Critical Thoughts

First of all, I do not read Al Islam magazine (published by Utusan group), on a variety of reasons. Lets just say after a certain “Si Tora-Tora Jadian” took over the editorship of the magazine (and unceremoniously booted out a few years later), I just stopped reading it. The only Islamic magazine that I follow religiously (excuse the pun!) these days is Majalah i, published by Karangkraf.

That being said, I really wonder what the fuss is about, with regard to an article written two months ago by their reporters relating their experience at Catholic churches. I read the republished article at The Nut Graph and frankly, I don’t see anything that the reporter had done that (a) impede Catholics to worship their “god”, and/or (b) cause consternation and anxiety among the Catholic worshippers during their presence at those churches. In fact, I would say that it is a brave example of investigative journalism, although the journalists’ motives towards this end may be suspect. Its not like the Christian missionaries had not done this to Muslims before, albeit with even more sinister motives. The journalists came to the church expecting Muslims to be apostatised and they came back reporting that this was not true. The end.

So again, what is this fuss about?

This certainly amuses me to no end. It just goes to show that there is nothing of value in their Weltanshauung worth talking about.

Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests attacked each other with brooms and stones inside the Church of the Nativity as long-standing rivalries erupted in violence during holiday cleaning on Thursday.

The basilica, built over the grotto in Bethlehem where Christians believe Jesus was born, is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities.

Any perceived encroachment on one group’s turf can touch off vicious feuds.

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Hindu terrorism. This is what exactly will happen to this country if Hindraf had their way:

Hindu extremists attacked Christians celebrating Christmas in eastern India, ransacking and burning at least six village churches, officials said Wednesday. One person was killed in the violence.

Authorities in the remote district where the churches, most nothing more than mud and thatch houses, were attacked have deployed 450 police to quell the violence, which had tapered off by Wednesday, said Bahugrahi Mahapatra, a government official.

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