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People hold each other at a memorial outside The Stonewall
Inn on Christopher Street following the shooting massacre at Orlando's Pulse
nightclub, in the Manhattan borough of New York, June 12, 2016. ― Reuters pic
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Some Malaysians have approved of the mass shooting at a gay
nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 50 people dead, calling the victims
sinners.
The news of the attack, where another 53 were injured in the
deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, were carried by local community
social media news website Siakap Keli on Facebook, with many ostensibly
homophobic Malaysians using the platform to condemn the victims instead of the
killers.
“Langsung x sedih pun.....hari2 puluhan saudara islam kami
yg kena bunuh sedangkan mereka x bersalah oleh sekutu2 usa xde sapa pun yg nak
bela nasib mereka..kenapa plak nak bersimpati kepada pendosa2 ni,” wrote a user
named Junaida Nasrin on Siakap Keli’s Facebook post.
(I'm not one bit sad...every day, thousands of our Muslim
brethren are murdered by US allies even when they are innocent and nobody tries
to help them..why should we sympathise with these sinners).
A man armed with an assault rifle, identified by police as
Omar Mateen, shot dead 50 people at Pulse nightclub in Orlando yesterday.
President Barack Obama has described the incident as an act of terror and hate.
International newswire Reuters reported that the 29-year-old
shooter, whom the police killed, was a Florida resident and US citizen born to
immigrants from Afghanistan.
Another Facebook user using the pseudonym Kim Typewriter
commented on Siakap Keli’s Facebook post: “Semoga yg 53 orang cedera tu tak
sempat diselamatkan..dan sesiapa yg menepis kenyataan sy ini..anda pun patut
dikecam!”
(I hope the 53 injured will not be saved..and anyone who
tries shoot down my statement..you will be censured too!)
Both comments received more than 250 likes.
Conspiracy theories were also aplenty with users claiming
that the US government or media were deliberately using the shooting to tarnish
the reputation of Islam.
“ni semua wayang US la utk jatuhkan Islam. Asal ade insiden
tembak ke letupan ke ugutan ke tebusan ke msti suspek dia nama muslim. Omar
mateen la Fernando Ahmad la Kassim Rodriguez la”.
(All this is a US drama to take down Islam. Every time there
is a shooting or bombing or threat or hostage situation the suspect is sure to
be a muslim. Omar Mateen la Fernando Ahmad la Kassim Rodriguez la).
But amid the scorn, some Malaysians have come out to call
for empathy and respect for the victims, saying the homophobic comments would
only perpetuate the stereotype that Islam is a hateful religion.
A Facebook user by the name of Nazarul Ideham wrote:
“So this is how Muslims treat others? Gay ke kafir ke
lesbian ke yahudi ke Islam ke masih tetap nyawa seorg manusia. Ini yg sepatutnya
membezakan Islam dgn agama lain. Kalau kau sdri tunjuk perangai yahudi yg
anggap bangsa/kaum lain jijik selain kau,ape beza kau dgn yahudi?”
(Is this how Muslims treat others? Gays or infidels or
lesbians or Jews or Muslims ― it is still a human life. This (empathy) is what
must differentiate Islam from others. If we ourselves behave like the Jews who
deem other races disgusting or inferior, what is the difference between you and
the Jews?”
Facebook user Rosman Nizar wrote:
“Membaca komen² di sini... Tak hairanlah Barat &
sekutunya terus hidup dibelenggu Islamophobia & ingin terus-terusan
Muslim-blaming. We're the reflections of our own selves. 'Religion of peace'
will be another buried legend & bedtime story”.
(Reading the comments here..it is no surprise that the West
and its allies will continue to be plagued by Islamophobia and Muslim-blaming.
We're the reflections of our own selves. “Religion of peace” will be another
buried legend & bedtime story).
Homosexuality is forbidden in Islam and in Malaysia, the
Islamic authorities have repeatedly demonised the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) community.
Source –Malay Mail Online-
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