I AGREE with Dr Mohd Dewa’s letter “We must reject religious bigotry” (NST, March 2) that the 1950s and 1960s seem to be the golden years of peace and harmony between the races in Malaysia.
Incidentally, that was the time when communist terrorism and the white tuan w er e s till around.
Could it be that we need a common enemy to unite us? Do we need a foreign tuan to make us feel that none of us would lord it over the other? That was also the time of the Konfrontasi.
This foreign threat did unite us. Even the opposition political parties supported the government. As Dr Mohd Dewa recalled, then came the 1969 incident.
By then, the threat of communist terrorism and Konfrontasi had faded. And the white tuan was also no longer around. So we were free to yield to prejudice and suspicion of one another.
As for religiousness, during the 1950s, most official social functions were not complete without the joget, when men and women danced together.
There were no obvious religious intolerance then, so could it be that religious laxity led to religious tolerance? Therefore, does that mean that strict religious adherence can lead to religious intolerance?
Maybe. I suspect that strict avoidance of non-halal foods had led to some Muslims shunning their non-Muslim friends.
There may be a slight resentment that our friends’ food preference is adversely affecting our social interaction, but that is not prejudice.
On the other hand, one may look down upon the other’s food preference and that can be prejudice. Then there is the fear of proselytising.
This is often viewed as a sinister attempt to subvert the other’s religion. But we may need to appreciate that proselytising may be a sincere concern to save the other’s soul on the premise that one’s religion is the only sure way to heaven.
That premise may itself be a form of prejudice. Likewise, religious policing may actually stem from a genuine concern to save the souls of the target group, rather than just a desire to make others toe the line.
The proposed counselling, instead of a fine, can help prevent resentment against the rules of one’s own religion.
Datuk Wan Abu Bakar Bin Wan Teh Ibrahim and Datin Zaleha Yunos , Dengkil, Selangor
