Intimidating

There is a part of me that wonders if it is right for the dominant group to make exclusive statements of truth. I’m struck by how intimidating those statements are when you are not in the majority. 

We pass many mosques on our walks and bus rides, but there are also the shrines, temples, and churches that spot the area as well. We’re in no position from our time here to make any major review, but since this is my first time spending a good chunk of time in a non-Christian nation I need to be honest about my emotional reaction to what I observe.

Many of the mosques have a banner out front that reads, “The only true faith in Allah’s sight is Islam.” Malaysia has some intimidating official policies around Islam since it is the official religion of the federation and all native Malays are legally-presumed to be Muslim. The ones we have noticed are ones like the most recent controversy over the use of the word Allah for God. Only Muslims may use that word, even though it is the generic word for God in Arabic and used by Christians also. You are not allowed to bring any t-shirt or article of clothing that has quotes from the Quran on it nor anything that says anything derogatory about Islam or the Malaysian federation.

I’m listening to the call to prayer that is amplified throughout the city five times a day right now as I write this. There are sights, sounds and smells from all the places of worship but the call to prayer definitely penetrates all parts of the city.

But, it is not the official policy or the amplified prayer that is unsettling, it is the subtle stuff like banners that declare Islam as the only true faith. Is it possible to be dominant without making exclusive claims to truth? I worry that those exclusive claims can justify all kinds of actions in the name of fixing or saving someone who is lead astray. Those exclusive claims may be dandy for folks who do not hold the power of the state, but once the state and an exclusive religion are combined, then non-majority folks should probably be afraid.

How do folks from other cultures and religions experience the Christian dominated USA? I’m guessing there is a mix of feeling intimidated and incredibly homesick.