The latest incident where a pupil had written to Anwar Ibrahim about racism in school completes the TikTok racist and extremist messaging that were vile and completely effective in turning Malays into nation destroyers.

Many analysts blame TikTok influencers and irresponsible politicians who might have financed these stupid influencers to do their dirty jobs for them, but I am the only one who says the problem is much bigger than that.

We can discuss many issues related to this dangerous turn of events but the one big elephant in the room is simply that Malays do not know their own religion and seem arrogant, prideful and happy that they are seemingly “defending” their Islam against whom they were told as their enemies.

Who are their enemies? The Chinese are said to be Islam’s enemies. The Christians are said to be Islam’s enemies. The DAP is said to be Islam’s enemies. Those Muslims who work with the DAP and work with alcohol drinking Chinese are also the enemies. Those Muslims who can think and interpret the religion in a wide nation-building construct are also the enemies of Islam.

It is not TikTok that has caused this. It is not just desperate politicians like Hadi Awang are to be fully blamed. It is simply the massive education of Islam that sidestep the education of nation-building and appreciation of differences as well as respecting other heritage and cultures.

I have found out through my own personal research and analysis of Malay culture and education that all Muslim children and adults are fed a similar teaching of religion based entirely on the strict adherence to rituals like prayers and fasting, the glory of pilgrimage like Umrah and Hajj, the staying away from alcohol and haram food and finally the importance of defending Islam in war.

There is hardly anything taught about sharing a nation with others. There is nothing significantly taught about the similarities of Islam with many other religions on civilizational values. There is nothing taught about sins on non-Muslims but only sins of non-Muslims.

Racism is bad enough. Racism plus extremism of religion will totally destroy our social and religious fabric and burn this nation to the ground…literally.

It is now not a question of ‘if’ but only a question of when.

Some politicians are extremely happy that the Malays are now hating DAP, Chinese and Christians more, even though there is no evidence whatsoever that these three groups of Malaysians robbed Malaysia of RM40 billion, or destroyed Tabung Haji or squandered billions at the expense of our national security, and yet these Malays find great elation, contentment and happiness in vilifying innocent non-Muslims.

Furthermore, these Malays now hate Malays like me, like Anwar Ibrahim, like the YDP Agong and his brother rulers for wanting a Malaysia for all.

These ignorant and arrogant Malays who are farmers, clerks, government officers, lecturers, professors, vice chancellors, businesspersons, architects, lawyers and school teachers do not understand the most basic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad that one day they will all stand in front of Allah and when their sins are recounted against the non-Muslims, they will suffer the punishment from the religion that they claim to try to defend.

All their deeds and rituals will be invalid to be accounted because of their sins in this life of which they had never sought to be forgiven by the non-Muslims and Muslims whom they have slandered mercilessly…under the name of defending Islam.

Why do the Malays not understand this simple teaching?

This is the question I have for our highly paid muftis and also comfortably seated sermon writers in all our so-called Department of Religious Affairs.

Muftis and sermon writers must engage with the Malays on the following topics which are critical if Malaysia were to be saved.

The first and most important topic is “Great Sins against non-Muslims.”

The Prophet Muhammad had taught by way of his behavior and sayings that if you were to steal from non-Muslims, then you must return the valuables and ask for forgiveness.

The Prophet also taught that if you were to slander and call non-Muslims by a bad name that he or she feels offended, then the Muslim owes a debt of forgiveness that must be repaid in this world.

If you kill an innocent non-Muslim, you will be placed in hell unless payment in terms of life for life or blood money is settled.

Remember the story of how Ali, the cousin of the Prophet, stayed his killing blow on a kafir enemy in battle when the latter spit in his face.

When Ali walked away, the kafir enemy asked why he spared his life? Ali said that he did not want to kill anyone because of his anger of someone spitting in his face for that was not a kill meant to defend Islam but only to his own ego.

All these sins apply to crimes and slanders to other Muslims as well as non-Muslims. No difference. And yet why do the Malays easily and happily slander Malaysian Muslims and non-Muslims simply based on a TikTok influencer or an ustaz teacher or their own school teacher or a power crazed ulamak politician like Hadi Awang?

Because the muftis and sermon writers have never dealt with this topic in seriousness at all.

Allah, no doubt in my mind, will take these muftis and sermon writers to task when they face their own trial on the Day of Judgment. The more so that these people are paid salaries to do that one job.

The second topic that should be dealt with is “Muslims can share a nation with non-Muslims in equality.”

This means that Muslims and non-Muslims are entitled to the same rights of safety, dignity and survival and that they all need each other to make the country prosper and ensure a better life for all our children.

Therefore, the Muslims can work with the DAP, with the Chinese and Christians.

Remember how the Prophet asked the help of a Christian king to shelter the immigrants from Mecca? What is so wrong about any political party working with the DAP? What is wrong with someone like me giving a lecture in a church?

The third simple but important topic is “There is no sin in visiting and eating at a non-Muslim house.”

It saddens me greatly that the Malays learn from their ustazs and their own ignorance that sleeping or visiting and eating at a non-Muslim house is discouraged.

Malays think that non-Muslims have used their plates to put haram food and their glasses filled with haram drinks. How can one tell? Should we ask? Then why is it okay for Malays to travel overseas and eat at the kafir French cafes and sleep in non-Muslim hotels?

Then there is the issue of the dog. Since dogs live in a kafir house then we should not be there-lah. Well, then tell our policemen to stop using dogs to sniff drugs or guard houses. Can cats sniff drugs and guard a house from robbers?

The fourth topic that should be dealt with is “Alcohol and ritual actions and artifacts of other faiths are allowed in Malaysia to be displayed and practiced with safety.”

Just because Muslims cannot drink alcohol then everyone else should also not drink, sell and build factories to make alcohol.

Why not? I have been invited by my Chinese friends from Hua Lian to dinner events where there is alcohol. They have never encouraged me to drink nor did I ever ask them to give me any.

I do not judge my friends as insensitive or sinful. They are my friends and they have a right to their own lifestyle.

In the 1970s and 60s the above topics were silly to even be mentioned. They were all non-issues!

Have the Malays become more religious or just plain ignorant?

I know that these issues are non-issues in Islam because I studied Islam on my own reading many books and asking a lot of questions.

Malays do not ask questions and simply follow blindly. Muftis, it seems, love it that way so that they can perhaps justify the importance and significance of their salaried jobs.

If Muslims can read and think critically, there would not be any need for muftis.

It is said that there is no priesthood in Islam but apparently to the Malay culture, ustazs, tok gurus and muftis are the priesthood of their choice simply because Malays and Muslims hate reading and do not know how to think critically and so it is easier just to ikut sajalah.

Malays and Muslims do not know that all their ustazs, muftis and teachers will not be able to help them when Allah goes over every single sin they have committed against non-Muslims, and they will never be able to use their references because these referees will also be subjected to their own trials and judgments.

Thus, as a Muslim and a Malaysian, I implore the Rulers to instruct the muftis and sermon writers under their power to save Malaysia from the incompetence of Muslim Malays who listen to TikTok, mosque preachers and opportunistic politicians without much question and think that they are doing all this for the sake of Islam.

If not, in a matter of a few months, Malaysia will become unrecognizable and unlivable.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)