You tattoo me like a Jew, and I brand you like a cow

It seems that some twat named Mahaguru58 was rather unimpressed by my "Hell No, I'm not a Muslim" card, so much so that he suggested that instead of cards, non-Muslims fearful of having their bodies snatched after death should get themselves tattoo-ed on their chest or foreheads like the Jews of Nazi Germany.

Mahaguru58: I joked with MENJ about suggesting that instead of carrying a card which could get lost, maybe it would be better to have a tattoo on their chest or forehead that they are Kaffir!

This provoked an indignant response by letter-writer FFT to Malaysia-Today:

While discussing the recent controversy over the issue of corpse snatching by Islamic authorities, these two Islamofascists go into a little diatribe trivializing the agony and stress that family members face at the hands of the menacing Shariah authorities.

If that weren't bad enough, Mahaguru58 then ominously suggests the following at time 12:50 on the video, with regard to how non-Muslims can prevent themselves from being buried as Muslims.......and I quote:

"Those who feel very strongly about it, this is going to offend some people I don't give a damn, they should have it tattooed on their chest like what Adolf Hitler did, you know, this is a Jew right?, and they had tattoos. So those who are now so adamant on not wanting to be buried as a Muslim, or whatever, for whatever reason, they should have it tattooed on their chest."

These two Nazi wannabes then go on further, referring to non-Muslims as being recalcitrant about not wanting their loved ones buried as a Muslim, completely ignoring the suspicious circumstances in which corpses were snatched.

At time 14:00 on the video, Mahaguru58 reaffirms his Nazi leanings with the following, and I quote:

"I think they should tattoo it on their chest or forehead 'I am a kafir'."

I'm not too perturbed by the tattoo remark. I actually thought it was a pretty witty. Extremely bad taste, but witty nonetheless. But here's my comeback.

Mahaguru58, let's make a deal. I'll tattoo 'Kafir' on my forehead, if you'll brand 'Islamist Twat' on yours. Tattoo-ed like a Jew vs branded like a cow... let's do it.

Retorts aside, I actually want to delve a little into the mindset of religious bigots like him. There are 2 observations that I'm able to make, after only managing a few vomit-free minutes of reading his blog.

1. Religious bigots can only see one side of a story or issue. Namely their side only. They are oblivious when their actions are just as deplorable as the actions of their 'enemies'.

If someone tries to convert a Muslim, it is an act of extreme provocation by an enemy of Islam. Does anyone remember the ruckus caused by the sms allegations that Muslim children were being converted to Christianity at a church in Silibin, Ipoh? Does anyone remember how bigots tried to transform the fight against demolishing temples and statues into a threat to Islam's 'position' in Malaysia?

Mahaguru58: I discussed with him regarding the current situation where Christians in Malaysia are prone to interfering into Islamic and Muslims affairs here since the change of leadership in the BN Government.

JAKIM ought to really get off its butt and start taking corrective action in all aspects of Dakwah al Islamiyah.

Enough of just wasting their time sitting in their plush air conditioned offices and departments, whilst the enemies of Islam are ganging up on the Muslims online and offline by way of their various activities that are meant to undermine the position of Islam in this country.

But if a Muslim tries to convert a non-Muslim, they are merely fulfilling their god's command and are in fact, leading the non-Muslim or Kafir to the true path.

Mahaguru58: Mankind's true faith is Islam... I see not that many Muslims here in Malaysia who are doing anything constructive to help share their knowledge about Islam to the Non Muslim Malaysians and thus have failed to do what Allah the Almighty commands us!

A proper Muslim would do better to engage in honorable Dakwah al Islamiyah by approaching those who have yet to be Muslims by using their wisdom and commonsense in knowing how to share the truth of Islam in a manner that they end up getting interested to learn about it and not run away from their birthrights to be true subjects of Allah the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful!

As you can see, bigots are not vulnerable to logic and reason, nor to the concept of 'do unto others what you will have others do unto you'.

Mahaguru58: The reality nowadays is that Christians and other Kaffirs tend to zoom in and focus on the screwups by a few Muslims and then lay claim to saying that Islam is bad. You see a lot of that in Malaysiakini and other websites that fail to stop Islamophobia from taking root in this land.

The website owners might mean well and just want to give all an online platform for freedom of expressions but haters and abusers misuse them to spew heartaches, lies and fabrications.

