Civil Society Joint Statement
2010-01-29
Police Investigation on Mosque Attacks must pursue the political operators
We the undersigned civil society groups condemn in the strongest terms the utmost sinister act of throwing heads of wild boar into the compound of two mosques on Old Klang Road in the early morning hours of January 27, 2010 (Wednesday).
Like the cow-head protest in Shah Alam last August and the earlier attacks on churches, mosques, suraus and gurdwara, the desecration of the At-Tirmizi Mosque, Sri Sentosa and Jumhuriyah Mosque, Taman Dato Harun is the latest of deliberate and desperate acts to provoke religious conflicts in Malaysia.
Malaysians of all faiths have however once again valiantly defeated such wicked plots. The ahli qariah (members) of the desecrated mosques and the Muslim community at large have demonstrated admirable calm and cool-headedness, just like the Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities before this.
As in the past, Malaysians of other faiths see the attack on Islam as an attack on their own faiths. In an immediate response, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has condemned any such violence on any house of worship as “a sin of the highest order”.
The inter-faith solidarity of Malaysians is a clear and loud testimony that Malaysian society has passed another test on communal relations and emerged only ever stronger than before. No cow head, pig head or fire can set the fraternity and goodwill amongst Malaysians on fire. The agent provocateurs are only burning themselves in stark desperation devoid of any modicum of civic consciousness or religiosity.
The indomitable spirit of mutual respect and muhibbah of the Malaysian society in the face of challenging inter-faith issues is however tarnished by the continuous failures of the Malaysian state of law and order. The police must stop dismissing such attacks as purely acts of vandalism or juvenile delinquency.
The time related sequence in the aftermath of the court’s decision on the use of the word “Allah”; suggest the orchestrations of these malicious incidents by a mastermind behind the scenes. These serial attacks can only be halted if the police undertakes a thorough and impartial investigation to uncover the heinous hidden hands, who are most probably politically connected. Unless, this is done the situation may become more serious and ugly and God forbid, lives of our citizens maybe in jeopardy.
We however object to any use of the Internal Security Act or Sedition Act. No one should capitalize on the pain of the religious communities to rejuvenate the evils of authoritarianism. The culprits must be charged in Court under the Penal Code or other relevant laws. We demand that all ISA detainees, including the latest 12 to be charged in court or released unconditionally.
Endorsing Civil Society Groups:
- Academy of Tamil Studies
- Aliran Kesedaran Malaysia (Aliran)
- All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)
- Bar Council of Malaysia
- Borneo Research Institute Sarawak (BRIMAS)
- Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)
- Child Development Initiative
- Child Information, Learning and Development Centre
- Civil Right Committee, Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (CRC-KLSCAH)
- Civil Society Initiative for Parliamentary Reform (CSI@Parliament)
- Community Development centre (CDC)
- Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM)
- Editorial board of Horizon e-journal
- Educational, Welfare and Research Foundation Malaysia
- Federation of Indian Non-Governmental Organisations
- Friends in Conversation (FIC)
- Group of Concerned Citizens
- Hartal Mainstream Media (Hartal-MSM)
- Indian Malaysian Active Generation (IMAGE)
- Institute for Development of Alternative Living (IDEAL)
- Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM)
- Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia Sarawak (JOAS)
- Jaringan RAkyat Tertindas( JERIT)
- Kelab Bell Belia Selangor
- Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section
- LLG Cultural Development Centre
- Majlis Kelab Bell Belia Tamil Malaysia
- Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram
- Malaysia Lekshmi Pooja Meditation Society
- Malaysia Tamil Artiste Association
- Malaysia Tamil Neri Kalagam
- Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement (DEMA)
- Malaysian Association of Indian University Graduates
- Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST)
- Malaysian Dravidian Association
- Malaysian Hindu Youth Council
- Malaysian Indian Business Association
- Malaysian Indian Development Association
- Malaysian Indian Historical Association
- Malaysian Tamil Forum
- Malaysian Voter Union (MALVU)
- Muslim Professionals Forum
- Penang Du Zhong Education Society
- Penang Watch
- Penggerak Belia Zon 23 MPSJ
- Persahabatan Semparuthi
- Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)
- Persatuan Murid-murid Tua Sek. Serdang Bharu
- Persatuan Penduduk Taman Muhibbah Seri Kembangan
- Persatuan Prihatin Komuniti Selangor & KL
- Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)
- Sarawak Central Region Friendship Association
- Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA)
- Sarawak Native Land Rights Owners (TAHABAS)
- Sarawakians Access (SACCESS)
- Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia
- Service Civil International
- Sisters in Islam
- SOS(Save Ourselves), Penang
- Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
- The Micah Mandate (TMM)
- Thiruvarul Thavaneri Mandram Malaysia
- Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)
- World Tamil Federation – Malaysian Chapter
- Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)
- Yayasan Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan Pendidikan Tamil Malaysia (Tamil Foundation)
- Youth for Change (Y4C)