Superstition in Malaysia?

An Asian newspaper has reported that in Malaysia the people are extremely superstitious, conservative and orthodox. To avoid any kind of suffering, trouble or evil effect, they take help of sorcery. If some strange events take place at a certain place, building or hospital, it is assumed to have happed due to evil spirits and the services of healers are sought to get rid of them. Formal events are held in this regard. This work is done on both public and government levels. These rituals are performed at the time of laying the foundation or inauguration of government projects. In this report, there are some references of the provinces which indicate that this kind of activities takes place under the very nose of provincial governments. The Statesman has published this report on 24 October with courtesy of an Asian newspaper, The Star. The newspaper says that though Malaysia is divided with to regard to religion, yet all are united in superstition. To avoid natural disasters, it is common in Malaysia to take help of sorcerers. According to the report, some people are tangled with debate on the name of ‘Allah’ and ‘God’.

Who might be these people?

On the accuracy of this report, Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Malaysian Embassy in New Delhi should illuminate, as the issue is associated with them. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority county, the Muslims over there as a whole, are enlightened and practising; their faith is sound. So it is hard to understand how they would have become this much superstitious and orthodox. The part of the report published with reference to government sources should be clarified at the government level itself. However, peoples belonging to the Mangolian race and Southeast Asia and other nationalities are populated there in sizable numbers. This report might be correct in relation to these peoples. If the Star reporter had witnessed the rituals performed here in our country to ward off natural disasters, diseases, evil spirits and effects, and to find treasures, for success in elections and cricket matches, he would have observed Malaysian scenes as something quite dull. Here even innocent children are sacrificed for protection against evil spirits, fulfilment of sexual desire and success in projects.

Injustice of rationalists

But one more aspect needs to be discussed here. In this Statesman report with reference to the Star, it is said that, those who believe in supernatural powers and evil spirits are not only the residents of Malaysia, the residents of America, Canada and even Britain are not lagging behind. The Huffington Post unveiled a survey that 45% of Americans believe in ghosts and life after death. And it is this mental imbalance of the so-called enlightened and rationalists, which stops a class of humans from reaching to the truth of religion. To them, even believing in death after life is an orthodox belief and superstition. This discussion raises its head, from time to time, in our country also. Recently, a man, who was actively working against the people believing in superstition and sorcery, was killed in Mumbai. Even at that time English commentators had placed the perception of death after life in conservatism. The scholars and philosophers of other philosophies and religions know what they think about them, but Muslim scholars must try to differentiate between the two before the countrymen.

27/11/2013 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by:Miss Khalida Hussain