Assalamualaikum wbt.

Hanya beberapa bulan yang lepas Dr Mahathir dengan sokongan padu orang-orang UMNO telah berusaha dengan gigihnya untuk mengharamkan perkataan ‘Islam’ dari digunakan oleh pertubuhan dan parti politik. Tetapi pada malam Sabtu yang lepas, 5 Mei 2001, Dr Mahathir telah merasmikan pembukaan perhimpunan agong sebuah pertubuhan Kristian - “World Evangelical Christian Fellowship.” Nampak sangat sikap permusuhan Dr Mahathir dan orang-orang UMNO terhadap Islam. Dr Mahathir begitu menentang perkataan ‘Islam’ digunakan dalam menamakan pertubuhan tetapi dengan bangga telah merasmikan pembukaan perhimpunan agong sebuah pertubuhan yang menggunakan perkataan ‘Kristian’. Dan apa pula implikasinya dari sudut agama Islam apabila Dr Mahathir yang mengaku dirinya seorang Islam telah merasmikan pembukaan perhimpunan agung sebuah pertubuhan Kristian antarabangsa? Bukankah ‘World Evangelical Christian Fellowship” itu salah satu dari pertubuhan dakwah Kristian yang berusaha mengkristiankan dunia ini?

Sifat Dr Mahathir yang anti Islam itu semakin ketara demi hari. Masakan Dr Mahathir tidak sedar bahawa “World Evangelical Christian Fellowship” adalah salah satu pertubuhan Kristian yang mempunyai agenda dakwah untuk mengkristiankan dunia ini. Tidakkah Dr Mahathir sedar seseorang Islam itu boleh tergelincir akidah dengan hanya berasa redha dengan orang-orang kafir terus berada dalam keadaan kekafiran. Tetapi Dr Mahathir nampaknya bukan sahaja redha dengan orang-orang kafir terus berkeadaan kafir tetapi telah merestui pula usaha golongan kafir dalam menyebarkan kekafiran mereka itu.

Malangnya bagi Dr Mahathir ada di kalangan orang Kristian yang membantah. Orang-orang Kristian yang membantah itu menganggap pemimpin yang kejam lagi zalim seperti Dr Mahathir tidak layak merasmikan acara sebuah pertubuhan agama mereka. Malah kehadiran Dr Mahathir dilihat sebagai telah mencemarkan majlis, dan perasmian yang dilakukan oleh Dr Mahathir yang kejam lagi zalim itu juga dianggap sebagai suatu penghinaan kepada agama Kristian.

Berikut diforwardkan dari Malaysiakini.com suatu artikel bertajuk “ May God forgive us for our silence” oleh An Ashamed Evangelical.

Penulis artikel tersebut, seorang Kristian, telah meluahkan rasa kesal beliau terhadap tindakan National Evangelical Kristian Fellowship, Malaysia yang telah mengenepikan ajaran agama Kristian dalam mengundang Dr Mahathir yang terbukti seorang pemimipin yang kejam lagi zalim itu.

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!

Tarabulsi

Monday May 7
May God forgive us for our silence
An Ashamed Evangelical

2:10pm, Mon: It is with deep disappointment that I read that the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) invited Dr Mahathir Mohamad to open the general assembly of the World Evangelical Fellowship last Saturday night. So far NECF has chosen to remain silent on the abuses of human rights in this country.

Maybe it thinks that as a religious body it is not appropriate to comment on those matters. Or maybe it doesn't want to offend the authorities so that it can continue to hold rallies at stadiums and organise world-class Christian events in the country. But to invite someone who doesn't hesitate to use his powers to silence those who oppose him, to open the general assembly is an insult to the worldwide evangelical community.

Human rights as evolved from the West are firmly rooted in the biblical worldview. Reform after reform, be it in the area of slavery, conditions in the prisons, labour/employment, were all brought about by Christians who were passionately convicted by the biblical view of the dignity of a human being.

Therefore it is sad that a body that claims to be evangelical chooses to be openly associated with someone who treats another human being with contempt if he/she disagrees or opposes him.

Perhaps NECF should be reminded of ‘The Grand Rapids Report on Evangelism and Social Responsibility; An Evangelical Commitment’ which states: "When the church concludes that biblical faith or righteousness requires it to take a public stand on some issue, then it must obey God's Word and trust Him for the consequences."

What a Protestant pastor wrote when he was being imprisoned in a concentration camp during World War II should be a reminder to us Christians in this country. "When they (the Nazis) came for the communists, I didn't speak up because I was not a communists. When they came for the Jews, I didn't speak up either because I was not a Jew. When they came for the Catholics, again I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me. By that time there was no one to speak on my behalf."

It is time for us to speak up and trust God for the consequences. May God forgive us for our appalling silence thus far.