We Are Our Own Angel and Demon

My daughter asked me yesterday, "Who am I?", I am thinking of the correct answer to give her. She being half Malay and Indian looks more Indian on the feature and more Malay on the attitude. That is what I thought I should answer.


I think twice.


Few weeks back everytime I read news or watch TV, I feel shivers on my spine. People are fighting over religions and racism issues, here and there they parade on strikes over burning of Quran or Bible, people are protesting the construction of mosque or the demolishing of the temple. Everyone have their own saying. Everyone think that they have their rights and they are better than the others. But everyone forget that we are infact all human. 


I am enthusiast to talk about the US Pastor, Terry Jones with his gimmick to burn Quran and cancelled it not long after that, or about the Islamophobic issues of building a religious center in Ground Zero, Manhattan. But I dare not. My country even small have our own racism issues that we have to deal with. I can just close my eyes or deafen my ears like always everytime I face this issues but I think we have enough of that. We are our own angel and demon. It is true that human are born capable of things. We have the power of mind and words and we are all well aware of that. But it seems like we human always take these two lightly. Resulting in war, riots and worse people being killed. It is not people known by us. But what if it is? Will we think about it more deeply then of our action?


Lets not go too far, let just look around us. I have this blogger friend of mine, she is just 16. Still in school. She added me on my facebook after been following my blog. Lastweek she posted on her wall that Malays are pig. I were shaken to read it. She watched this clip about a guy being hit and run by Malay guy. Later on few peoples commenting on the post and fighting over the races. Sadly all are so young. Where are these youngsters learn how to be so pessimistic on races. Thus, we all our own angel and demon.


It is true that the kindest word of all is the unkind word remain unsaid. Religions teach us to be careful on the acts and words of our ownself. It is weird when people talking loudly on prejudism or racism in the name of religion whereby no religion ever promote it. In Quran clearly stated, "O mankind! We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know and honor each other (not that you should despise one another). Indeed the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the most righteous." Chapter 49, Verse 13 and clearly we do not force others to believe what they do not believe; "In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Beneficent, For me is my religion, and for you is your religion" (Al-Kafiroun: 6). Hence, we are in fact our own angel and demon.


My daughter asked me again today; "Who am I?", after her friend's parents refused her to play in their house because she is not one of them. After long pause, I said, "Asked your friend to come and play here then. In our house. I don't mind, we are all Malaysian. I see you and I see them as kids. You are all the same to me. And you, you are what you think you are. If you think that you are Malay then you are one. If you think that you are Indian, nobody can't say you are not, because in the end all of us just going the same way".


Maybe she doesn't understand what I mean. Yet. But I am thankful for the power of mind and words bestowed on me. I am thankful for the country that I share with others but still able to breathe the fresh air. I am thankful for the history lesson I learned in school that war doesn't solve anything and if you blind your eyes on the colours of the skin, the origins of people, something great can be work out together.


Maybe next time when people get into trouble in the news, instead of asking whether they are Malay or Chinese or Indian, I will ask are they fine? Maybe next time when people write racism article I will just delete it instead of pass it to others like rubbing salt to open wound, Maybe next time instead of saying I am Malay, I will say I am Malaysian. For the end of the day, I am the one who can decide to make this world better or to ruin it, for in the end heaven is the place on earth, for in the end I am the angel and the demon.


Imagine there's no Heaven, It's easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky, Imagine all the people, Living for today, Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too, Imagine all the people, Living life in peace, You may say that I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us, And the world will be as one, Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man, Imagine all the people, Sharing all the world - John Lennon : Imagine