IS there anyone of us infallible out there?

Say we used to live in this somewhat multiracial country but we are the minority, perhaps the biggest minority. Then, this particular leader failed horribly in some endeavours of his and instead of being the “man” and holding himself accountable for his own misgivings, he created some red herrings and had us, the minority, scapegoated as the “enemy within”.

We were easy targets. We looked different, had different features, of a different colour, spoke a different language, and practised a different religion. Soon, every ill that came to pass, oh yes, we were held responsible.

Under the cloak of religiosity on the part of that leader, some laws were passed and suddenly, we became foreigners, accused of coming from a neighbouring land when we have lived there since time immemorial, our “tanah tumpahnya darah ku”. We were, of course, asked to leave and to go back to where we came from.

The thing is, where do we go?

That land, that “tanah tumpahnya darah ku”, during a census done by the British of the whole region then in the 1700s and 1800s, is clearly stated as one of the three souls in the region. We were the “Musulmans”, we were what gave life to that region back then! And yet, we are now even given a name, manufactured, a false identity and before we know it, we are deemed stateless, stripped of our citizenship, denied education, healthcare, not permitted to marry or have children unless we acquire a licence.

We are stripped of all dignity!

We are accused of violently opposing the regime when we ourselves were infiltrated by foreigners seeking to radicalise us. These foreigners succeeded in brainwashing some of our people and were told that we were going to be killed anyway, so why not hit back? We have no means, we are illiterate, we are not organized. So, some misguided ones joined these foreigners in their violent activities.

The rest is history… but, how could we have a chance, when the genocide came?

Now, we are called the most persecuted people in the world, victims of ethnic cleansing.

Do we want to be in boats, fleeing a violence that’s meant to wipe us out from the face of this earth? Some found dead on banks of foreign shores? Others turned away when we finally reached where we thought we could be safe?

Some people want us to go back to where we are not wanted, where our people faced death and despair, raped, plundered, tortured and killed. Some people think we don’t deserve a second chance.

Again, is there anyone out there who is infallible?

Do we hate the Germans, today, for what Hitler did during World War 2?

My dad was flogged by the Japanese during WW2 and incarcerated. Do I hate the Japanese, today? Of course, not.

Do we punish the rest of the flock because of one bad shepherd? Atrocities are committed during wars. Millions of innocent people are systematically slaughtered during wars. The command to slaughter comes from one man, but carried out on a massive scale.

Do the descendants of those who have killed during wars, continue to pay for the crime of their ancestors? What if we numbered among such descendants?

Many of us here, today, are descendants of migrants, too. Can we imagine being at the receiving end of such xenophobia?

Each time, I read and see people casting aspersions on them, spewing hate, I feel my chest so congested. I asked my son about this, and he said, “Mum, that’s anxiety you are feeling.”

Can we imagine what goes through the minds, hearts and bodies of those refugees or even the migrants who are feeling all this backlash lately?

Remember, our forefathers had all those feelings too…

But, here, we are, today, all safe and secure. Can’t we dole out to those, who could have been our forefathers eons ago, some grace?

In these unprecedented times, do we need to rub salt into wounds?

Do we need to contribute to the pain, already out there?

Please, can we show some mercy?

We are all fallible. We all have done some things we aren’t proud of. If we could do some things all over again, don’t we want this second chance? Is it not the sick who need the doctor and not the healthy?

When we meet our Maker today, won’t we ask for mercy?

It’s not pity that our less fortunate fellow men are seeking. It’s just us, reaching across the table and treating the other with respect and dignity. We won’t hurt just because we threw them a lifeline, will we? Will we have a tear on our bodies  because we show some love to them? Some empathy?

It’s mercy, not sacrifice… can we show some mercy, please?

Thank you and God Bless.

* May Chee Chook Ying 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.