The practice of building one place of worship over another has been a recurring theme throughout human history.
It suggests that faith is only established when it physically displaces another.
This trend raises an important question: when will this bizarre fashion come to an end?
Unfortunately, it does not seem likely with this generation of leaders, whether in this country or in others where such dilemmas arise.
It would take an individual of saintly qualities to reverse this course, to raise and restore a temple buried over the ages at the site of an Islamic university.
Yet, this is precisely what happened in Indonesia in 2009. A 9th or 10th-Century Hindu temple was accidentally discovered five metres undergound during construction of a library for the Islamic University of Indonesia in the Yogyakarta region.
Indonesians in general faced no great stress, political or religious, in explaining that the country’s past had defined its modern identity and in believing that the living had to respect, if not honour, the past.
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Malaysia today once again struggles with its past.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall and others rising to campur their tangan (meddle) in the matter are caught with ancient conflicts in their confusion over how to deal with a 100-year-old Hindu temple tucked away inoffensively in the city centre.
The inability to respect history has led to a reliance on town planning laws to resolve a deeply human problem.
Yet, this is not a matter of planning regulations or legal frameworks. It is a question of identity, respect and moral courage.
The issue at hand is not simply about land use or urban development. It is about our capacity to embrace the past rather than erase it.
We need to embrace our diversity and build on that diversity – not shuffle that rich diversity through petty laws not meant to deal with such deeply human issues.
Among the many solutions being proposed, one stands out for its wisdom and foresight. If a mosque is to be built on the site of a temple, then build it beside the temple rather than over it.
This approach would signal our willingness to embrace a vision for the future that reflects the country’s human beauty, rather than remaining trapped in a cycle of destruction and reconstruction.
It would demonstrate that faith is best expressed, not by asserting dominance through bricks and mortar but by embodying the principles of the religions for which these places of worship stand.
History offers us countless examples of faith communities demonstrating their ability to coexist, rather than conquer.
In Spain, for instance, the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba stands not only as a powerful symbol of the ebb and flow of religious dominion. It also reflects a shared heritage of Islamic and Christian civilisations.
In India, the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute remains one of the most contentious religious conflicts, a stark reminder of how places of worship can become flashpoints for division rather than reconciliation.
Indeed, the world has no shortage of cases where faith has been abused in the name of religious supremacy.
But it also has instances, albeit rarer, where faith has been used to heal historical wounds.
It is time we see these dilemmas as divine provocations. They challenge us to rise above mere human pettiness. From a higher plane, perhaps we can see in them opportunities for moral and spiritual growth.
Perhaps such moments are not designed to divide us but to push us towards a more enlightened state. They may elevate our consciousness beyond the materialistic assertion of religious identity through land and buildings. They could provide us an opportunity to perform miracles.
True faith does not need a battleground; it requires an open heart. The essence of religion lies not in the walls of its temples, mosques or churches, but in the spirit of its adherents.
If Malaysia, or any nation for that matter, wishes to truly embrace the richness of its past and chart a harmonious future, it must first overcome the impulse to rewrite history through demolition and construction.
Instead, it must find the courage to let the past and the present stand side by side in mutual recognition and respect.
This is not an easy path. It demands political will, moral clarity and an unwavering commitment to living together.
It demands leaders who are not merely administrators of policies but visionaries who understand that the true measure of a nation’s strength lies in its ability to accommodate rather than annihilate.
The Indonesian example shows that it can be done, that a leader with moral conviction can redefine the national narrative and, in doing so, inspire unity rather than discord.
Malaysia stands at a crossroads.
It can either continue the old practice of religious displacement, further entrenching division and historical amnesia.
Or it can choose a new path – one that honours its past, respects its diverse communities and embodies the very principles its religions teach.
If the latter path is chosen, perhaps this country would not only resolve the immediate issue of where to build a place of worship. It would move a step closer to embodying the divine wisdom that these dilemmas invoke. It could also create miracles of unity instead of continuing the old habits of division.
The choice, as always, is ours. Let it be one that affirms our shared humanity, rather than diminishes it.
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Well put