Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for ALL people — without exception. We reject protests against houses of worship and those who seek to use tactics of intimidation and threats to defy and deny freedom of religion.
On July 27, 2010, a Malaysian Sessions court fined 12 men and sentenced one to a week in jail, after they all pleaded guilty to charges of illegal assembly, for an August 28, 2009 protest against the construction of a Hindu temple in Shah Alam. The Malaysia Insider states that four others were found not guilty of sedition. The Malaysia Insider states “They were protesting the relocation of a 150-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple from Section 19 to their neighborhood in Section 23.”
The protesters paraded a cow’s head, which Hindus view as a sacred animal, and the protesters reportedly spit and stomped a cow’s head, and made offensive comments. The Malaysia Insider reported on August 29, 2009, that the protester said that the Hindu temple’s “noise” would “would disturb their own praying, and that they would not be able to function properly as Muslims.”
Malaysia news provided a video broadcast of the protesters against the Hindu temple house of worship.
The Malaysia Insider also reported that the “group of 50 over protestors marched shortly after Friday prayers from the Shah Alam State mosque to the State Secretariat. ‘I challenge YB Khalid, YB Rodziah and Xavier Jeyakumar to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension will happen if this goes on, and the state will be held responsible,’ shouted Ibrahim Haji Sabri amid strong chants of ‘Allahu Akbar!’ Ibrahim identified himself as the Deputy Chairman of the Resident’s Committee against the building of the temple in S23 here, which is perceived by some as being a Muslim majority area. He told the press that the state should move the temple to Section 22 as ‘originally planned’, and also labeled Khalid a ‘traitor to the Malay race and Islam’.”
Free Malaysia Today stated that the protesters “had marched with the bloodied head from a mosque to the Selangor menteri besar’s office.”
According to Voice of America, “The group marched the cow head to a government building where they stomped and spat on it – an offensive act to Hindus who consider the cow a scared animal. Each of the 12 men was charged with illegal assembly and ordered to pay $320 for taking part in the protest against plans to build the temple in a Muslim-majority neighborhood. Two others were given additional fines for sedition, or creating tension among races, and one was sentenced to a week in prison without explanation.”
Free Malaysia Today reported that Malaysian Hindu Sangam adviser A Vaithilingam felt that the punishment could be seen as inadequate. It quoted him as stating “the sentences seem to be very light after the huge commotion and insult,” and that the Hindu temple protesters “stirred up the emotions throughout the country. This could have caused a riot”.
Reuters reported that: “Critics said the light sentences may further strain race relations between Muslims, who make up the majority of the country’s 28 million population, and minority Hindus and Christians who complain of discrimination.”
In September 2009, the Malaysia Star reported that “The Selangor Government has identified a new, more suitable site for the relocation of the 150-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple in Section 19 here. A press statement from the state government said that the new site is still in Section 23 but was more strategic and located 100m from the original relocation site and 400m from the residential area.”
AP reports that “The conflict highlighted frustrations among minorities about strict government guidelines that restrict the number of non-Muslim places of worship, partly based on whether enough non-Muslims live where a church or temple is to be built. Authorities in Selangor eventually found a new site to build the controversial temple.”
There has been a long history of persecution against Hindus and Hindu houses of worship in Malaysia.
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for ALL people — without exception.
We support freedom of expression and freedom of speech as one of our universal human rights, including freedom of even objectionable speech and expression as a human right. But we recognize that protests against houses of worship and tactics of intimidation and threats are often used to defy and deny freedom of religion. We defend the right of all people to BELIEVE, and we urge you to sign our petition showing your support for the freedom of conscience for all.
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
We urge those who promote hate and intolerance to unburden the hate from their hearts.
We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.
