Asri, coconuts and cows not the same

YOURSAY 'The killing of animals in a school compound and a procession carrying idols or smashing coconuts are two different matters.'

'Don't just harp on korban, what about other faiths?'

Proarte: A school is not an appropriate place for animal sacrifice. Even a Muslim child can be traumatised by such an event. For former mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin to equate a benign religious procession which involves breaking of coconuts to animal sacrifice is the height of idiocy.

Why can't he just accept that a public school is not a religious venue or an abattoir, and it is simply wrong for young children to be traumatised by animal sacrifice, let alone the fact that Hindu children would regard the slaughtering of a cow in their school as an act of cruel insensitivity?

It would lead to religious and racial discord amongst students. Muslims too must stand up and reject any irrational action done in the name of Islam which has potential to bring Islam into public odium.

Lionking: I do respect Mohd Asri's views and he is free to express them. However there is a major difference between killing an animal in a school and a procession on the road.

I agree that all these processions must be regulated but there are no processions on a daily basis and they are held only at certain times of the year.

That is the beauty of ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia' found in all our tourism advertisements. But I agree that there must be proper clean-up operations when processions are over as lots of rubbish is strewn on the roads in the name of religion.

AnSoN: Mohd Asri, the killing of animals in a school compound and a procession carrying idols or smashing coconuts are two different matters.

Why can't these people have the wisdom enough to differentiate one from the other? Always when it comes to religion, there is always this problem.

Cute Devil666: This former mufti is confusing himself between a school and public roads. Just to give you an idea during ‘korban' there are nearly 10 cows slaughtered in my area and it is near the surau where everyone passes by. There was blood running everywhere and we never complain about this. But a school?

KDP: The difference is that national schools are funded by taxpayers as a place of secular education for the children of this nation.

Religious processions don't involve slaughtering animals and though I am not a Hindu, I know that they don't go around town smashing coconuts other than within the adjacent spaces of the temple.

Furthermore, coconuts are not screaming and bleeding out when smashed, neither is there any contamination or communicable disease that risks being transmitted.

Baiyuensheng: Some commentators should show respect for this mufti as he is very balanced in giving his views. What he says is true. There must be clear guidelines set on all religions.

Jean Pierre: There is probably a fine line between watching a cow being slaughtered and watching men pierced with poles through their cheeks. Both might be agonising, depending on who is doing the watching.

I would have said mufti Asri has a point if I had not watched his disparaging comments in his sermons. A commenter in Malaysiakini named Solaris (I think) used to post links to his sermons in YouTube. That's when I realised he plays to the gallery.

Malaccan: There is a difference between public spaces and schools. Asri misses the point which is to use appropriate spaces for appropriate activities. From what I have seen, when coconuts are smashed on the road by Hindu devotees, they clean up afterwards. So that shouldn't be an issue.

If Asri wants to regulate public spaces, then do it fairly. There should be no discrimination. That means no religious processions of any kind. No weddings or funerals marches.

By the way, please do also provide the same land and building grants to all religions so that their activities can take place in appropriate spaces.

Don't forget about similar tax structures. No more special zakat allowances please. I think this is all overkill, anyway. The issue is schools. Stick to it.

Abasir: Asri said, "...in this country there are many more things that are not suitable and abuse public spaces". Hmm... now let me see, are we also talking about the inconsiderate and indiscriminate double and triple parking of cars near certain places of worship on Fridays?

And what about the serving of beef at public functions regardless of the fact that some of those invited do not eat it for religious reasons?

Perhaps these examples do not count, because those impacted negatively are expected to understand, given the prevailing 'ketuanan' rules of coexistence.

Enlightened: If you want to bring roads into the argument, then there shouldn't even be any more pasar malam. How many times have we seen road congestion during one, and fallen fruit littering the streets after a pasar malam?

Anonymous_40bb: We are moving towards being a developed nation, so we should do something about it. It's not about religion here. It's about the concept of a school being an academic institution in the 21st century.

Although the ‘korban' practice is also part of education amongst Muslims, then limit it to Muslim schools and build an abattoir for hygienic purposes. It's not about race or religion. It's about people living together with tolerance and respect and finding solutions to live better.

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