The Rising Tide of Religious Terrorism in Malaysia?

Revised version with some factual corrections. 

It’s one thing for PM Najib to direct police investigation into the Cross incident, it’s another thing to actually do it. Contrary to the statement from the nation’s Chief Constable, this case should be dealt with swiftly and punishment applied equally fast. There is no way, this issue be swept under the carpet.

A group of people, almost took the law into their own hands to stage an aggressive protest outside the premises of worship belonging to other people, and demanded the Christian Cross to be taken off from being displayed. The Cross is a sacred symbol of Christianity. 
This is clearly an indication of the growing intolerance of some Muslims against the faith of other people. If not checked this would lead to the rising tide of religious terrorism.

This isn’t a case of a community with a different religious creed being assaulted on account of them having breached some conditions of their presence in this country given,  at the pleasure of the community doing the assault. The Malaysian Christians are legitimate citizens of Malaysia with equal rights before the law.

This is not an Islamic state where non-Muslims in this country are allowed to stay at the pleasure of the Islamic authorities. If the Muslims are displeased, they cannot take the law into their hands. If the church has broken any law, the government must also take action on them. 
The underlying issue is whether people of another faith can be allowed to carry out abuse and threats of physical harm on people of a different faith. If this incident is excused, our country will be a cowboy and lawless country. Everyone will then say, the chief sheriff is impotent.

Whoever demanded the cross to be brought down by way of threats of physical harm or other forms of physical threats ought to be reined in by the law. There should be no compromise. 
The government must show its unyielding resolve to punish those who were out to create religious conflicts. The business of government is to ensure its legitimate authority prevails.

I sincerely hope this is not one of those melodramatic responses of the PM. Certainly he must allay the suspicions of many that the protest was politically motivated. For the danger is, once a religious creed is motivated by politics, this is a sure recipe for future conflicts.
From now on, if the PM does not show an iron hand in this, every normal and legitimate political conflict is transformed into a religious conflict. Then this country is finished.

Then the Muslims will call for jihad. You will jihad this and that. The Christians will call for a crusade. Now a church, next a temple, a Gurdwara and kovil.

We must be aware that there are some politicians hell-bent on exploiting religious issues as a short cut to political popularity and justification for further scorched earth politics. We must not drag religious sentiments into the political arena or using it as a cloak for political ambitions.  

The Najib government must stop a to-ing and fro-ing approach in this powder keg of a matter and must quickly douse a possible outbreak of religious intolerance.  The entire government machinery must not show tolerance to this issue.

What would the response of Muslims should one day, non-Muslims demand the relocation of a mosque or surau since the housing estate now is populated mainly by non-Muslims? The congregation of Muslims in the mosque or surau does not exceed 10 people? The demand for relocation itself will be looked upon as designed to create religious tension.

The essential principle of all religions must contain exhortations for people of different religions and creed to live peaceably with one another and adopt a high degree of tolerance.

It is difficult for the majority of Muslims to believe the action of a group of Muslims forcing themsleves aggressively outside the church , demanding a symbol sacred to Christians be removed or taken down, and threatening Christians with physical harm is motivated by an abiding desire to preserve the sanctity of Islam or because their Islamic sensibilities are offended. 
The protest display the hallmarks of a bully. 

Muslims have a high degree of tolerance believing that it is a principal tenet in the teaching of Islam that his religion is designed to bring out the best in him. That means to bring out love, decency, charity, and tolerance all of which are essential values for the advancement of society.

The act of a group of rogue Muslims can only be described as most un-Islamic. I hope the majority of us will refuse to be used in the plots of others.