Crusaders and Jihadists of Malaysian politics

The Catholic Church's Herald newsletter is calling for an "upraising" against the government. Read it here -

Between Vatican diplomacy and the Herald's "uprising"

This is the same publication which wants to use the word "Allah" to describe the God/Gods of the Christians in its Malay language edition, which triggers the manipulation of the issue by the likes of DAP's Lim Guan Eng and insensitive reactions from the likes of Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali.

I'm not sure how the Catholic church works in this country....is it apolitical or is it  partisan? If the Herald is the official church newsletter, then that editorial piece running down the government (despite it being taken from other pro-Pakatan publication) should still be by right the official stand of the church too, right? Well, honestly I'm not sure. Hopefully one of you who are more familiar with the matter could kindly educate me on this.

Whatever it is, as far as I am concerned, the Herald is now a part of the Pakatan election machinery, the same as Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, Free Malaysia Today, Rocket, Harakah, etc. It is openly campaigning for Catholic Christians to join in an "uprising" against the BN government.

It sounds very much as if the Herald is calling for a crusade against the BN, the same way when Pas people were calling for Muslims to go on a jihad against the BN government and the ruling coalition (particularly Umno).

The Pas' jihad was initiated because the BN government had been deemed to have failed to set-up an Islamic state and implement an Islamic law in this multi-racial and multi-religious country. Please read this for context -

"Amanat Hadi" was an excerpt from a speech by the then firebrand young Pas leader, Abdul Hadi Awang, who is now the party president at Kampung Benggol, Peradong, Kuala Terengganu on April 7, 1981.

The "Amanat Hadi" translates as follows:

"Dear fellow Muslims, do believe,

"We are against Umno, not because its name is Umno. We are against Barisan Nasional not because it has been in power too long. We are against them because they have maintained the constitution of the colonists, maintained the laws of the infidels, maintained the regulations of the jahiliah (pre-Islamic civilisation). That is why we are against them. That is why we are facing them. That is why we are trying to fight them.

"Do believe my dear fellow Muslims,

"Our struggles are jihad, our speeches are jihad, our financial contributions are jihad. Be dependant on Allah in facing these groups because if we die while fighting them, our death will be syahid (martyrdom). Our death will be an Islamic death. We do not have to be Buddhists, we do not have to be Hindus, we do not have to be Christians, but we will be considered infidels if we practise the separation of politics and religion."

Pas may now claim that it is to set up just a "welfare state" if Pakatan wins the general election, but it has never dropped its Islamic state and hudud agenda. That was because the agenda is its main draw among the Malay Muslims. And the jihad tag remains. Please ask any genuine Pas supporter whether they consider Pas' struggles is a jihad. I am quite certain the answer you will get is in the affirmative.

Using religion as a political tool is very effective. Pas supporters are arguably the most passionate about their party's struggles. They sincerely believed that supporting the party will help them get easier access to paradise in the afterlife. Thus, for them sacrificing for the party will grant them blessings from Allah. It is after all a jihad, for them. That explains why you could find an 80-year-old grandmother from a kampung in rural Kelantan at a Bersih rally in downtown KL. She sincerely believes that by being there she is part of a jihad...and that taking part in a jihad means a sure ticket to paradise in the after life. It also explains why some "artistes" (who are mostly past their prime) could be found among Pas supporters. They believe that by joining Pas' jihad, they could offset whatever sins they had committed during their long years of involvement in the artiste world....well, it could also be because due to their fading career, and they needed a new audience to adore their "talents".

DAP seems to have catch up with Pas on this aspect of political strategy. Its leaders have actively been involved in church activities and certain elements from the churches have reciprocated in kind. And this was not restricted to the Catholic churches but also those of other Christian denominations.The Herald's open support for Pakatan is just the clearest example. 

And this DAP's religious weapon works brilliantly, especially among the Christian Chinese as could be seen during the Sarawak State election two years ago. Almost all urban areas with Chinese majority constituents were captured by DAP.

Here is, once again, the video of Guan Eng rallying the DAP's Christian troops hours before the electoral battle of the last Sarawak State election -

With Pas jihadists at one corner and DAP crusaders at the other, BN stands in the middle for the coming onslaught from both sides. 

My question now is this - if BN falls, what will stand between these two politically manipulated religious forces and prevents them from later on butchering one another like it was in a far away place a long time ago? The outcome could be catastrophic for multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia.