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MT COLUMNS GUEST COLUMNISTS Religion and Culture: The Case of TV3’s Raya Advertisement

Religion and Culture: The Case of TV3’s Raya Advertisement


Wednesday, 08 September 2010 admin-s
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Malays have really confused religion with culture. What is Islamic about Raya? The Quran doesn’t even mention Raya but understandably, Muslims wish to mark the end of Ramadhan by having a celebration. Fine but where do the elements come from which go to make the celebration what it is? Obviously, from surrounding cultures of the time and place.  

By Farouk A Peru

The Malay Muslims were up in arms today thanks to the Raya advertisement by TV3. Admittedly I was not free from shock myself but it was a good kind of shock. The shock that said ‘Aha, these guys understand that the spirit of Raya goes beyond traditional Malay elements’. Of course, my good shock didn’t live very long when a friend passed along a link showing TV3’s apology and retraction of the said advertisement.  

Of course this would happen in contemporary Malaysia. Of course it would because we are a superficial people. Years ago, Ning Baizura was given hell when her album cover (not music mind you but album cover) resembled a Christmas card! I don’t think her career recovered after that.  

What emotes the Malay-Muslims is the presence of elements which they feel are alien to Islam. What are those elements? Perhaps the carriage in which the children ride in? Well to be fair, there were no reindeers pulling the carriage. Even the old man lacked facial hair and more glaringly presents so he couldn’t have been Santa Claus. Maybe the flight itself is the issue. God only knows with these people.  

What is obvious to me is, Malays have really confused religion with culture. Think about it for a minute. What is Islamic about Raya? The Quran doesn’t even mention Raya but understandably, Muslims wish to mark the end of Ramadhan by having a celebration. Fine but where do the elements come from which go to make the celebration what it is? Obviously, from surrounding cultures of the time and place.  

I guarantee that if you celebrated Raya in Saudi Arabia, you will not be understood if you said ‘selamat hari raya’. You will be hard pressed to find a host who serves you ketupat and rending and please do not try blow any meriam buluhs either! The Saudis may not look too kindly upon that. My point is, these are cultural elements. Culture is dynamic. Was it Malay culture to put money in ang pow packets before? No, we took it from our Chinese countrymen, coloured the packets green and voila! We have a new packaging for duit raya. I didn’t hear any imams or ulamaks complain (particularly when they received some). 

Read more at: http://beingmalaysia.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/religion-and-culture-the-case-of-tv3%E2%80%99s-raya-advertisement/
Comments (13)Add Comment
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written by NollanBD, September 09, 2010 03:04:32
Agree. But that aside, lets ignore the Santa and lotus thingy.. Flying beca and stirring dodol in a large flower?Whats the message?
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written by anon, September 09, 2010 00:08:10
Dear brother Farouk,

As always, you have wisely written about that commercial which I too found rather interesting...and thought that finally, the Malay mind is now actually working. Then like you said, it was wishful thinking on my part too.

Yes, it certainly is a Malay misconception of religion and culture....both of which as far as I am concerned, are rather confusing for them to fathom.

Hope all is well brother Farouk. Best wishes.

anon
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written by casper, September 08, 2010 13:48:19
Your critique seems harsh, the nonsense conjured by those misguided band but still well reasoned (as always) F.Peru. No doubt many of us on the sideline can only marvel at the amusement it provides.

Every "Raya" we have come to expect/observe the sensibilities put on display ie the observant is suppose to hold one's tongue and guard against their action but shouldn't the 'requisites' be a normal function of everyday life ? Not swearing or indulging vices should never be encourage under any circumstance, so why exercise caution only on the 'Holy" month of Ramadhan ?

Every "Raya" I get bemuse the game of cat and mouse, the mind games my Muslims friends indulge themselves with. Yesterday, one such friend asked me, "Tolong 'runner' beli Burger King ?" and in retort (in jest) I sounded out I wasn't going to be party to her 'sin' - frankly - it was an inconvenience that would have taken me out of the way to fulfill her hunger.

Moving on to more pressing matters, tomorrow is the 9th Sept, and to commemorate the solemn date, a misguided pastor in Oklahoma is holding his "burn a Quran a day" bonfire that has now grown into a bigger initiative that calls for "International Burn A Quran Day".

I implore all M'sian's (doesn't matter your own faith or conviction) to visit any US media hosting the topic and please spare a moment to form your thoughts and leave a posting to denounce this brazen show of prejudice. To my Malay brethren, this is one of those occasions that calls for 'jihad', not to seek retribution but reason out and explain to the delusional bigots just how wrong their actions to commemorate 9/11 by hosting such a bonfire.

