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RELIGION:
Malaysia Remembers Pope As
Defender of Palestinian Rights
Anil Netto
PENANG, Malaysia, (IPS) -
Tributes for the late Pope John
Paul II in this Muslim-majority
nation have cut across the
political and religious
spectrum. Many have recalled the
pontiff's opposition to the
invasion of Iraq, his defence of
Palestinian rights and openness
to inter- religious dialogue.
At the same time, there is also
reflection in certain local
Catholic circles that the church
in developing nations has to
play a more prominent role in
defending the rights of the poor
and speak out against human
rights violations.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi
led the way in paying tribute to
John Paul II who died late
Saturday aged 84.
''His message of religious
tolerance, dialogue and
reconciliation has contributed
significantly in promoting
better understanding between
Christians and believers of
other religions,'' said the
premier.
Malaysia, a multi-religious
nation where just over half the
population is Muslim, is the
current chair of the Non-Aligned
Movement and the Organisation of
the Islamic Conference.
Former premier Mahathir Mohamad
also had glowing words for the
late pontiff. "He (John Paul II)
supported the Palestinians and
condemned their victimisation.
He also wanted to see a
settlement to the West Asian
conflict and opposed the
occupation of Iraq," he said.
Mahathir, who was known for his
scathing criticism of the United
States and the West, added that
the pope was an effective and
influential voice, especially in
applying pressure on whatever
that was done by the
superpowers. ''It was a voice
that could lessen the strain
being brought about now by the
major powers.''
Although no pope has ever set
foot on Malaysian shores,
Mahathir became the first
Malaysian premier to visit the
Vatican on Jun. 7, 2002. At the
Vatican, the Malaysian premier
had a 10- minute private
conversation with the pontiff.
Fifteen days later, a tearful
Mahathir, who faced severe
criticism at home for his
authoritarian rule during which
corruption and abuse of power
flourished, stunned Malaysians,
when he announced on 'live'
television that he was stepping
down after 22 years in power.
On the other side of the
political divide, Mahathir's
former deputy-turned-leading
critic, Anwar Ibrahim, described
the pope as a voice of humanity
and compassionate defender of
human dignity. A former Islamic
youth leader before he entered
politics, Anwar is now regarded
in some circles as a 'moderate
Muslim' who could play a role in
bridging the Islamic world and
the West.
He noted that the pope had
inspired the marginalised and
oppressed and ''courageously and
unambiguously blessed the
struggles for justice,
liberation and human rights''.
He added that John Paul II had
strived hard to bridge the gap
that divides different faiths on
Earth. ''Therefore not
surprisingly his death is
mourned by peoples of all
nationalities and faiths,
including many Muslims.''
Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the spiritual
advisor to the conservative
Islamic Party, PAS, added an
unexpected tribute to the
pontiff, describing his demise
as an obvious loss. ''Religious
people are those who try to
connect the 'sky' (the
spiritual) to the 'earth'
(worldly concerns) as opposed to
'free-thinkers' who are only
concerned with life in this
world. Whoever replaces Pope
John Paul II must be someone who
is able to connect the sky to
the earth.''
Nik Aziz said he had been awed
by the pope's courage and
tenacity when he was alive,
especially in opposing the U.S.
invasion of Iraq.
John Paul II had strongly
opposed George W. Bush's
invasion of Iraq in 2003 and
sharply criticized Bush senior's
earlier Desert Storm invasion of
Iraq in 1991. Although the
pontiff established diplomatic
relations with Israel, he later
criticized it for building a
massive wall encircling and
slicing through Palestinian
territories in the West Bank,
saying the Middle East ''does
not need walls but bridges.''
He also supported the
Palestinians' right to
self-determination, visiting the
Palestinian refugee camp of
Dahisha during a visit to the
Holy Land. In Damacus in 2001,
he became the first pope to
enter a mosque in a highly
symbolic gesture. These
developments did not go
unnoticed in the Muslim world
and, some say, diffused talk of
a 'clash of civilisations'.
Meanwhile, some local Catholics
concerned about social issues
are reflecting on the church's
approach in expressing its
'preferential option for the
poor' and hope that the next
pope will build on what John
Paul II and others had begun.
Last month, a group of Catholics
here organised a special Mass to
commemorate the 25th anniversary
of the assassination of the
Archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar
Romero, who was shot dead on
Mar. 24, 1980 after his stirring
defence of the poor and victims
of oppression under a military
dictatorship.
The Mass in Penang was
celebrated by the state's
Bishop, Anthony Selvanayagam,
who paid tribute to Romero and
criticised the 'culture of
silence' in society today. The
process to beatify Romero, the
first step to sainthood, is
already underway.
Asia already has the example of
Mother Teresa, who worked among
the poorest of the poor in
Kolkata and who has been
fast-tracked along the path to
sainthood after her death. But
some Catholics feel more is
needed than just soup kitchens
and old folks homes if the
church is to live up to its
professed 'preferential option
for the poor' in Asia today.
As Asia's developing countries
succumb to neo-liberal
globalisation, which John Paul
II has criticised, the chasm
between the rich and the poor is
widening in many countries. Some
countries have resorted to
repressive laws to keep the
masses in check as the poor try
to articulate their grievances
and protest.
''The church needs to follow the
example of Romero to be more
vocal and to denounce the root
injustices that contribute or
cause poverty,'' said Martin
Jalleh, a popular church
facilitator. ''In fact this is
what John Paul II did too.''
Jalleh said this option for the
poor has to go beyond annual
church campaigns held before
Easter to raise funds for work
among the poor.
''Society in Asia needs to hear
a loud and clear voice from the
church in Asia - a voice that
does not hesitate to speak out
against 'institutionalised
sin','' he told IPS. ''May the
church's "preferential option
for the poor" be given renewed
emphasis by the new pope and may
such an option be lived with the
same boldness and breath of
Oscar Romero.''
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