Daily Lessons from Life 23 October 2014 - Threats aimed at mothers, children attendees of dog-touching event

Hkg SAR Protest Updates - what do you know! Impasse!! Did it surprised anyone? Probably NOT!! When NO ONE is willing to give in a negotiation process, the best 'negotiation strategies game plan' you can ever read and learn is USELESS. Period. Where will it lead if nobody want to give a little? I hope it is not through force!

"Threats aimed at mothers, children attendees of dog-touching event - The Star/Asia News Network Oct 23, 2014

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia - Unsatisfied with just targeting organiser Syed Azmi Alhabshi, the mob of angry netizens are now sending hate-filled messages to participants pictured in the 'I Want To Touch A Dog' (IWTTAD) event.

"The threats are really bad. Through social media, text and phone calls. "They seem to be targeting especially those women with kids," said a source who contacted The Star Online.

The source had requested The Star Online to remove photos from the event as the threats received had turned unbearable. Organisers of the gathering had also pleaded with the media and attendees to remove images of people at the event.

"We, the team behind IWTTAD would like to humbly request all participants of the event, no matter what colour t-shirt you were wearing on that day to please take down any/or all photos that you might have put up.

"The decision to do so does not undermine anyone's views or thoughts on this matter," read the statement, which was posted on Thursday. "We would like to express our sincerest apologies if any of the photos shared online or posted throughout the social media platforms- (related to this event) have offended others or caused harm of any sort," it sad.

Syed Azmi had previously received death threats over his involvement in the event. He has since been uncontactable. The Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (Jakim) said it would be conducting an investigation into an event, which was held at Central Park on Sunday."

An interesting development. A story that when I first read it was quite surprised as Muslims, for whatever reasons, are not supposed to befriend dogs, and here we have this: 'I want to touch the dog' event for Muslims.

Lessons for me are:

1. when it comes to religion, rationality has NO CHANCE whatsoever! This has been proven time and time and time in the past. How powerful religion can be! How scary when the power in religion is ABUSED!!;

2. I am NOT a religious person so I DO NOT understand religions that ban eating this or that, that looks at certain animals as 'devious' or 'unclean' or bad, and many other seemingly illogical taboos. For a non-religious person, if it is SAFE to eat and you can stomach the foods, eat it! I cannot stomach eating the man's best friend - dog - so I abstained whenever I am in countries or territories that serve dog meat as an exquisite food. In fact, food that is reserved for the honourable guests; which created some difficult moments for me in the past as I did not want to appear disrespectful or not honouring the hosts' generosity!;

3. for those people who, obviously quite intelligent and computer-literate, to 'attack' and threaten the organizers and participants with DEATH shows how illogical 'emotionally aroused RELIGIOUS persons' can behave! How else can you explain the in-the-news terrorists who hijacked Islam documenting and showing to the world the beheading of 'enemies' or 'spies' or 'just non-Muslim' as JUSTIFIABLE?

I am no psychologist nor psychiatrist. When dealing with 'religiously aroused persons' who threatened others' lives, they need to be put away. If 'reprograming' CAN work, please do so. If NOT, putting them away from harming others will be a sensible choice.

Of course, if the authorities can figure out HOW to prevent those 'religious aroused persons' from being in that state of mind would be the best solution!

The biggest force that can DO THAT would be the Religious Leaders who are not easily 'aroused'. Religious Leaders who are moderate, assuming the religion is moderate!

There is no easy solution as we are dealing with emotion! Well. We must try STILL!!