Monday, March 10, 2014

Are our religions constitutional?

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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