own downfall by its own arrogance and recalcitrance, not by any external forces.
It is an utterly nonsense to believe that such a draconian law like the ISA is necessary in this modern civilized era for the maintaining peace among the races. On the contrary its use not only fails to diffuse racial tension but its selective use on those who oppose the government, as is practiced, only aggravates the already existing tense situation.
Each time the nation recovers from a racial and religious conflict and is on the brink of attaining peace, harmony and progress, the ISA is invoked in the pretext of safeguarding the national security, which takes the nation back to the sixties. If this continues we will forever be in the era of the sixties, living in anxiety and fear of racial strive. How can the nation progress and move forwards when a primitive and suppressive law is frequently invoked to threaten free expression of the elite in the populace.
Racial conflicts arise due to the disparities in the socio-economic status of the various communities. To avoid such a situation, what is needed is a fair socio-economic policy for all races based on the fact that all citizens are equal and their rights as stipulated in the constitution and not draconian laws like the ISA. Nobody should be allowed to question or deny another of his constitutional rights.
Furthermore there is a need for greater commitment and zeal on the part of Umno, as the dominant partner in BN to foster more goodwill and tolerance among the races. Greater and more genuine efforts must be made to promote inter-ethnic unity by emphasizing on the many common identities we have not divide on the few differences that separate us. These are the ideals that should be taught in all schools if we what a to ensure a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous nation for our children and grandchildren.
The voice of the rakyat that transcends racial, religious and political divide is loud and clear – abolish the ISA. As a gesture to acknowledge its willingness to listen to the rakyat, the government should first release all ISA detainees and reassure the people that it will not resort to the draconian ISA in future for whatever reasons. It should then work towards abolishing the ISA once and for all. Why have a law that is detested by the vast majority of people?
Racial incitement must be checked promptly and effectively with the existing laws of the country and not by resorting to the easy way out by detention without trial, which defies the basic human rights and the fundamentals of every major religion. The ISA defies every principle of human rights and it must be resisted and fought to be abolished at all costs.
All religions alike preach respect for human rights regardless of race and social standing. In this respects, it is enlightening to see our Church, of late, taking a strong stand against ISA. Forums, signature campaigns, candlelight vigils and silent prayers have been organized in some churches. Unfortunately there are still many among us are rather passive. The church has the moral obligation to create this awareness of the social responsibility of its congregation to the nation. The least we can do is to incorporate a special prayer during all our Sunday masses for the ISA detainees and the abolishment of the ISA itself. At the same time each and every one of us must spread this awareness to those around us so that the whole nation demands the repeal of this unjust laws.
Injustices like the use of ISA to detain people without and subject them to mental and physical torture poses an important question to us as Christians. It may be pertinent for us to reflect on how Jesus himself was subjected to some form of ISA during his time. In his case it was an extreme of torture that finally led to his crucifixion. The irony is that he was arrested, accused of trumped up charges and sentenced to death in the most unjust manner for standing up for something we should all uphold - TRUTH.
The strange thing was that despite all the injustices meted out on him, Jesus did not fight back but humbly accepted all the punishment, even death. What is the lesson he is trying to convey to us through his extreme act of humility of accepting death without a fight, hatred and above all forgiving even his enemies who plotted and killed in the cruelest way? He demonstrated one of his greatest teaching, “love your enemies”,which is almost humanly impossible to follow.
We claim to be his followers but are we willing emulate his example of willing to show love to our enemies? Are we willing to rid of the hate we harbor towards those to plot our downfall and willing to forgive them unconditionally?
Dr.Chris Anthony
The recent arrest of Selangor State Exco member Teresa Kok, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the infamous Internal Security Act(ISA) is a deplorable act that has been condemned by all Malaysians. Although we laud the release of Tan and Kok but Raja Petra,the Hindraf leaders and about 60 others are still languishing in detention, not knowing what crime they had committed.
Of late the condemnation of the ISA not only comes from the opposition parties, NGOs and various human rights groups from within and outside the country but by even the members of the ruling party including cabinet ministers, like former Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who has even resigned in protest, a honorable gesture that is rare among our politicians these days.
We hope more of our parliamentarians attain the courage to stand up against this draconian law which has been abused frequently for political reasons. Most significantly the rakyat themselves, regardless of their race, religion and political ideology have come to detest the draconian law. Even the various religious leaders have condemned the ISA as being against the basic tenets of every faith.
Due to overwhelming public objection from all Malaysians, the government has no choice but to reconsider the use of the ISA to detain anyone for whatever reason. In fact the government should seriously consider abolishing the ISA altogether as there are enough laws to deal with those who are out to create chaos in a multiracial and multi-religious society. What is important is to apply these laws promptly and fairly on anyone who breaches them. Ethnicity and political alignment should not be the factors that determine prosecution.
Instead of heeding the call of the people and taking steps to abolish the ISA, the government is adamant that it is good and refuses to even review its implementation. The blatant disrespect for public opinion indicates its arrogance that has not reduced even after its losses in the last general election. The BN appears to be crafting its own downfall by its own arrogance and recalcitrance, not by any external forces.
It is an utterly nonsense to believe that such a draconian law like the ISA is necessary in this modern civilized era for the maintaining peace among the races. On the contrary its use not only fails to diffuse racial tension but its selective use on those who oppose the government, as is practiced, only aggravates the already existing tense situation.
Each time the nation recovers from a racial and religious conflict and is on the brink of attaining peace, harmony and progress, the ISA is invoked in the pretext of safeguarding the national security, which takes the nation back to the sixties. If this continues we will forever be in the era of the sixties, living in anxiety and fear of racial strive. How can the nation progress and move forwards when a primitive and suppressive law is frequently invoked to threaten free expression of the elite in the populace.
