Recently, several quarters have raised their concerns on the allegations
that I support the burning of bibles. Much of these concerns were
unfortunately based on unfounded allegation based on rumors and
unverifiable third party accounts made worse by constant spinning of the
alternative media.
During a press conference on Thursday 25 July 2013, I was asked by a
MalaysiaKini reporter whether Ibrahim Ali should also be prosecuted for
his alleged call to burn Bibles.
I explained to the reporter that I was upset when I first learned of
alleged call by Ibrahim Ali to burn Bibles surfaced. I wanted an
explanation of the situation from Ibrahim Ali, as many of my
constituents had expressed to me of their dissatisfaction towards
Ibrahim Ali for making such controversial statement.
As evident in the transcript of the press conference, I never expressed
my support to any call of burning Bibles by anyone, nor did I instigate
Muslims to confiscate Bibles from fellow Malaysian Christians and burn
them in anger.
Let me be very clear, I am not a religious bigot.
Those who know me personally as an individual and a politician, and know
the work I've done as an MP would readily attest to that. I was brought
up in an environment where my parents taught me to respect other
religions and I have carried this advice dearly throughout my career as a
politician. Despite the many polarising controversial issues on
religious discourse, which have cropped up in the past few years, I try
my best to stay true to my conviction of being fair, honest and frank.
First, I acknowledge this is one of the most contentious issue among
Muslims and Christians alike. Therefore I support the 10-point solution
mooted by the Prime Minister in 2011. I have made that very clear on my
campaign trail in the recently concluded 13th General Election.
Second, I never touched the controversial usage of 'Allah' in any of my
Parliamentary debates, as I knew it would inflame further the already
over-strung relationship between Muslims and Christians in the country. I
would rather allow this issue be settled without political
one-upmanships.
Third, I spend one third of my parliamentary annual allocation in the
Christian-dominated state assembly of Kadamaian where the allocation
goes into upgrading churches and funding Christian religious events.
And finally, as an MP, I have not only assisted in sending Muslim
pilgrims for the hajj in Makkah but I have also supported efforts to
send Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem.
How can I be construed as a religious bigot, when 45 percent of my constituents in Kota Belud are Christians?
My question is then, must DAP leaders take everything out of context and
insinuate that I am a religious bigot when in reality nothing of that
sort was actually intended in the press conference last Thursday?
Once again, let me reiterate, at no point in the press conference did I
raise the issue of burning of bibles except when I was quoting Datuk
Ibrahim Ali's reply to me.
To further clarify the controversy, I have attached the original unedited transcript of the press conference session below.
To any party still bent on accusing me of calling for bible burning, I
will not hesitate to take legal action against them. This issue is far
too serious to be treated as just another political strategy by the
opposition. It is downright dangerous and explosive.
ABDUL RAHMAN DAHLAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Press Conference began with my briefing on the Ops-Raya and
Anti-Litter campaign by Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia and
Jabatan Pengurusan Sisa Pepejal Negara, both under the purview of my
ministry. After all questions posed to my ministry were answered, I
opened the floor to any other questions from the press. This was when
the reporter from MalaysiaKini, Ahmad Fadli KC, asked me a few
questions.
The full transcript of my conversation with the MalaysiaKini reporter is presented in verbatim below:
MalaysiaKini Reporter (MK):
Merujuk kepada pasangan blogger sex yang menghina Islam ni, ada
sebahagian masyarakat mempertikai kenapa personaliti lain yang juga
kelihatan seperti mempersenda agama lain dan menghina agama lain tidak
diambil tindakan. So what is your take on this whole issue?
Dato' Abdul Rahman Dahlan (DARD):
Yang statement mana yang menghina agama? Seperti mana?
MK: Saya kira sebahagian masyarakat mempertikai kenapa Datuk Ibrahim Ali...
DARD: What did he say? What did Ibrahim Ali say?
MK: Tentang sebelum ini gesaan beliau untuk membakar bible...
