The ADVERT that wouldn't be ...

Yes, our Recolor May 13th advertisement was not published as our usual media platform The Star and also the other English print media felt that the time is not right for the advert.

We must understand that many in the media want to carry the advert but they want to be cautious. They employ thousands of people, and support many families. That is why, I am not sore about their action and decision. It is just a little test from God, perhaps He wants me to work harder. All of us must work within the parameters that we are comfortable with.

I would be most happy if you could spread the message by reposting, tweeting, facebooking, emailing ,etc

Here's the advertising copy :)

“Let’s recolor May 13, breathe new spirit into the date, dilute and eventually erase the negative thoughts and replace them with positive meanings and values.”

In the incidents of May 13, 1969, 196 Malaysians perished.

We must make sure their deaths were not for nothing. Their sacrifices must be made a deeply rooted lesson so that nothing like that ever happens again.

How?

First, we need to clearly define what actually took place.

Acknowledge that May 13 occurred, a grave day in which riots and killings happened among us. Many lives were lost. We need to accept that we, as a nation, made a mistake. We let our differences escalate into violence. We need to take collective responsibility.

At the same time, we must also take it to heart that while it was an event of national interest, it was not nationwide turmoil. Only a marginal few got violent while the rest were more concerned for their safety and the safety of others. This was the majority Malaysians; Malaysians who would not hurt their neighbors but instead protected each other from the madness. There are many uplifting stories of Malaysians from all races who kept each other safe from violent rioters. Malaysians with good hearts, people like you and I. Malaysia did not fail in the face of threats.

The lesson we must learn is to stop taking the racial angle. Many, even among the intelligentsia, are still talking about who started it and comparing how many Malays or Chinese or Indians died. Is one life worth less than another? Would you grieve less for a Malaysian from a different race as you? Why then do we try to pin the blame on others, if we all suffered losses? Stop pointing fingers. If we still hold on to racial mentality, we fail to be real Malaysians.

Second, let’s recolor May 13.

Each year, we at zubedy Recolor May 13 through publishing books to unite Malaysians. In 2009 we launched ‘Have a meaningful Malaysia’, a collection of our full-page ads that invite people to consider our shared values through highlighting Malaysian beliefs. In 2010, we released two books, ‘A Plea for Empathy’ by Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, and ‘The Quran and I’ by Anas Zubedy.

This year, we are happy to share ‘Can we use Allah in the Bible? A Quranic perspective’ and ‘Allah dalam Bible, boleh atau tidak? Satu sudut Al-Quran’. The purpose of this book is to bring two groups of Malaysians, the Christians and the Muslims, closer. With this book, it is our hope that we will find a way to reconcile with each other.

Please join us and make May 13 a day of Unity. Find ways to understand each other better, bring to light our Unity in diversity and share your stories with children and young people. Organize gatherings and discussions, Unity parties and kenduris. Or simply take a moment and reflect on where we are today and give thanks; we have much to be grateful for.

At zubedy, our programs and actions draw strength from shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

THE BOOK LAUNCH

This book is a call for peace and reconciliation. Recently we have seen how religion can become a fault line that divides our society. But this is ironic because the Christians and Muslims are both people of the Book who believe in a Good god.

In discussing the issue of using the term ‘Allah’ to refer to God in the Bible, this book focuses on two propositions: what the Quran has to say about this issue; and a call for Muslims to be more Muhammad-like and Christians to be more Christ-like in their relations with others, according to the true spirit of their faith.

“Let us resolve this issue and reconcile with one another. Let us do this in ways that do not go against our faith, but ironically, require us to be more true to our calling.”

“Allah willing, this book will play a role in helping to calm down the situation and encourage us to reconcile with one another. Allah willing, this book will open our eharts. Allah willing, this book will serve to unite us!”