opinion

Once again the nation is deflected from the country's current economic distress and political turmoil by a group of youngsters alleged to be involved in Satanic cults.

One can't help feeling empathy that perhaps all governments need such scapegoats to steer attention away from the country's real problems.

One English daily reported the activities of the so-called cult in its front page while news of a massive bailout of Renong Berhad by the government (Renong being the nation's loftiest debtor) to relieve it of RM13 billion in overdue corporate debt was stashed away on page 28.

Are Malaysians surprised that youths are in the headlines again after being linked (wrongly) by several quarters to be responsible for the burning down of the historic Dewan Tunku Chancelor in Universiti Malaya recently?

Coincidently, following this, two student activists were arrested by police on the grounds they were 'a threat to national security'.

(Student activist Mohd Fuad Ikhwan has since been released unconditionally while Khairul Annuar Ahmad Zainuddin, popularly known as Jonah, is still in police custody and has been expelled from the Institut Kemahiran Mara).

Creative paraphernalia

Now the spotlight is turned on a group of Muslim youths said to be members of the 'Black Metal cult'. They are said to use heavy metal music to attract recruits to practice Satanic rituals such as drinking goat's blood, gratifying in free sex, tearing up the Koran , stepping on it and chanting profanity.

The cult is believed to have recruited more than 3,000 members, some as young as 10, in Kedah and Selangor and is reported to have infiltrated more than 10 schools. They keep in touch via the Internet and can be spotted by their black T-shirts bearing slogans such as 'Wake Up to Carcass', 'Enjoy Cocaine' and 'Progression towards Evil'.

It is believed that members meet in forests, abandoned housing schemes and other isolated spots, and hang out in supermarkets. It was also reported that a key female member known as Dila, who acts as an 'adopted sister' is luring Muslim youths into the cult.

Without any time wasted, parents and teachers are taken to task and urged to tackle youth problems and identify reasons for the appeal of such cults. Lack of religious teachings was immediately identified as one of the root causes.

Black metal music lovers are crying foul over the manner in which various quarters have jumped on the bandwagon to condemn fans of this genre of music as evil, Satan worshippers, society outcasts and criminals.

"There must be something which leads them in being prepared to reject religion and be involved in activities based on an anti-religion and anti-establishment philosophy," said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently.

What is this something that the premier is talking about?

Technological futurism

Internet material on the Black Metal genre reveals that this culture stems from the collapse of a meaningful and effective political ideology that defines society and a total rejection of the present commercial system.

Its members or fans indulge in a kind of dark and fast music which is supposed to be 'most communicative with the modern listener expressing nihilism and a heroic anti-social assertion of the self' as a form of therapy, escapism or alternative sub-culture.

This unique music culture is said to have evolved in three stages.

The first period was between 1969 and 1983 after the Vietnam War. Metal began with Black Sabbath, the blues band that shifted into heavy bizarre rock to express a massive dread of modern life.

According to its literature, this 'dread' came about with 'the fall of several governments and nations worldwide' during this period which led to their citizens to experience massive alienation and caused them to reject the lives around them.

Although there were several peace movements with the hope of redeeming humankind, these efforts occurred only to be immediately mired in falsehood in the waning cultures of the 60s and early 70s.

Then came technological futurism without ideological structure, leading to a vapid system which quickly assimilated anything, however rebellious, into its commercial system.

At the turn of the 80s it was clear to many that alienation was not an affliction but a condition of the system.

By this time, the world seemed to have disintegrated by the incursion of LSD (a hallucination inducing drug), sexual diseases and the widespread failure of conventional apparatus to reform society.

Consequently, alienation took the form of a critique of the application of values, rather than a creation of new values.

From 1983 to 1988, the Cold War came to a peak and generations who were acclimatised to years of non-issues and insignificant political icons began to withdraw from society due to its lack of values such as love and respect for one another. Society by now had begun to promote the culture of materialism.

Disposable society

Groups aligned to Black Metal music cult lament that the 'rebellious' aspects of their behaviour merely reached discussion status among concerned members of society.

However, outside the philosophers' studios, the slumber continued and society inevitably became worse; prone to denial and quick to pin the blame on the syndrome rather than confront the real reasons behind its failures.

Also during this period, consumer culture and conformity ruled in the realm of malls, jobs, share markets, insurance and retirement plans and foreign wars.

As new technology made life more convenient, it became ubiquitous and furthered the decline of many people to the machine-state.

Consequently, opposing doctrines, political, religious or culture notwithstanding, mushroomed as if trying to reprogramme a giant machine.

Violence and aggression prevailed in all ideologies, as international relations worldwide strained to various breaking points. Post-Cold War instability, economic and political turmoil, coupled with continued social boredom created the most nihilistic, disposable society ever from 1989 to the present moment.

This period marks the third stage of the Black Metal culture.

In the light of all this, children consider their lives worthless and worship suicide instead while meaningless labour consumes the time of millions and music drifts between halfheartedness and utter slavery to some misappropriated ideal.

As society ages, emotional nihilism approaches, and raging spirits search for reasons to live or, in other ranges, significance of death.

Increasing pressure

It is with this insight that our authorities must deal with this phenomenon. Reducing youths to criminal status without appreciating the reasons behind their involvement will further alienate youths into societal oblivion.

It does augur well for youngsters when police recently launched anti-Black Metal group operations detaining more than 100 youths at various shopping complexes. These youths were then sent to police station for urine tests, body checks and questioning.

Are youths guilty of a crime by merely by sporting black T-shirts with the cult's symbols?

Already, youths are subjected to too many restrictions such as not being allowed to voice their opinions openly, restricted social movements and not being allowed to socialise freely with their peers of the opposite sex although relations may be perfectly innocent and part of growing up.

Youths who are still studying and intellectually developing with a speedy momentum are not allowed to be involved in the country's political struggle or in upholding the truth; anything intellectually stimulating which may challenge the authorities.

Instead, increasing pressure at home to obtain the best paper qualifications is the prevailing culture. Never mind if psychological, emotional, artistic and spiritual developments are neglected in process.

Not root causes

"I don't like to say this, but if religious teachers incite hatred towards the establishment, young people will not have the basis of religion," our prime minister was quoted as saying recently.

"What they will have are anti-establishment feelings and hatred towards others. So don't be surprised when our children end up hating the establishment," he added.

Those insinuating that Malay youths who dabble in such music and culture do so due to 'deviant teachings or fanatic religious' teachers seem to be politicising the issue. This may only lead to confusion and divert one's intention to help these youths out of their despondency.

A NGO leader reportedly said, "Obviously, there is something wrong with youths who are indulging in occult practices".

However, Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai has wisely suggested that, "The Black Metal group are more of a social problem than a criminal one."

Politicians and the theologians may want to consider this: Youths indulging in occult practises are merely manifestations of a society or community that is lacking and has gone wrong in various areas.

Coincidently, these afflicted societies or communities are ruled by adults, spiritual teachers and politicians who are religiously guided by holy books, rules and regulations and the laws of the land.

It may be worthwhile to ponder too on the fact that pornographic materials, violent films, drug addiction, free sex, and black metal music are not the root causes of society's ills but solutions that youths turn to when adults, institutions and politicians can no longer offer any sense of purpose.

SUSAN LOONE is a malaysiakini journalist.