I recall reading
what amounted to an altercation between Mr Iqbal Ebrahim (for Islam) and a
Christian adherent whose name I no longer remember.
The Christian was basically
opposed to the practice by Supermarkets and others whereby meat products sold
in the supermarkets are by default – halaal. He claimed that it was wrong for
Christian customers to be forced to eat meat that had been dedicated to “false
gods”.
In response, Mr Ebrahim was indignant. How dare anybody call Almighty
Allah, a false god.
Religious
differences tend to become religious conflicts if swept under the carpet. For
this reason I will, in due course, address the issue of Halaal foods in
supermarkets. For now, I want us to establish a baseline – compliance with our
country’s constitution.
I am told by
those who understand constitutional language that our country’s constitution
guarantees us, its inhabitants, freedom of religion and freedom of association.
Any of my countrymen or women is free to want to associate with me, and I am
free NOT to want to associate with them. That is freedom. I am free, at any
time to worship any god, including the Devil. I am free to convert from
Christianity to Islam and vice versa.
Now my question
to both Mr Ebrahim and the Christian adherent mentioned earlier is this:
Looking closely at your religion, would you say that it upholds the spirit of
our constitution, particularly with regard to the freedom to convert to or
away, from said religion?
I sincerely hope that both gentlemen will answer my question, somewhere, somehow.
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