If I were to start doing the same, I'd be wasting the rest of my life in highlighting to the world screwups by the Kaffirs which are much more numerous and uncountable if we really, really do the same and start badmouthing them based on their sins and crimes!

Seriously speaking , the Malaysian Government ought to nip this unnecessary provocation by the Islamophobes and get the people properly updated as to the reasons why the cases where reverts to Islam were buried in Muslim cemeteries and not left to be cremated as Non Muslims or buried in Non Muslim cemeteries?

When the Religious authorities and Syariah courts encroach on the fundamental rights of non-Muslims and degrade the all-important concept of filial piety in a Chinese family, it's merely a "screwup by a few Muslims". And an 'update' to the people involved is all that's needed to justify it.

But when non-Muslims highlight these transgressions and express their displeasure, they are labelled 'Islamophobe Kafirs' who are committing sins and crimes against Islam. The force of the govt needs to be brought to bear upon them.

By the way, how can Kafirs commit a sin against Islam, when they do not even believe in Islam and the god of the Muslims?... which brings me nicely to observation #2.

2. Religious bigots feel perfectly entitled to be bigoted against non-Muslims, because non-Muslims are actually Kafirs (unbelievers) who have not reverted to Islam yet.

Mahaguru58: Among the subjects covered were about the Gospel of Barnabas which foretells the coming of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah after Eesa ibnu Maryam @ Jesus Christ Alaihis Salam. The Christians know about it but refuse to accept the truth that the Gospel of Barnabas contains.

We can only share info with those who want to learn about the truth. Those who choose to beguile themselves with dreams of being holy moly but get their basics all screwed up have only themselves to blame for their misguidance.

I for one am doing what I can within my means to clear the air about Islam and in my own way share what I have come to learn about Islam and what it really is?

Dakwah is not meant to brainwash anyone into becoming Muslims per se but rather to awaken the human intellect of both Muslims and Kaffirs into studying about their birthrights to be true servants of Allah the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate.

Things won't change until and unless we take a concerted effort to improve ourselves in all ways what more when it concerns our spiritual wellbeing and fulfill our mission to spread the truth about Islam.

Now I understand why some bigots have remarked, almost matter-of-factly, that they see nothing wrong in compelling the non-Muslim Gans to submit themselves to the judgment of a Syariah court. This Mahaguru58 twat even sounded annoyed that they were so against their late father being given a Muslim burial.

And I particular dislike his use of the term 'reverts' when referring to 'converts'. It implies that converts were originally Muslims (even if they were not born one), but have lost their way for a while and then finally 'reverted' to Islam. You see... there is one problem with this, and it's a big one. It's the fact that what Muslims believe to be god... is not within a non-Muslim's perception of reality at all.

It's not that non-Muslims actually 'know' in the back of their minds or deep in their souls that the god of Muslims is in fact (the true) god, but they simply do not acknowledge him (ie. to 'unbelieve' or be a kafir).

It is actually that non-Muslims do not even consider the god of Muslims to be anything more than a figment of someone else's imagination. Therefore they cannot 'dis'believe what does not exist (in their reality) to be 'believed' in the first place.

Religious bigots must be made to realise that their belief - that all of humankind (Muslim and non-Muslim alike) are creations of the Muslim's one-god and that the non-Muslims have somehow momentarily lost their way - is merely their perception of reality. And they have to understand and accept (kicking and screaming if need be) that this 'Muslim reality' is not shared by non-Muslims. In fact, this 'Muslim reality' does not exist at all in the perception of non-Muslims. So how can they be expected to accept the authority, laws and courts of a concept that doesn't even exist to them?

So, what does this mean? This means that the solution is not for non-Muslims to 'learn more' about Islam, with a view to make them more accepting of Islamisation on their lives.

It means that all Malaysians can believe whatever the hell they want in private, but in the public sphere - they must accept that each individual is entitled to their own version of spiritual truth. And that no one holds a monopoly to the truth, and no one is in a position to deem atheists and people of other religions to be 'unenlightened' and in need of 'guidance and oversight'. The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia must be dictated and measured on the basis of universal, non-denominational standards of respect and non-interference. Not through the flawed conceptual prism comprising of 'the faithful and the kafirs'.