DR Mahathir Mohamad is perfectly right in saying “you never know where terrorists will strike”. To this I would like to add, you also never know who will turn into terrorists, those from your own ethnic and religious group or from another ethnic and religious group, as terrorism has no boundaries. 

He is also right in saying that “the best way to treat terrorism is to understand why they terrorise, and then you try to remove the reason for the terrorism”.

In dealing with terrorism the all important thing is that you cannot ignore the beam in your own eye while focusing on the speck in the other’s eye. 

Here I must say that Dr Mahathir is wrong to have dismissed the brainwashing and radicalising effects of Zakir Naik’s so called “comparative religion” lectures on the minds of both Muslims and non-Muslims by his nonchalant remark that Zakir Naik can go on with his talks or sermons so long as he does not create any trouble. No doubt Zakir Naik does not wave any keris to bathe in anyone’s blood as was done in an Umno assembly more than once, but that does not mean his messages are not poisonous.    

In his “lectures” he states that all Muslims should be terrorists, though he qualifies that as meaning not gun-carrying terrorists, but as people who put the fear of God in others. He preaches that all children are born Muslims, but those whose parents are non-Muslims, take them out of Islam. So he calls upon all non-Muslims to “revert” to Islam, the religion of their birth, and furthers this cynically by saying that he is not telling the non-Muslims  to convert to Islam but only asking them to “revert” to the religion of their birth! The message is so clear, i.e. he wants to see the whole world turn Muslim, leaving it to his listeners to interpret and do whatever they deem fit to convert everyone to Islam. How would the listeners, Muslims and non-Muslims, especially those radically inclined,  interpret this kind of talk? Is there any guarantee there are no radically inclined persons attending his talks?

Zakir Naik is “inspiring,”  as Minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa said. Yes, he did inspire the mufti of Perlis to pen his Lembu poem degrading the Hindus. Is there any knowing how many others he has inspired and to do what? This will not be known until something happens and the beans are then spilled by the perpetrators that they were inspired by so and so’s sermons, lectures or the veiled “directives”. Do we want to wait for such a time?    

Where are the psychologists and criminologists? What is their take on the speeches of Zakir Naik where he works up his audience with the superiority of Islam over all other religions, where he even berates other religions to “prove” that Islam is the only true religion and the others are fake? Why is Zakir Naik not respecting even the Prophet who said “to you yours and to me mine”? The Prophet acknowledged diversity of beliefs and people’s right to believe what they choose. Isn’t Zakir Naik being blasphemous when he belittles other faiths and declares Islam as the only true religion, contrary to the Prophet’s teachings?   

Dear Dr Mahathir, the fundamental cause of radicalism and racial violence is the religious indoctrination done by leaders or so-called religious leaders of various faiths for political reasons. When they teach their flocks not to see eye-to-eye with those of different faiths, you don’t have to look far for the causes of radicalism. Please understand this for as you said “the best way to treat terrorism is to understand why they terrorise, and then you try to remove the reason for the terrorism”.

Remove all the false religious teachings and indoctrination. This is the root of the problem. It is not an option for psychologists and criminologists to remain silent on the brainwashing or indoctrination that is being done at innocent looking lectures and sermons. This includes the “Ketuanan” concept that must also be done away with. Stop Zakir Naik speaking highly of Islam while belittling other religions.  

* Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.