Weighing on the case of two bloggers hauled to court over the charge of insulting Islam, Bishop Paul Tan cautioned that double standard is immoral as it is an affront to justice.
While retribution was swift in this case, the head of the Johor and Malacca diocese lamented the lack of action when other faiths are derided.
He cited the controversies involving Perkasa leaders Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin.
Both had earned the wrath of the bishop when Ibrahim called for the torching of bibles that contained the word "Allah" and Zulkifli belittled the Hindu faith.
"While we abhor the disparaging of any faith, the government must however show that it works without fear or favour in acting against all those who do so.
"In the case of (bloggers) Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee, retribution was swift, but I note with regret that such action was never taken against Zulkifli and Ibrahim," Tan told Malaysiakini.
Infamous for posting photos of their sexual romps online, the bloggers landed in hot soup over a Facebook photo that was deemed offensive to Muslims.
The couple was slapped with three charges, including under the Sedition Act, last week and denied bail.
While retribution was swift in this case, the head of the Johor and Malacca diocese lamented the lack of action when other faiths are derided.He cited the controversies involving Perkasa leaders Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin.
Both had earned the wrath of the bishop when Ibrahim called for the torching of bibles that contained the word "Allah" and Zulkifli belittled the Hindu faith.
"While we abhor the disparaging of any faith, the government must however show that it works without fear or favour in acting against all those who do so.
"In the case of (bloggers) Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee, retribution was swift, but I note with regret that such action was never taken against Zulkifli and Ibrahim," Tan told Malaysiakini.
Infamous for posting photos of their sexual romps online, the bloggers landed in hot soup over a Facebook photo that was deemed offensive to Muslims.
The couple was slapped with three charges, including under the Sedition Act, last week and denied bail.
'Children of a lesser god'
The bishop said while Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak promoted his 1Malaysia campaign nationwide, attempts to foster racial ties would come to naught if the law was applied in an unequal basis.
"To prove that all citizens are equal before the law, the authorities must charge Zulkifli and Ibrahim, failing which, it would create the impression that non-Muslims are considered children of a lesser God (in Malaysia).
"We cannot tolerate anyone belittling another's belief for such actions not only stoke religious tension, it also transgresses the fundamentals of our beliefs, which stresses on the importance of according mutual respect," he added.
Tan also expressed regret that Alvin and Vivian were denied bail, even after having apologised for their actions.
On the other hand, the vocal bishop said Ibrahim, who never apologised, still walks free while in the case of Zulkifli, an apology was deemed sufficient.
The police last week revealed that investigations against Zulkifli were dropped following instructions from the attorney-general.
Najib later named Zulkifi as the BN candidate for the Shah Alam parliament seat in the recent general election while Deputy Prime Minister, in defending the candidature, stressed that the Perkasa leader had apologised for his action.
As for Ibrahim, the police said there had been no instruction from the AG as yet.
"To prove that all citizens are equal before the law, the authorities must charge Zulkifli and Ibrahim, failing which, it would create the impression that non-Muslims are considered children of a lesser God (in Malaysia).
"We cannot tolerate anyone belittling another's belief for such actions not only stoke religious tension, it also transgresses the fundamentals of our beliefs, which stresses on the importance of according mutual respect," he added.
Tan also expressed regret that Alvin and Vivian were denied bail, even after having apologised for their actions.
On the other hand, the vocal bishop said Ibrahim, who never apologised, still walks free while in the case of Zulkifli, an apology was deemed sufficient.
The police last week revealed that investigations against Zulkifli were dropped following instructions from the attorney-general.
Najib later named Zulkifi as the BN candidate for the Shah Alam parliament seat in the recent general election while Deputy Prime Minister, in defending the candidature, stressed that the Perkasa leader had apologised for his action.
As for Ibrahim, the police said there had been no instruction from the AG as yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.