Racial conflicts arise due to the disparities in the socio-economic status of the various communities. To avoid such a situation, what is needed is a fair socio-economic policy for all races based on the fact that all citizens are equal and their rights as stipulated in the constitution and not draconian laws like the ISA. Nobody should be allowed to question or deny another of his constitutional rights.
Furthermore there is a need for greater commitment and zeal on the part of Umno, as the dominant partner in BN to foster more goodwill and tolerance among the races. Greater and more genuine efforts must be made to promote inter-ethnic unity by emphasizing on the many common identities we have not divide on the few differences that separate us. These are the ideals that should be taught in all schools if we what a to ensure a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous nation for our children and grandchildren.
The voice of the rakyat that transcends racial, religious and political divide is loud and clear – abolish the ISA. As a gesture to acknowledge its willingness to listen to the rakyat, the government should first release all ISA detainees and reassure the people that it will not resort to the draconian ISA in future for whatever reasons. It should then work towards abolishing the ISA once and for all. Why have a law that is detested by the vast majority of people?
Racial incitement must be checked promptly and effectively with the existing laws of the country and not by resorting to the easy way out by detention without trial, which defies the basic human rights and the fundamentals of every major religion. The ISA defies every principle of human rights and it must be resisted and fought to be abolished at all costs.
All religions alike preach respect for human rights regardless of race and social standing. In this respects, it is enlightening to see our Church, of late, taking a strong stand against ISA. Forums, signature campaigns, candlelight vigils and silent prayers have been organized in some churches. Unfortunately there are still many among us are rather passive. The church has the moral obligation to create this awareness of the social responsibility of its congregation to the nation. The least we can do is to incorporate a special prayer during all our Sunday masses for the ISA detainees and the abolishment of the ISA itself. At the same time each and every one of us must spread this awareness to those around us so that the whole nation demands the repeal of this unjust laws.
Injustices like the use of ISA to detain people without and subject them to mental and physical torture poses an important question to us as Christians. It may be pertinent for us to reflect on how Jesus himself was subjected to some form of ISA during his time. In his case it was an extreme of torture that finally led to his crucifixion. The irony is that he was arrested, accused of trumped up charges and sentenced to death in the most unjust manner for standing up for something we should all uphold - TRUTH.
The strange thing was that despite all the injustices meted out on him, Jesus did not fight back but humbly accepted all the punishment, even death. What is the lesson he is trying to convey to us through his extreme act of humility of accepting death without a fight, hatred and above all forgiving even his enemies who plotted and killed in the cruelest way? He demonstrated one of his greatest teaching, “love your enemies”,which is almost humanly impossible to follow.
We claim to be his followers but are we willing emulate his example of willing to show love to our enemies? Are we willing to rid of the hate we harbor towards those to plot our downfall and willing to forgive them unconditionally?
Dr.Chris Anthony
Friday, August 22, 2008
Catholic Lawyers' Society's Press Release on the "warning and show cause" letters
PRESS STATEMENT ON THE WARNING AND “SHOW CAUSE” LETTERS ISSUED BY THE HOME MINISTRY TO THE HERALD
A series of warning letters culminating in a “show cause” letter have been issued by the Home Ministry to the HERALD-The Catholic Weekly in respect of articles carried by the paper which, according to an official from the Home Ministry, were allegedly “politically inclined and touched on Islamic issues”.
The Herald is a weekly publication printed by the Catholic Church in Malaysia. It carries news of current affairs and religious and educational articles with a view to propagating the Catholic faith. The Herald is sold in churches and not by newsvendors. The Herald has a circulation of 13,000 copies per week and a readership estimated at 50,000.
In seeking to control the contents of the Herald, the Home Ministry’s warning and “show cause” letters go against Article 3 (1), Article 10 (1) (a) and Article 11 (3) (a) of the Federal Constitution i.e. the right to freely practice one’s religion, the general freedom of speech and expression and the right of a religious group to manage its own affairs. Such controls would deprive the Catholic community of current information and education relating to their faith and such an act by the authorities is tantamount to a curtailment of religious freedom.
The Honourable Home Minister has said that the Herald should restrict its articles to matter pertaining to religion only. In an article carried by the Sun on 14.8.2008, he was quoted as stating:
“If you are to write on religion, then you are supposed to touch on matters pertaining to:
• questions on rituals,
• adherence to God,
• followers
• and anything related to your divine mission.”
It is significant that the Honourable Minister referred to matters pertaining to the adherence to God, followers and anything related to the divine mission. The Catholic Church teaches that it is the duty of Christians to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of the society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom. This contribution of Christians to society is rooted in love. This love manifests itself in social and political charity. Social charity is to seek the good of all people not only as individuals but as a larger, social community. In order to promulgate social charity, it is necessary to organise and structure society in order that no member of society is left in need. Organising and structuring society requires the application of political charity. This teaching in found in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and for the purpose of easy reference this can be read on pages 207 & 208 under the section “The Way of Love”.
The reporting in the Herald is in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church on social and political charity and on each Catholic’s mission as an adherent of the faith.
Ultimately, the interpretation of what constitutes religious matters should be left to the leaders and adherents of the faith in question. The Home Ministry is not in a position to dictate to Catholics (or for that matter, the proponents of any other faith) the scope of their religion.
The Catholic Lawyers’ Society of Kuala Lumpur calls on the Home Ministry to withdraw its warning and “show cause” letters and maintain the Herald’s publishing permit.
Dated this 18th day of August 2008
Mabel Sabastian
President
Catholic Lawyers’ Society Kuala Lumpur
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