‘Looking at cross won’t alter faith of Muslims’ Goose: The hate/fear/dislike of the other taught overtly and covertly at homes, national schools, public universities, ceramahs, sermons, BTN (Biro Tatanegara) courses have led to this.

A perversion that’s been steadily embedded from the mid-80s, it is one of the reasons why about 100 Malay-Muslim men and women are in a state of jihad in the Middle East.

The planned Jakim (Islamic Development Department) courses to stop extremism will be useless until Jakim understands why and how extremism became part of the current Malay psyche.

How is Jakim going to address the problem when the cocktail of race and religion fed to Malays over the last 30 years is what keeps Umno in power?

So demonstrations like these against churches and temples will continue until our slumbering prime minister (who proclaims Malaysia as a shining example of moderation on the world stage) speaks out against such extremism in Malaysia and walks the talk.

What these Malay-Muslims are doing goes against the tenets of all holy books.

Anonymous_3e06: Was the Taman Medan protest seditious? This is what we are waiting to hear from those who voted for the amendments to the Sedition Act.

Malaysia Ku: The question is, will these ingrates be arrested under the enhanced Sedition Act for what was obviously an act affecting religious harmony?

Or will they be let off again to perpetuate their extremism in another unworthy cause elsewhere?

ACR: The photographs of all those protesters are available. They gave interviews and they unashamedly posed for a group photo.

Church leaders, please lodge police reports against the group under the Sedition Act and the Penal Code for defiling and trespassing unto a place of worship and for criminal intimidation.

Start the process of ensuring the PJS Umno division is closed down for the actions of these hooligans.

SteveOh: Section 208 in the Penal Code punishes those who insult and offend the religious sensitivities of other people’s religion. It can’t be more offensive to those Christians who have been forced to remove the cross, a sacred symbol to Christians and others.

Those Christians need to stand up for their constitutional rights even if they are not superstitious and the physical structure of the cross is not elemental to their faith besides the spiritual significance of Christ atoning for their sins.

The proper remedy is for the authorities to explain the rights and freedoms of all religions in the country and dissuade such unbecoming acts as in this instance.

Ignorance is the root of all intolerance and bigotry and censorship its thick trunk and spreading branches like a strangling fig tree.

Gen2indian: At least, we have a voice of reason from an Adun (Taman Medan assemblyperson Haniza Talha). Thank you, madam.

I have been to places of worship of all the major religions but that has not made me a lesser Hindu. On the contrary, it enhances my understanding of the beliefs of other people.

This protest reeks of politics, as usual.

Negarawan: Haniza, it is easier said than done. If you and other right-thinking Muslims mean what you say, then an apology should be offered to the church, and allow the cross to be placed back in its original location.

Until and unless this happens, your words remain dishonest and empty. However, knowing that Christians are a forgiving and timid lot, they would probably leave the matter as it is, although they have been badly hurt from this episode. What’s next?

Headhunter: Let them get away with this and you open a can of worms. Indeed, who will be the next target?

Inspector-general of police (IGP), please tweet on this because we want to know what you are going to do about such a seditious act.

Anonymous_1408265047: Perhaps these people should be protesting in front of the Chevrolet car showroom. These cars carry a ‘cross’ on their bodywork.

This does not auger well for our multicultural society, especially when the government spends millions each year to promote tourism and investment in this country.

Ipohcrite: Do the protesters mean that they do not welcome non-Muslims, and by some extension, non-Malays into the largely Malay dominant community?

Doesn’t this lead to racial polarisation, causing even deeper problems against the different races trying to live together harmoniously? This is really insane. Sigh.

Sabahan: Do we want bullies to be in power? These Umno protestors have no brains. It seems the cross is only offensive to these bullies.

CNN has shown aid supplies being distributed to Muslims in Yemen, all bearing the red cross of ICRC. Those Muslims were not offended and did not throw away the food.

Anonymous #13114320: Actually the whole country is Malay majority and Muslim majority too. Should all ethnic and religious minorities pack up and leave?

Religious freedom in M’sia at crossroads

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