DARD: Are you sure? Are you sure Ibrahim Ali said that?
MK: Well... It’s reported...
DARD: It is reported... Well I was... Do you want me to say this in English? You are from where?
MK: MalaysiaKini
DARD: You want this in English or Malay?
MK: It’s up to you Dato'.
DARD: Ok... Insiden ini begini... Pada saya, sebenarnya...pasangan Alvin
dan Vivian ini bukan ini saja video ataupun gambar yang offensive.
Kalau kita tengok dalam Facebook dan juga channel YouTube
mereka...banyak lagi perkara-perkara yang ditonjolkan oleh pasangan ini
yang betul-betul melanggar tatasusila dan adat resam kebanyakan rakyat
Malaysia.
This is not about your right, this is about maintaining harmoni
kehidupan kita. Dan fakta bahawa mereka telah meminta maaf itu
menunjukkan mereka telah mengakui mereka membuat kesilapan yang besar.
Negara kita ini, yang saya khuatirkan ialah apabila kita tidak mengambil
tindakan-tindakan tertentu, ianya akan melibatkan pergeseran agama.
Dalam sejarah manusia ini, pergeseran agamalah yang paling susah (untuk) kita selesaikan apabila ianya bermula.
Amat penting untuk kita melihat ini sebagai pengajaran kepada kita. Dan
(dalam kes) Alvin dan Vivian ini, konteksnya jauh lebih besar, bukan
saja di sini tapi di Singapura dahulu.
Dan kalau kita tengok channel YouTubenya, dia hanya pakai pakaian yang
betul-betul menjolok mata...menggunakan perkataan-perkataan yang
betul-betul terlalu lucah dan ini adalah sebahagian daripada reaksi
rakyat kepada pasangan ini.
Dan saya setuju kejadian seperti ini tidak boleh diulangi dan pihak
berkuasa mesti mengambil tindakan yang cepat untuk menangani isu ini.
Berkenaan dengan Ibrahim Ali, soal tentang contohnya membakar kitab...
I interviewed Ibrahim Ali. I was very upset juga sebab saya mewakili
ramai pengundi yang bukan Islam di kawasan saya. Dan mereka memberitahu
kepada saya kenyataan Ibrahim Ali itu tidak betul.
Tetapi apabila saya bertanya kepada Ibrahim Ali, apa yang berlaku pada
waktu itu ialah ada kitab al-Quran yang mungkin tersalah cetak dan
tersalah tulis diedarkan ataupun yang tidak betul ditulis dan diedarkan
di sekolah-sekolah.
Saya difahamkan jawapan beliau ialah cara untuk melupuskan kitab suci
al-Quran yang dianggap salah tafsiran, salah huruf, salah menulis ialah
dengan membakar kitab (tersebut)... Ataupun kitab injil, kitab-kitab
suci ini...ada cara di dalam agama Islam untuk melupuskan kitab-kitab
suci termasuk kitab Bible. Dan membakarnya itu...menjadikannya abu dan
ditebarkan di air adalah sebahagian daripada cara untuk kita melupuskan
kitab-kitab suci yang kita mungkin terasa tersalah taip, tersalah
tulisan. Other than that, you throw it in the garbage! Which one is more
humane (berperikemanusiaan)? Which one is more respectful? Itu yang
Ibrahim Ali kata.
Tetapi seperti biasa, portal-portal tertentu pusing dan mengatakan itu
adalah kenyataan untuk membakar kitab injil. It’s not right...
In our religion, there is a respectful way of disposing sacred books.
You have a choice (either) throw it in the dustbin and it goes into the
dumpsite (landfill) or you burn it, kumpulkan ashes nya, simpan dalam
plastic and then we go in the middle of the sea, recite some special
doa, and then you buang di dalam air. You see, it’s a big difference you
know.
But of course some portal would like to turn it the other way around. Ok? Alright. Thank you.
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