Again, there is no better occasion all brethren, to speak out against this dastardly act, both in defense of the faith as well as common sensibilities, societal norms that most of us identify with.

My thanks, regards as always & an early Raya greeting to all in MT.
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written by earthman, September 08, 2010 13:12:04
There are Malay Christians and Buddhists and Hindus on earth. This so because to them its their faith that they are following the right path. So its not only possible that Malaysia is a Christians nation but a confirmed one if Christianity had reaches this land first instead of Islam.
What is bad about that when the Christian nations in the west are the most advanced and developed? If we want to condemn and reject the western influence then why do we not reject all the technologies and medical science that had help us so much? Why are the Muslims looking at the evil that had infiltrated the western culture and chose to ignore the good from the west? Please stop being a hypocrite and start to think and reason once again instead of blind submission.
There are many good teachings in the Quran but by the behaviors of many Muslims it seem that the good teachings are lost and instead an intolerant and militant form of Islam are produced that threatened to destroy the world.
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written by red1, September 08, 2010 13:02:42
There are so many practices in Hari Raya that is so unIslamic but more akin to a Malay celebration. Where did the Green Pau come from if not Ang Pau of the Chinese? Where did the songkok comes from if not from the Turks? Where did the Baju Melayu come from if not from the Indians? And where did all the "MINTA MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATHIN" if not from the crooks who took our wealth and did not declare it? You think minta maaf will let you off scot free? Nay, Allah is All Knowing and All Just and King on that Day of Judgement.
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written by ZamZamAlaKazam, September 08, 2010 12:41:50
...personally, if the beca was a flying carpet, the old guy wore a turban, and they went to a kayangan(I have no idea how it looks like, so don't ask...), then maybe, just a tad maybe, I could accept the ads.

To somehow let the media, like TV3, to manufacture a raya culture, then it would be absurd just like what they did with the ads, as culture is not imposed on you( don't listen to the likes of PERKASA though.)

Our raya culture is already a heady mix of the Malaysian Culture, just like the Chinese New Year, Deepavali, etc have a blend of other cultures in their locally celebrated occassion...
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written by batsman, September 08, 2010 12:38:13
This is what you get when the Jews control propaganda in a Muslim majority country.
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written by PeacefulMalaysia, September 08, 2010 12:20:25
As I have said MANY time
The Malay Muslims are REALLY a bunch of stupid people.
Very narrow in their thinking and ABSURD
I am sorry for the rest but "ONE APPLE CAN SPOIL THE WHOLE BUNCH"
This is UMNO style of MALAYS
Instil religion to the stupid Malays while they be corrupt and wine and dine.
When will they ever learn to keep religion at home and be OPEN outside and NOT be hyporcritic
The Christian were like this in the medievel time BUT they have changed
These stupid UMNO MUSLIMS ARE GOING BACK TO THE STONE AGES
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written by Davy McChester, September 08, 2010 12:16:59
The Noble Prize writer V.S.Naipaul in his "Beyond Belief" put in a nutshell :
"The cruelty of Islamic fundamentalism is that it allows only to one people -the Arabs,the original people of the Prophet- a past,and sacred places,pilgrimages,and earth reverences. These sacred Arab places have to be the sacred places of all the converted peoples. Converted peoples have to strip themselves of their past;; of converted peoples nothing is required but the purest faith(if such a thing can be arrived at ), Islam,submission. It is the most uncompromising kind of imperialism"
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written by bambooman, September 08, 2010 12:14:53
Ibrahim Ali was rejected for the part of "SANTA CLAUS" guiding the carriage.......and to take revenge, he has to project that the ads has an element which is alien to Islam ! ! ! !
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written by Pegasus, September 08, 2010 12:04:18
Blame UMNO for that! They have been poisoning the minds for a very long time!
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written by by2020, September 08, 2010 12:02:05
There are no magic and fairy tale in Islam, everything is about hardship, and winning hard fought battle..., so how can the advert can be made first place..., can't you understand?
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written by by2020, September 08, 2010 11:53:35
"Our Malay-Muslims need to understand the difference between religion and culture. If they were Christianised instead of Islamised centuries ago, we’d be wearing our baju melayus, having our ketupats and rendangs and blowing up our meriams for Christmas instead!"

Time to look for a safe shelter because Perkasa Ibrahim Ali will be going for your head linking Malay to low grade religion Christian.

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