ANYONE with a morsel of sense can see just how messy and confused our government can be, especially when dealing with religious matters. Guiding lines are often blurred, leaving only grey areas with very little clear definitions of what can be imposed and implemented upon a multi-religious society.

Many of us have chosen to continue to draw attention to the secular nature of our Constitution but there are those amongst us who have vowed to retaliate and disparage our cause.

One would believe that at this day and age, the general agreement is that religion and politics is in fact, a very dangerous cocktail that should remain separated. However, this consensus is slowly being drowned out by the loud enunciations made by the overzealous few.

When Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki declared in Parliament that atheism was “unconstitutional” and deemed an offence under the Sedition Act 1948, most Malaysians would find themselves somewhat agreeing with this decree without even attempting to understand the topic further and more so, challenge this notion in a constructive manner.

Let’s be clear: Atheism is not a belief system nor is it a religion. It is an ideology that rejects the ‘assertion that there are gods” or in most cases, a rejection of organised religions.  The decree made by Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has since sparked some level of debate, where many seek to identify the grey areas surrounding such a topic.

Discourse pertaining to religious matters simply does not exist – perhaps it does behind closed doors or in intimate settings, but those who initiate such forums often do so carefully.  What makes it complicated and to an extent, quite exhausting is that, self-righteous individuals often attempt to justify their unrelenting belief by presenting the imagery of eternal hellfire if one dares to disagree.

These groups want nothing more than to demand blind obedience, ergo indoctrinating children and the gullible of their brand of systematic beliefs. They envisage a regression towards a theocracy which does very little in our ever increasing globalised society – a move that is redundant and disorienting in our multi-religious nation.

The argument for separation of religion and politics still remain as important now as it was centuries ago; whether it is the government intervening in religion, or vice versa, history is filled with examples that present rather negative outcomes. The collision of both elements will almost always lead to the misrepresentation of our rights as human beings and this is simply not acceptable today.

While to an extent, religious views can serve as a voice of reason on certain moral issues, its legitimacy tends to go off tangent when arguments become weak and logic gives way to emotional responses.

Unfortunately for us, the present situation is rather grim. We live in a state where the federal government sanctions criminalising differing opinions and banning books simply because such elements could provoke civil unrest. These inane episodes contradict democratic freedoms and have become the new norm in our society, which isn’t entirely progressive in nature and definitely symbolises the disintegration of intellectualism.

In contrast, politics greatly concerns the public sphere and unlike religion, ought to be kept public.  The call for recognition of clearer distinctions between religion and politics has become necessary in our 21st century, mainly because of the hatred and violence that are often associated with religious disagreements and incredibly barbaric tribal traditions.

Bertrand Russell once said, “Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand”.

If we allow ourselves to succumb to fear then there is little hope of sustaining a civil society. After all, humankind’s ethical behaviour should stem from sympathy, compassion, education, and embracing deeper humanist values where – which interestingly enough, are also highly encouraged in all religions.

It is simply is not enough to agree to disagree – we need to take a clear stand and show them that we are not afraid to speak up. Matters that have brought forth such intense divisions cannot be ignored nor can we take a soft approach to mitigate the ultra-conservative and the far-right.

With the rise of religious extremism, the need to continuously endorse and initiate public discourses on religious matters is imperative to ensure that bigotry is restrained, ignorance is maimed and hatred is destroyed altogether. – December 2, 2017.

* Syerleena is a councillor at the Penang Island City Council (MBPP). She is a Malaysian who believes that our life experiences shape us into fascinating beings.

* 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.