MUSLIMS are outraged. And rightly so. How could the word "Allah", a word most revered by Muslims, be printed on socks and sold by a Malaysian convenience chain?
KK Super Mart & Superstore Sdn Bhd says the socks are imported from a manufacturer in China. But still, what about the caveat venditor?
Sellers must know what they are selling, especially an item as offensive as the socks. Islam must not be offended thus. Some think an apology is enough. Not so easy for a hurt such as this. Callousness must come at a price. If cruel disregard for the faith of others is paid with mere apologies, especially in matters as offensive as this, there is no guarantee that it will never happen again.
We applaud His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and His Royal Highness Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the Regent of Johor, who both have called for a full probe and strict action to be taken against those found guilty. Sultan Ibrahim said Muslims revered the word "Allah", and such an incident should not have happened.
"That is why a thorough investigation and strict action against those found guilty should be taken. Whether it was intentional or not, whether it was imported or produced in local factories, I want enforcement agencies to investigate and take the strictest action according to the existing laws so that the mistake is not repeated."
No Muslim would have thought that this would happen in a land whose official religion is Islam. Neither would they have thought that it would happen in Ramadan, the holiest of all months in the Muslim calendar. But it has. The hurt is therefore that much more. To place the revered word "Allah" on socks is an insult to Islam and Muslims.
That such a thing can happen in Malaysia and during Ramadan is beyond belief. Six decades of living under one roof of Malaysia should not have been wasted like this. The universe of the Muslims has been disturbed, terribly it must be said. It is in this light that the call for the boycott of KK Super Mart chain must be seen. To read it in any other sense, as some are doing, is to miss the point of the outrage. Hurt a religion or a race, then you have provided a reason for either to mobilise a movement. Disturb reverence, you get repercussions. No, don't go saying Muslims are being sensitive. They are giving the word "Allah" its due reverence.
There is a lesson here for Malaysians of all races and religions. The only path to live harmoniously is to respect one another. Respect will come only if we endeavour to understand each other. Know this: we — the 33 million Malaysians — are put on this blessed land of ours for a purpose. And that is to get to know each other. This sad socks incident tells us we are doing a bad job.
We are not all the same. Some we were born with — like skin colour — and some we choose for ourselves — like religion. To each his own. Difference is a universal human story. Nothing can change this. Each can celebrate his uniqueness and remain a part of the human race. To know this is to understand our Malaysian story.
