I thought that our Parliament could never be lower than the declaration of the False Emergency during the days of the pandemic. And yet, yesterday might mark the end of Malaysia as we know it.

Are we in Malaysia now divided in a ‘state of religious conflict’ between a coalition of Malay-Islam political party with a strong Malay backing, and the rest of us at the opposite side?

The use of religious baiting by PAS and Bersatu members and leadership is a fact known by all Malaysians.

In rally after rally their fear-mongering against the non-Malays and progressive thinking Muslims have been their success formula since GE15. But now, it has entered the haloed halls of parliament and this bode a terrible sign of the end of Malaysia that was forged in 1963.

Before the news broke about the suspension of a Bersatu member for using an anonymous letter to accuse maliciously the Unity Government of an issue related to a business dealing and the recitation of the Qunut Nazilah by another opposition member, I have never even heard of this prayer.

I had to look up the Federal Territory mufti office portal to understand what this Qunut Nazilah was.

I do not know what the opposition member had uttered in his Qunut Nazilah supplication, but I refer to the one in the mufti portal which was a prayer for Palestinian sufferers.

As much as I could understand from what the portal said, the prayer is sometimes uttered by a responsible religious leader of a nation when Muslims or the country is faced with the most terrible situation of war, calamity or pandemic.

The portal published the prayer in full and I read it in utter amazement because it contains supplication for Allah to destroy the unbelievers as the enemies of Islam!

Now, in what context did the opposition member recite the supplication of Qunut Nazilah in parliament? What calamity? What war? What pandemic?

Apparently, it was the calamity of one obnoxious Member of Parliament being suspended for six months for accusing the government of using an unsigned and unidentified letter.

Is it right to use a supplication to Allah in the context of differences in debates and opinions in Parliament? Should this even be permissible in both religion, professional conduct and simple idea of sanity?

For those who are interested, I give the link to YB Saifuddin’s full academic explanation of the origin and purpose of the Qunut Nazilah during the times of the Prophet and in the first few decades after his passing.

YB Saifuddin then regaled on the happenings in parliament and delivered his excellent comment on the inappropriateness of relating the Qunut Nazilah to declare the destruction of the political parties sitting in government.

In the age of social media, scoring popular points by politicians is the new way to win votes and trust with the electorates.

Using religion and demonising your enemies with unfounded accusations but as long as the narrative is about the safety and fate of Islam, points in the greatest numbers can be had.

We are witnessing, I believe, the tragedy of unfettered democracy and the ignorant use of social media under ‘freedom of speech’ that will both be the political Hiroshima and Nagasaki of our nation.

The poison of radiation in the two holocaust is incomparable to the toxicity of religion being used in social media.

So, what now? Is our country in a state of ‘holy war’? What say the muftis? What say the professors of Islamic studies? What say the NGOs like ABIM and IKRAM? Is it right to use a supplication to Allah in the context of differences in debates and opinions in Parliament? Should this even be permissible in both religion, professional conduct and simple idea of sanity?

Unless the member who uttered the supplication of Qunut Nazilah apologises to the Dewan and the people of Malaysia, and that he is subjected to the same disciplinary action of Wan Fayshal, I am afraid we will never come back from this nasty and dangerous affair.

The leaders of opposition parties must also apologise to the people of Malaysia for not stopping or reprimanding the member for such callous and unprofessional conduct soiling the haloed halls of the House of our nation.

As a Muslim, I am appalled by the action of the member of the opposition in parliament. As a Malaysian I feel extremely sad for the nation.

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