YOURSAY | ’When one is fasting, one has no business visiting the canteen.’

PAS slams minister’s canteen operation directive during Ramadan

IndigoGiraffe9405: Going by PAS ulama wing leader Ahmad Yahaya’s “logic”, why not ask all food outlets to close during the day throughout Ramadan?

I am Muslim. I have no problems at all with canteens, restaurants, or food courts operating as usual during Ramadan.

After all, one of the fundamentals of fasting is for one to know and appreciate hunger, especially the kind of hunger that is experienced among the very poor, those undergoing war or famine, and thereby for us to be grateful for what we have.

If anything, fasting in an environment where food is seen or available, and refraining from eating, helps strengthen the spirit of Ramadan.

PAS expects the whole world to stop turning because we are fasting. How about we respect the rights of non-Muslims too?

FitnessPro: Is there a need for Ahmad (above) to make a divisive comment on this? Does education mean “must learn to respect Muslims” only?

Isn’t Malaysia a country where people are supposed to respect one another? Why must the emphasis be on one and not on both?

The month of Ramadan is when certain pleasures in life are denied. Even when faced with temptation, the person who fasts has the determination to follow through.

But in Malaysia, the ones who are not fasting are the ones who must restrain their activities!

I am approaching middle age soon. In all my life as a Malaysian, never once did Malays take offence when I had no choice but to eat.

My friends and I who are non-Malays know to avoid eating in front of them out of respect. Never once did we have issues with all these things.

It is only the likes of Ahmad who take great offence at non-offensive things.

Harimau Kelantan: I have been fasting since I was six years old, and I am now 76.

During my time at school, the canteen was always open.

There were no problems there. No one makes any noise. When one is fasting, one has no business visiting the canteen.

So what’s the problem?

Hmmmmmmmm: If you want to build character, you should not place any condition on anybody during the fasting month. Muslims and non-Muslims should go about their day as normal.

If Muslim students want to go to the canteen to talk to their friends while their non-Muslim friends are eating, it should be encouraged.

That shows they are strong enough to withstand the temptations of food and that is very commendable.

If you do not think your resolve is strong enough, then avoid places where people eat.

You don’t stop working, or work shorter hours, or hide in some rooms, or sleep all day, just because you are fasting.

I fast almost every day but I still carry out my daily activities as usual. I don’t make a hue and cry about it.

I sometimes join my friends when they eat while I refrain.

It is just for the chit-chat and the company. Don’t make it sound like it is a very difficult thing to do and that you are making great sacrifices.

GreenLlama4079: PAS wants to groom non-Muslim children to pander to Muslims in all aspects of life. PAS is saying that Muslims come first before any others.

PAS is happy to remind all non-Muslims that they are kafir and should be treated as such.

A government where PAS reigns means zero equality and the further erosion of the rights of Malaysian citizens who are not Muslims.

Hoyohoyo: Hello, Pokok Sena MP. School canteens must remain open for all during Ramadan. Closing school canteens is disharmonious and intolerant towards non-Muslim students.

Respect is not a one-way street. Practise understanding and accepting others who do not subscribe to your religious rituals.

Stop imposing your rules on non-Muslims.

OceanMasterII: This is getting out of control. Playing the victim and blaming the non-Muslims, who also happen to be the minority, for everything.

I spent a lot of time in the Middle East and with Muslims from other parts of the world. Malaysian Muslims should learn from them the substance and benevolence of practising the faith.

The version of Islam that is being ingrained in Malaysia, led by PAS and even many within the government itself, is the version the Arabs themselves have rejected.

There has to be moderation.

BrownCheetah9736: I sat next to a Malay chap on an MH flight last year during Ramadan.

Food was served to me and, out of courtesy, I told him to excuse me as I was going to eat. His reply was most striking as he said “Nothing to excuse, it is perfectly your right to do so”.

I think that’s the right spirit and PAS politicians should be encouraging and teaching the young to learn how to co-exist and be respectful.

BusinessFirst: I have some sympathy for canteen operators who are fasting and having to provide food for schools or civil servants having to do a full load of work during Ramadan.

But then again, this only arises because only one race seems to have a monopoly on these jobs and hence when it comes to holidays, no one else can pick up the slack.

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