If there is one human trait that I find truly
intolerable, it is the double standard. Throughout my decades of writing and
public discourse, this theme has surfaced repeatedly. Double standards are the
bedrock of hypocrisy, and naturally, I find it difficult to maintain a kinship
with hypocrites. On a personal level, friendships built on such inconsistency
usually dissolve; I simply choose to move on.
My
commitment to consistency is not a mere academic exercise; it is a moral
compass I have attempted to follow in every facet of my life - from my
religious advocacy to my personal diet.
The Mirror of Domestic Fairness
In my
book, Can We Use Allah in the Bible?, and in numerous articles, I have
urged my fellow Muslims in Malaysia to be fair. If we do not allow non-Muslims
to proselytize to Muslims, we should hold ourselves to the same standard. We
should not need to "sell" our faith through aggressive outreach; let
people choose to convert because of our shining example as compassionate,
ethical Muslims.
I have
extended this same gentle critique to figures like Zakir Naik. His style of
comparative religion where Islam is used to criticize other faiths is deeply
problematic in a Malaysian context where a non-Muslim is not legally permitted
to rise and counter-argue. To speak where others are silenced is not a victory
of truth; it is an exploitation of privilege.
This
sense of fairness must also extend to the smallest details of our shared life.
Since 1985, when I turned 21 at the University of Malaya, I stopped eating
beef. If we expect government institutions to respect Muslim sensitivities by
not serving pork, we should extend that same courtesy to our Hindu brothers and
sisters regarding beef. For 41 years, I have refused to serve beef in my home
or at my functions.
Even in
economic policy, I have long pressed for affirmative action to include the
non-Bumiputera poor, particularly the disenfranchised Tamil Indians from the
estates. Justice, after all, does not have a race.
The Selective Outrage: Iran, Israel, and America
This deep
dislike for hypocrisy is not accidental; it is rooted in the moral framework of
the Qur’an:
“Woe to
those who give less than due. Those who, when they take a measure from people,
take in full. But when they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause
loss.” (Qur’an
83:1–3)
Today, we
see this "loss of measure" across the world and in Malaysia too,
particularly in the lopsided discussions surrounding Iran. While I have
theological disagreements with certain Shia beliefs, I respect the right of
Iranians to choose a political structure based on their faith. If they desire
change, it must come from within.
What I
question is the global double standard. When Iran bases policies on its
religious creed, it is labeled "medieval" and subjected to intense
scrutiny. Yet, we see a startling silence when Zionists justify the
displacement and killing of children through their interpretation of scripture.
Benjamin Netanyahu has openly claimed religious legitimacy for domination,
quoting the "laws of Amalek" to justify the expansion of a
"Greater Israel."
Why is
one a "theocratic threat" while the other is "defending a
biblical mandate"?
The "Costume" of Virtue
There is
a further hypocrisy in how we judge religious leadership. Many mock Ayatollah
Khamenei because he dresses in a traditional kufi and robe while
speaking of spiritual struggle. Yet, many of these same critics remain silent
when someone in Western attire does the exact same thing.
Consider
Paula White-Cain, the spiritual adviser to Donald Trump. To test whether you
have fallen into the trap of double standards, I invite you to watch the
accompanying video of her preaching. Now, perform a mental experiment: Imagine
her as a hijabi Iranian woman making those same declarations of divine
authority in support of the Ayatollah.
If you
find yourself comfortable with the Western preacher but outraged by the
hypothetical hijabi, the problem does not lie in the religion - it lies within
your own bias.
A Universal Shared Value
This is
not a "Muslim issue." It is a human struggle. Our greatest teachers
across all traditions have warned us against the plank in our own eye:
- Tirukkural 272: "The false ascetic
who pretends virtue while hiding vice is worse than those who openly do
wrong."
- Dhammapada 159: "One should first
establish oneself in what is proper; then only should one instruct
others."
- Matthew 7:5: "You hypocrite,
first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to
remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
- Qur’an 61:2–3: "O you who believe,
why do you say what you do not do? It is most hateful in the sight of
Allah that you say what you do not do."
Before we
point across the ocean or across the border, let us ensure our own scales are
balanced.
Peace,
Anas
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