By Natalie Shobana Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (page 14)
April 21th, 2011
Miss Muffet and I share a common 8-legged foe. Spiders, cockroaches and flying bugs make me extremely uncomfortable and yes I do cringe at their sight, to put it mildly. I’ve been known to have broken a 2 foot tall window because of this fear and recently came too close in contact with one that was the size of my hand. Though it was a fraction in size to my whole being, I feared it… a lot. Who knew what it could do to me?
Many of us fear the unknown. For some it might be something as small as creepy crawlies, others fear public speaking, death, heights and even fear being alone, hurt, taken advantage of. Most of us fear something. Ironically though, we are actually only born with two fears, the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Other fears are learned as we mature through life.
However most adults end up having a lot more than these two fears in life. The problem with fear is that it causes us to make harmful and unwise decisions – like breaking a window or standing on a chair screaming uncontrollably for someone to get rid of a tiny bug. Fear can be paralyzing and can cause us to not trust others.
A lot of times, it is our fear that causes misunderstandings. Fear that someone might take advantage and fear of the unknown can cause us to be adamant to not wanting to understand another’s point.
When it comes to matters closer to our hearts, issues such as religion, tempers flare faster and sensitivities run very deep that we sometimes fight blindly in honour of what we believe in, all because we fear that which is different and we fear being taken advantage of.
So instead, we make rules to contain that unknown and allow freedom for those within that enclosure. Many of us do not know a lot about other religions even though we are a multi everything nation. I remember a few years ago, as I was heading out for a Good Friday service, an extremely educated and well read person smilingly said to me “Happy Good Friday”, and I just looked at him puzzled that he had no idea Good Friday, was indeed a very sad day for Christians and Easter which was a couple of days later, is the happy occasion.
Many of us pay little attention to other religious observances. We’re more grateful for the public holiday then actually knowing why we get the day off. In a country such as ours, where we are to live in harmony and given the freedom to practise our beliefs, it seems wise to know what each other believes in and why certain things are observed at certain times.
Knowledge of these things does not mean we are any less Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Christian. In fact it then allows us to better understand one another and recognise each other’s world view instead of treating one another’s beliefs as a threat.
The Federal Constitution states that there is freedom to peacefully practice one’s religion, yet there are many who do not have that freedom and continuous legal battles go against what is enshrined within the Federal Constitution. Those who speak up against it are deemed difficult citizens of the state or seen to be taking advantage. But how can that be, if you’re fighting for a fundamental right?
The problem lies when religion is politicised causing a shift in the religious freedom debate. From being able to practise one’s belief without fear and interference, politics has allowed for these tenets to be disrespected under the pretext of maintaining public order or garnering votes.
We can make rules that cage people in and believe that it is acceptable when in reality it is not. James Webster observed it succinctly “We think caged birds sing, when indeed they cry.”
If most fears are learned, it also means that we can then unlearn them if we wanted to. We can make rules and provisions that web restrictions around freedom of religion and think that the citizens are happy about it. The reality is, no one is going to be happy when their basic rights are meddled with.
Natalie hopes that we start seeing each other as equals instead of threats.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
