Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 1431/2010

Technorati tags: Eid, Hari Raya, Aidil Fitri

Eid Mubarrak to all readers of, and visitors to myAsylum.

Image source disclosure - source images have been taken from various places:
mosque & background, crescent moon, and ketupat.

It’s customary in Malaysia to seek forgiveness from one another during this joyous celebration, marking the end of Ramadhan.

Not to buck tradition too much, myAsylum would like to say that if any of our postings have inadvertently offended in any way, then please accept Walski’s apology. Sarcasm and cynicism can hurt, but it’s important to always see the underlying reasons for such sarcasm and cynicism. And it’s very rare that Walski ever does anything without a valid reason.

While Walski apologizes for the inadvertent hurt and possible insult, he is not, however, apologizing for what he does in general – social comment, myAsylum style. 
(Walski’s Raya message, in the full post)

Malaysia, as a collective of many diverse communities, has unfortunately become hyper-sensitive as she traverses through the years. To some, the mere comment invokes feelings of being insulted. To others, things that are not there are somehow “seen” and “read”.

The recent uproar over the unique, albeit non-traditional, Hari Raya advert from TV3 is a testament to just how overly sensitive we’ve gotten. Life, it seems cannot be about fun anymore. If it has to be fun, then fun can only be expressed through rigidly defined parameters. Now, what fun is that?

Walski doesn’t blame it on any single one factor. In fact, many factors have collectively contributed to how sensitive we’ve become. Religion and politics are, perhaps, two of the major ones.

Because of politics, even goodwill is seen as sinister – those of you who’ve been following the goings on of political Malaysia will know what Walski’s on about.

But as we celebrate Eid-ul Fitr, or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri as it’s known in Malaysia, let us for once put our political and religious differences aside.

Any cultural or religious celebration in Malaysia used to be a celebration for all Malaysians, regardless of creed or color. It seems that it’s becoming less and less about sharing, and instead, becoming more and more about what’s ours and what’s theirs.

This, good people, has gotta change.

And today, as Muslims in Malaysia (and the world over) celebrate their triumph over deceit and self-importance (in theory, at least), let’s take the opportunity Hari Raya has given us to demonstrate again what being Malaysian is all about.

Let’s share the joy – one and all – amongst Malaysians. It’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri to Malaysians of all walks of life, creeds and colors… let’s celebrate the day joyously, and share that joy with all and sundry…