Monday, February 27, 2006

Wish You Were Here


So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

And did they get to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl,
year after year,
running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears,
wish you were here.
- Pink Floyd, Wish you were here (1975)


This is the only visual found thus far in the newspapers, tabloids, and websites of our Friday adventure. What do you aspect? We were in the opposition party show. Despite their predominant, we two big white plastic banners and at least one is seen.

We were there under a non-partisan group, although seldom wrongly perceived by the public and observer as partisan. That Friday we were there on an issue that has sparked the displeasure of substantial and significant Muslims and Malaysians in this country, cutting through their political, racial, and religious persuasion. Some may not be able to understand the significance of it, but what can we say.

The publication of the satirical Non Sequitor cartoon by Willey Wiley on February 22nd issue of New Straits Times (NST) is not as blunt and rude as those by Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper.


If you could understand, it is equally bad as it make light of the serious issue that angered the Muslim worldwide.

I found a more offensive cartoon published earlier on February 18th by NST (below) depicting Muslim subtly as lover of violence, women roving eye and brainless law enforcers. Such cartoon gives the impression that this is the norm and it definately wasn't any intellectual satire.
Even with all the commotion, another Non Sequitor cartoon (below) on February 23rd depicted in a lighter mood satiring Prophet Noah.

For long, it was the unethical journalism, vindictive writing and crude newspinning orchestrated by Dato Kalimullah and Brenda Pereira of NST I found extremely distasteful. Their writings have been injecting discenting agenda that in my view can be disruptive to the harmony of Malaysian society.


Who are they to be preacher when they used to be vocal critics of this country? And, it is the same ruling party and structure they were against?

Their response in "What NST Says" and so-called "Unreserved Apology" are blatant arrogance to even republishing the questionable cartoon. Answering your actions should be an explanation and not concorting assumptions and deflection blame to others. An apology is only apology and nothing else, not repeated denial and childish dragging of others.

Our people were few but we were visible. Only had... wish you were here.


A Voice
Kuala Lumpur
February 26th, 2006, 2:30 p.m.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Santa Cruz police probe second possible hate crime Tuesday
By Kim Vo
Mercury News

A second alleged hate crime occurred in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, this one against two Asian-Americans who were attacked in a Jack in the Box parking lot.

Santa Cruz police reported that at 10:55 p.m. Tuesday, a trio of friends went to the fast-food eatery at 640 Ocean Ave. When a man began yelling at them, one from the group, an Asian-American man, went to move his car. When he stepped out, the man hit him repeatedly in the face, knocking him to the ground and yelling racial slurs.

An Asian-American woman ran to help and grabbed the suspect, but was thrown against a car, police said.

A stranger then came over and stood by, which temporarily stopped the attacks. However, the suspect then went to his Toyota truck and got a metal pipe.

The trio then jumped in their car, which the suspect bashed several times as they tried to leave, police said. The suspect then followed them to a gas station, where they drove and called 911 from their car. The suspect left before police arrived.

The suspect is described as a white man between 20 and 25 years old, 6 feet 2 with close-cut blond or brown hair. He was wearing a baggy, gray hooded sweatshirt and light-colored blue jeans. His truck was described as a small brown or gray Toyota with a license plate that included ``4A33.''

Neither of the victims received life-threatening injuries. The man, a 21-year-old Santa Cruz resident, sustained injuries to his face and hand. The 20-year-old woman, also a Santa Cruz resident, reported injuries to her back. The third person in the group, a white man, was uninjured.

Police don't believe this attack is related to another one on Tuesday, when a man was beaten after he left a gay-friendly establishment around 1 a.m. However, authorities noted that hate crimes are rare in the city.

Anonymous said...

The only thing in the 20th cnentury that has amassed more graves than "communism" is anti-communism.

Anonymous said...

Ali, Tapok n gang aka Bluestreats is at http://www.bluestreats.com
Current gig at PTGC.

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