“Secular doesn’t mean anti-religion; beware of the twists-and-turns by the ‘lebai’ gang”

BLOGGER and political observer Syed Akbar Ali has urged both the Muslims and non-Muslim communities to steer clear of misconception over the underlying concept of a “secular society” which has been grossly politicised to mean “anti-religion”.

This is because it only calls for the separation of religious beliefs from government administration matters.

However, religious fanatics whom Syed Akbar touted as the “lebai (minor religious official/scholar) gangs” – a subtle reference to PAS – have been incessantly “drumming the secular, secular [sic] tune to attract votes from villagers who are oblivious to what secular actually means”.

“Many lowly-educated, narrow-minded and half-ignorant political lebai have equated secularism with atheists, communists, socialists, etc,” he observed in his OutSyed The Box blog.

“They’ll be all out to deceive the voters that they are the worthiest to win the election because they will bring in all their favourite fikah (jurisprudence).

“Eventually, our country will be destroyed because even among themselves there is no sane and logical mind to agree on any fikah”. This is because they don’t have historical evidence to support their argument. They only have hysterical evidence or only capable of screaming hysterically if others disagree with their opinion.”

Earlier, Syed Akbar pointed to the US as an exemplary secular state in that “being secular doesn’t mean that one is anti-religion”.

“The secular US government gives out very lucrative financial aid to all the religions that exist in the country, including Islam,” justified the former member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) Panel on Consultation and Prevention of Corruption.

“The US Federal government offers grants to religion-based organisations through a variety of programmes. In total for fiscal year 2024, the administration has secured US$664 mil for the NSGP (Non-Profit Security Grant Programme).”

Added Syed Akbar:

The American government doesn’t refer to Catholic Christian jurisprudence, Russian Orthodox Church Christian jurisprudence or Protestant Church Christian jurisprudence in government administration matters. So, the US is very successful.

But all the US presidents, all the governors of the 50 states in the US, their members of Congress and Senators must take an oath on the holy Bible.

Even Barack Hussain Obama (the first African American to hold office) took the oath on the Christian Bible during his swearing-in ceremony as the US president.

In secular UK which has long separated religion from government administration, King Charles III (above) kissed the Christian Bible during his coronation ceremony.

This means that Barack Hussain Obama and King Charles III respect and obey their respective Christian religions but they do not mix their religion in the administration of government affairs. That is what secular means. – Oct 18, 2024