KUCHING: The Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) has joined the chorus calling on Umno and its Sepang division chief, Datuk Noorazli Said, to issue an “immediate, explicit and unconditional public retraction and apology” to the Christian community over Noorazli's crude remarks made during the party's recent general assembly.
In a statement on Tuesday (Sept 15), ACS said the apology should also be directed to “all who care for peace” for the offence caused and for Noorazli to pledge not to repeat the same mistake.
ACS chairman Datuk Danald Jute expressed the association's deep disappointment and indignation, saying it condemned Noorazli's disgraceful remarks.
"The use of a crude, sexually suggestive joke targeting Christian priests and nuns, paired with the fabrication and mockery of a passage falsely attributed to Psalm 129 of the Holy Bible, is extremely insulting to the entire Christian community," he said.
Jute, who is also the Anglican Bishop of Kuching, added that the sacred scriptures and consecrated religious figures of all religions are not material for cheap political comedy, nor should they ever be abused as props to score fleeting political popularity.
"To demean those who have dedicated their lives to holy service, and to distort the Holy Bible for a laughing audience, crosses every line of basic human decency and mutual respect."
Jute also asked how similar crude sexual jokes about imams or fabricated verses from the Holy Quran by a non-Muslim would have been tolerated.
He said such remarks would likely result in an instantaneous backlash and swift law enforcement action.
He said similar standards of respect should apply to the Christian faith.
"Such hypocrisy in political and public discourse cannot be ignored or normalised," he said.
On the eve of Malaysia Day, Jute also appealed to politicians from all parties to pledge to permanently end the use of divisive, faith-disparaging rhetoric on political platforms.
With Malaysia standing at a “crucial crossroad”, he said the nation desperately needs peace, healing, understanding and genuine unity, and not “the reckless fuel of religious division which will only destroy our beloved Malaysia”.
He urged all politicians to “build bridges of understanding and acceptance and uphold the dignity of all faith communities in the country's multiracial society”.
