As Sim Kwang Yang writes in his affectionate and nostalgic article for Malaysiakini , ‘Aidilfitri – a time for forgiveness, reconciliation’ , this is “a joyous occasion for Muslims, as it signifies personal triumph, and a victory of self-restraint and abstinence, symbolising purification and renewal.”

But if all this is truly the case for honest, sincere and virtuous Muslims, purification and renewal are the last things on the minds of many of their vicious ruling regimes.

Hari Raya or no Hari Raya, Syria’s al-Assad gang continues its torture and killing of its people who have been rallying against it for months after every Friday prayers...