Defiant atheists demand right to coexist

Melati A. Jalil Melati A. Jalil Updated 6 years ago · Published on 29 Nov 2017 1:00PM · 4 Comments

A GROUP of Malaysian atheists said they will not be fazed by authorities’ “aggression and baseless threats” against them, insisting they have a constitutional right to coexist in peace with other Malaysians.

The Malaysian Atheists and Secular Humanists (MASH) group said the latest trend of denouncing people who did not subscribe to any religion as “disruptions” to society was worrying, but would not lead to atheists backing down on their stance.

“Unwarranted aggression and baseless threats will neither faze nor force us out of existence,” the group said in a statement to The Malaysian Insight.

“The discomfort of disagreement should be met with discourse, not repression.

“As law-abiding and tax-paying members of society, atheists have the right to coexist and be guaranteed a peaceful existence alongside other citizens and residents in Malaysia.

“These inalienable rights cannot be negotiated based on the whims and fancies of individuals in government service.”

Atheism is the rejection of belief in the existence of a God, gods or deities.

In Parliament last week, Deputy Minister Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said atheism should not be allowed to exist in Malaysia as it contradicted the first principle of belief in God as listed in the Rukunegara, the five-point declaration of national philosophy.

In August, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim had said atheists should be “hunted down” as they did not fit in with Malaysian society.

MASH said those who questioned and challenged religious beliefs had existed since the dawn of civilisation, despite their lack of recognition or acknowledgment, and would continue to exist.

“People reject faith for varying reasons, and not for the lack of enforcement of faith. It must be noted that atheism is not a belief system per se.

“Many atheists do, however, subscribe to philosophical ideas, such as humanism, science and reason, none of which is antagonistic or harmful to society.”

Asyraf, who was responding to a question by Kota Raja MP Siti Mariah Mahmud, said it was unconstitutional to spread ideologies that “incite people to leave a religion or profess no religion at all”.

Siti Mariah, whose question was regarding developments on the Atheist Republic Consulate Kuala Lumpur, said she acknowledged that belief was a personal matter, but the issue was raised out of concern for the Muslim community.

“It’s a personal choice, nobody can say anything. But the moment you start propagating, it’s going to wake up the silent majority and it will cause a lot of objections, especially among Malay-Muslim people, who are not really open about this.

“But, I don’t believe in forcing people. I believe in educating and engaging people. We have to study, we cannot just take action. We need to know why it is happening.” – November 29, 2017.

Sign up or sign in here to comment.

Comments

  • Did anyone check background of this group? They are ridiculous for raising the issue. The pre-amble of Rukunegara is "believe in god". No matter how wrong it is, this country was founded on not-accepting atheism. They want to be atheist, they have to leave.

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

    • Everyone has the right to live in where he/she is born in the country. That is their birth rights!! Nobody has any god damn rights to persecute or force anyone to leave or believe in a religion when one doe not subscribe to the beliefs of God. Atheists might not live on the existence of practises on values from God but we who are God loving should understand not too judgemental that the Atheists do not have code of values. Infact the Scandnavian countries do not believe in God but practises morality where they are much better in conducts comparing to those hypocrites who speak of God values but contrary to their actual practises in code of conduct in their daily lives. We can see very clear examples where refugees fleeing from the war torn Middle East and converging into the non believers of Europe / Scandavanian countries are welcome with open heart nothing else of religious duties but clean sanctity of the theart and providing comforts of alm and boarding without asking anything in return by their strong beliefs practises of morality. Later they were aghasted that their kind deeds to assylum seekers and refugees was recipocrated with crimes against the host and demandin their Sharia rights and practise to be administer in the country they were just squatting . So you tell me is the GOD believers are holier than those who do not believe but live by the conduct of morality and reasoning of what is right and wrong rather than living daily on hypocrisy but professing loud and blurr in fight for GOD

      Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • By the way Rukunnegara is man written and ammenments can be made to accomodate a peaceful co-existence unless one think that God believers are one species higher than those who are not. Cut your wrist to see the blood and examine all your body parts as there are no less or more than your immediate non believers except when one shit the smell is different but on breakdown the foul smelly gas are just from this earth. So do not think highly of oneself and start behaving like GOD or should I say Demi God

      Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • This politician (Asyraf) from umno is our topical stereotype moron that speaks from his rectum rather than his mouth. There are many atheists in Malaysia and they will not remain silent on your moronic statement. If Najib does not remove him - he will continue to spews garbage and will lend a helping hand to sink umno / BN.

    Posted 6 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply