This is a terrific and highly encouraging development in a country where the scourge of radical Islam continues to hold considerable sway. But I'm also somewhat surprised given that this is the same country that saw Buddhist temples set on fire because one Chinese woman complained that the azan (call to prayer) was "too loud", and the then-Chinese Christian governor nicknamed Ahok was jailed on trumped-up blasphemy charges for stating that the Qur'an says absolutely nothing about Muslims being expressly forbidden from befriending non-Muslims (in other words, declaring Islam a religion of peace, which the Islamists apparently consider blasphemous). Hell, the Vice President of Indonesia is himself a radical Islamist and running mate of moderate pragmatist Jokowi, carefully selected in order to temper Islamist passions.
Imagine the Malaysian government imposing a similar ban. Imagine the Malaysian Education Minister taking such a courageous and principled stand in support of a Christian girl who has been so obviously wronged despite being Muslim himself. Imagine the school principal of a Malaysian national school "apologizing" to the girl and her parents. This would be unthinkable.
Islam officially reigns supreme in Malaysia and woe betide anyone who would dare to mount such an open and brazen challenge against the status quo under pain of a lengthy jail term for the "crime" of "sedition" and "insulting Islam". The cowards and charlatans who run this country would never allow their sacred religion to be "disrespected" in such a blatant manner. Pandering to Islamist snowflakes, clinging on to executive power they never earned and We the People never voted for, and holding back human progress is our unelected, backdoor government's number one priority.
Thoughts? What do you think of Indonesia's decision to ban schools from compelling non-Muslim students to dress as Muslims do? Does Indonesia stands a better chance of defeating radical Islam than Malaysia does? Can radical Islam even be defeated at all?
