We should respect all religions and believe in peace, kindness and harmony
― Ananya Panday, actress
Recently, there has been a massive uproar pertaining on the issue of socks with the word ‘Allah’ printed on it and sold at a convenience store chain.
While questions are being asked on whether there was any element of foul play – that the aforementioned socks were indeed sold by the retailer and not simply placed by a saboteur, the reaction to it was superfluous, to put it mildly.
KK Mart, the store involved had issued an apology over the matter along with its vendors. The matter is now being investigated by the Home Ministry after 36 police reports were lodged.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said if found guilty, the relevant parties may be punished with a fine of up to RM20,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
The authorities have been quick to deal with the situation as they should as such matter is tantamount to provocation and is particularly sensitive to the Muslim community.
The word Allah is sacred and should be treated with respect, the act of having it printed as part of footwear is unacceptable. This should be the overwhelming narrative.
However, it is saddening to see some sections of the community are poking fun at a sensitive issue and can be characterised as sacrilege.
There were netizens who left distasteful comments on social media, sparking outrage from others. While it is not known what their motivations were, it can be interpreted as being degrading to Islam.
On Thursday, news outlets reported a man in Kuala Lumpur being arrested for a Facebook posting over the issue. The news also reported a Sabah man being sentenced to jail for a similar offence.
These people were mistaken when thinking it was absolutely within their rights to prey on sensitive issues on religion. This is a concern.
In the social media age, especially of late, some have been very open in expressing their views, viewing criticism on the matter of religion as fair game when it is definitely not the case.
I think it should not be blamed on lack of understanding, because it is clear that they understand that the matter is very sensitive, hence the eagerness to participate in the discussion.
In this case, some would not know that the word Allah should not be printed on garments. A recent case which caused uproar was when the word was printed as part of embellishment for an outfit showcased during the Melbourne Fashion Festival.
I too remember some years ago when there was a case of the word Allah being printed on school uniforms and caused discontent.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim has expressed his displeasure at the controversy surrounding the sale the socks. In a Facebook post, the king called for stern action against those responsible.
“Muslims revere the word Allah … Such matters which incite anger should not arise.
“Whether it was intentional or not and whether (the socks) were imported or produced locally, I want the enforcement (agencies) to investigate this matter and take strict action to ensure such incidents are not repeated.”
The message is clear that the matter of socks printed with the holy word has caused resentment and that stern action must be taken.
However, it is disappointing to see people in the political aisle being divided and fighting among themselves on the seriousness of the issue.
Umno Youth has taken a stand to call for a boycott of the convenience store chain which prompted a backlash for its Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh.
Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming criticised Akmal for disregarding the ‘Madani spirit’, advising him to refrain from inciting religious and racial sentiments, describing such tactics as outdated.
Echoing Nga’s sentiment was the MCA.
Nga’s statement was quickly rebuffed by PKR central committee member Fahmi Zainol who warned him not to meddle in the issue.
The root cause of this ‘tit for tat’ could perhaps be attributed to sheer ignorance.
What could have been an open-and-shut case where the parties involved will be investigated and penalised has spiralled out of control.
In this moment, I think it helps to not trivialise. While it might be difficult to understand what is it that may upset a particular community, the key message is to remain respectful.
Some things are just the way they are. It could not and should be rationalised.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
