Do not impose your religion on others.

Once upon a time, there was a headmaster in Sarawak.

The headmaster was a Muslim. He was overzealous, and he converted a non-Muslim student to Islam. The parents made a big fuss over it, and he was transferred to a new school.

Then, at the new school, he was just as overzealous. He decreed that all crosses and crucifixes were to be removed. Even the ones kept below the students' blouses. The ones that hung around their necks and nestled easily next to the students' hearts.

Yes, even those.

Here is a link to the original article.

The flag of Sarawak.

He should have been transferred back to Semenanjung Malaysia.

He seems to be unhappy in Sarawak. He's forgotten that Sarawak isn't Semenanjung, and there's a whole different community there. An entirely different culture. It's not Semenanjung. So why did he take issue with the culture there in Sarawak?

One possible explanation is that he's missing home. So he decided to make his new place of residence a little more like home. But the Sarawakian students, and their parents, aren't happy at all.

It's a strange situation. He's unhappy with the students, and the parents are unhappy with him. If he were sent back to Semenanjung, he might be happier, and the parents might be happier, too. And the students will be happier as a result.

Kementerian Pendidikan should take note.

When students are unhappy, their studies suffer. They cannot focus on exams and studying because they become preoccupied with things like these: Crucifixes, and other things that need fixes.

When parents are unhappy, students suffer. They might ask the students to avoid school altogether. The students become uneducated, simply because of that headmaster's meddling.

When teachers meddle by imposing their religion on others, it creates tension and the wrong perception among right-thinking members of society. "Is this headmaster for me, or against me?" That's the idea that comes to mind naturally.

When mutual trust breaks down, society begins to break down as well. Many young students look upon their teachers as their role models. If they can't even look up to their headmaster, it would be difficult for them to trust other people. And it might take a long time to regain their trust.

The Headmaster should remember Surah Al-Kafirun.

In the Qur'an, there is a surah called Surah Al-Kafirun. It was a Meccan surah, meaning to say that it was revealed in the early days of Islam. The empire of Islam had not yet been built. In those early days, the Prophet Muhammad was an envoy of peace and harmony.

The words of the surah are as follows:

Say, "O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."

It's a simple and straightforward surah. But it is powerful.

It tells us that in the early days of Islam, the fledgling community was diplomatic when dealing with new communities. They asked to be left alone, unmolested, dignified, and without external interference. They said, "Lakum deenukum, wa li deeni." In English: "For you, your religion, and for me, mine."

So why can't this same philosophy be applied in Sarawakian schools? Why can't teachers from Semenanjung understand that Sarawakian students have their own religion?

For you, your religion, and for them, theirs.

Please don't try to change that.

That's not what Malaysia is about.