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Heaven can wait, but not JAIS or JAIPP

S.Ramakrishnan,16/6/2014 

A strange phenomenon is being played out suddenly at weddings and funerals of late. Islamic religious authorities seem to be adamant on snatching dead bodies during funerals while grieving spouses and close relatives beg and appeal that deceased was not a Muslim when alive.

All it matters to these meddling zealots defenders of the faith, for both the living and the departed, is the appearance of a Muslim name in the identity cards and that gives them sufficient cause to snatch the body. For doing this unworthy job, minister in the Prime Minister's Department says any action taken by Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) or any other Islamic authority has been done according to procedure.

Is there some mysterious way that the manner in which a person is buried changes his destination in the afterlife? Common sense and logic will tell you that a person can only make a difference while living and not on or after death. Yet religious authorizes are creating a big commotion during funerals and add grief to the next of kin. I am sure the departed, who was supposed to have converted, would be very pained at what the authorities are doing to his/her relatives upon death.   

The Penang Islamic Department (Jaipp) caused stir at a Chinese funeral when they took away the body said to be that of a Muslim convert. Recently we have also seen fathers after converting to Islam snatching children from their non-Muslim spouses. This kind of behavior are shocking and induces a sense of bleakness on the Malaysian future among thinking and progressive Malaysians.

Such body snatching is not new to Malaysians.  In 2008 the body of Goh Eng For, aged 74, was snatched while his next of kin were grieving. And there are others. Families of the late Mohan Singh aged 41, Catholic Rayappan Anthony, Everest Moorthy and others had their bodies snatched from grieving relatives by Islamic authorities. I wonder what the religious significance of snatching dead bodies is. This practice is unique only to Malaysia.   

These body snatching incidents seem to continue unabatedly by religious authorizes who are supported by tax payers’ money while the Malaysian government is facing a huge increase in public debt and is having trouble servicing its loans. The prime minister has even announced the collection of GST to increase revenue to meet mounting expenses.

At this juncture, can we afford religious authorities, who are supported by tax payers’ money, to carry out their ‘holy’ duties of snatching dead bodies to be buried according to their rites? To add insult to injury, body snatching in Malaysia not only common but also seems legal!  

Last week, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) interrupted a Hindu wedding at a temple in Petaling Jaya after receiving reports that the bride was a Muslim. These actions to inflict pain to grieving relatives show a sign of arrogance and fanatism which is self-defeating. These and other such acts seem to be the very cause of Islamaphobia. Body snatching, in the name of religion, is horrific and does not bring any goodwill for that faith.  In fact, it has the opposite effect.

In whatever grave the dead body is buried it will become earth. Dust to dust, earth to earth. All becomes.

It is sheer madness to inflict pain to the living while attempting score points to go to heaven. We have to create the heaven on earth by comforting the living and respecting the grieving. May the zealous religious authorities take a break and ponder upon the realty of the now and the fallacy of the hereafter. Will their actions make a difference which direction the departed goes?

 

 

 
 
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