Hadi: Non-Muslims free to consume alcohol

 Mosquitobrain: I believe in freedom to worship and belief. I respect and do not criticise other religions and beliefs. Only the weak have fear and will put restrictions on others.

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim nation. Do they bicker over others people’s religious issues and festive functions? In fact, they promote these to attract tourist dollars.

It’s a pity we are gearing up for Vision 2020, yet we are stuck in time. We are looking at the trees but not the forest. No wonder Malaysia is losing out to its neighbours in all sectors. Wake up call!

Anonymous#007: With all due respect, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, you are in no position to debate or decide on what Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and followers of other faiths and belief systems can or cannot do, or what their religion considers moral.

Firstly, you have not read the Holy Bible or scripture, or Buddhist teachings, or spent sufficient time with followers of other faiths to try to understand their religions. That is why it is a very sensitive issue – and demeaning/seditious – when people who proclaim themselves to be religious experts (of one religion) start to decide what is good or bad for followers of another religion.

For example, most religions do not condone statutory rape, they consider it immoral, yet the leaders of the largest religion in the world – Christianity – did not force Muslims to believe the same and give Malaysia’s national bowler the punishment he deserves. The same for sexual assault and burglary, corruption, murder, forced conversion, desecration of holy books, etc.

Multi Racial: Religion should be personal. Yes, it is okay for those who are more experienced to give advice, but at the end of the day, it is entirely up to the individual what he or she wants to do. Not to mention about religions, the majority of people do not advocate over-drinking of alcohol. This is because over drinking can be hazardous to others, especially when driving, and also to one’s health.

So as such, we should do everything in life in moderation, including drinking and eating. The same applies to one’s belief. Do it in moderation and do not attempt to impose what you believe in upon others. If you respect our freedom, we will respect yours.

Mamadias: Actually, it would have been much easier for the police to control this. They should just set up roadblocks near 1 Utama and arrest those who consume alcohol beyond certain limits. So even if the DAP Members of Parliament consume more alcohol than the legal limit, arrest them and publicise it, so that everyone knows the limit.

If MPs and celebrities can be arrested in the Unitd Kingdom for drunk-driving, why can’t we have it here? This would have been a much better strategy by the government, so that nobody breaks the law regardless of race, religion or position.

Anonymous_1413257467: Morality is not only about personal choice but also personal responsibility. Not all non-Malays are drunkards, not all Malays go without a drink.

Anon1: Now all I need to do is find that religion which promotes happy hours and Monthlyfest but forbids me from rape, incest, the practice of an eye for an eye and marrying of minors.

Should be easy to find as I’m sure some mortal is already penning down the manual to that religion and claiming that God dictated the terms to him while he transcribed. And there’ll be another bunch who will, for the rest of their lives, argue and attempt to interpret exactly what that dude wrote.

Anonymous_3f6d: As usual, PAS is always behind time. Oktoberfest celebration already “over-ed”. He-he-he-he-he.

Shanandoah: Nobody asked Hadi to tell the non-Muslims whether they can drink alcohol or not. Just ask the Muslims who drink and gamble not to be hypocrites. Period!

Keturunan Malaysia: And why should the non-Muslims be held responsible if any Muslim wants to go to licenced nightclubs, casinos, pubs and so on? As of now, is anyone really responsible for killings, raping, robbing, stealing, corruption and so on… and I mean REALLY responsible?

Fair&Just: Is collaborating with corrupt and evil parties not forbidden? Go look at your own backyard or take a mirror and look at yourself first, Hadi.

Swipenter: Funny that Hadi never lectures to the Muslims to take personal responsibility for their actions. If anyone (Muslim and non-Muslim) was to consume alcohol, who should bear personal responsibility? Definitely the drinker and no one else. Same thing with the smoker, gambler, the drug addict, etc.

No religion teaches their followers to consume alcohol. Some religions also encourage their followers to become vegetarians to encourage them to practice love and compassion for all living creatures. Above all there is no compulsion not to drink or become a vegetarian because you are responsible for your own actions and God is the final judge.

This is not to say that there should not be regulations and laws to regulate our behaviour, otherwise society would be in perpetual chaos. Here, it is always about others offending the sensitivities of the Muslims and their religion. Hadi, please don’t preach to us about trust, tolerance, acceptance and above all, be loving and compassionate.

Vijay47: Perhaps Hadi meant well. Perhaps he was out to regain some of the huge support he lost recently, but I am surprised that the non-Muslims even need to get anyone’s approval for a practice they have been free to follow all these years.

If a Muslim even had to ask the question of whether non-Muslims should be allowed to drink, it merely reflects the blinkered life they have been living and the fanatical leanings they have been exposed to. Raising the issue of “limits to Muslim tolerance” is extremely offensive as it suggests that we non-Muslims live and breathe only because Muslims allow us to do so.

This is exactly the kind of fanaticism and ignorance that Umno and PAS have been inciting in the last decade or so, regarding matters were never a problem in the past when wiser and more open men prevailed.

Najib Abdul Razak, the leader of all mankind, should have spoken out strongly against these new dangerous tendencies but as usual, he finds speech only when addressing an almost-empty UN assembly.

Sleepy: I have something better, like everyone else, able to distinguish immediately what is right and wrong and also much more. We call it a brain.

Anonymous_3f15: Alcohol is used in hospitals as antiseptic, how lah? Boleh pakai kah!

MingXiang: I thought the headline read ‘non-Muslims can drink alcohol for free’. How disappointing.

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