Acceptance and integration

It was not until much later- we're talking months- that I discovered and witnessed for myself that many Arabs, above all other races, have settled down in Bosna since the day Dayton Accord was made effective. These Saudi Arabians, Palestinians, Jordanians, Sudanese, etc came during the war to help in military and charity organisations, not wanting to close an eye to the oppressions their brethrens in faith were suffering then. Many of them I met in Kralj Fahd Džamija (King Fahd Mosque) and Čaršijska Džamija (the mosque closest to Sebilj), all of them very nice and friendly. Most of them, though not all, felt themselves as Bosnian-Arabs, and spoke of Bosna with a sense of belonging, in the strongest meaning of the word.

Bosnian Muslims are arguably more integrated and multi-racial than the Malaysian Muslims. If it was easy to observe them mixing smoothly and in harmony, the situation in Malaysia differs. Islam is largely kept to the Malays, other Muslims are never truly accepted into the society. I realise this statement might invite some huge arguments but this is exactly what we can discern from the same atmosphere in many- thankfully not all- mosques even in large cities; universities excluded. It is difficult for a Bangladeshi, Pakistani, or Indonesian to pray in our mosques without being perceived as one from a lower strata of the society. They might be lucky to be able to squeeze unnoticed into the front-most row, but to play some role in the congregation will be out of question. Once in a blue moon, some freshly educated vigorous young men would go shake hands with them, ask about their well-being, make them feel important; accept and acknowledge their presence- a passing moment of rejoice for these 'sideliners', made so by the community.

In truth, without holding strongly to the teachings and spirit of alQuran (both equally important), a man can easily buy the tempting whispers of the devils. A man can be as proud and boastful as anyone, his thoughts malicious, and his actions evil- a perfect corruptor of the society. Is it not true that we always complain of the 'racist West'; that they are too proud, seldom listen to us, belittle our potential, and misprize our abilities? At the same time, we ourselves- knowingly or unknowingly- misuse every bit of superiority given to us. We generalise and stereotype other people, we see some as inferior, others as unworthy of attention. Shame on us, when we could have taken- and definitely still can do- a better turn, as advised in the Quran;

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."
(al-Hujurat ; 13)