Siti Kasim has now publicly accused Muslim convert preacher Zamri Vinoth as a “concealed rapist”.
In a YouTube video entitled “Mengapa Masih Tidak Ada Tindakan Terhadap Zamri Vinoth?” (Why StIll No Action Against Zamri Vinoth), Siti had questioned why the police had not acted on Zamri for raping a then young Chinese convert despite “an abundance of evidence”.
In response, Zamri has instructed his legal team to proceed with legal action against Siti Kasim “and a few identified individuals for echoing a similar slander”.
A defiant Siti has vowed to meet the Zamri in court.
“This fella who claims to be an ustaz wants to sue me because he said I fitnah (slander) him,” reacted Siti.
“I can’t wait for him to sue me. Good time for me to prove whether the rape case against him really exists. Bring it on Mr Zamri Vinoth!!
To add some spice to the confrontation, Siti also added that Zamri has yet to pay her the RM100k that awarded to by the Kuala Lumpur High Fourt last year, for having defamed her by calling her “anti-Islam”.
What does their confrontation spell for the relationship between the Muslims and non-Muslims in the country ?
Well, it goes with saying that the ugly spat between these two firebrand converts are likely going to enflame our already troubled race and religious relationship further.
If non-Muslims want to know why converts like Zamri Vinoth or Ridhuan Tee or Firdaus Wong are so popular amongst the Muslims, what they probably should do is ask themselves why is it that people like Siti Kasim are so popular amongst the non-Muslims.
For whatever reason that non-Muslims are seeing what someone like Siti Kasim is doing as admirable, right and true, is the same reason why the Muslims might likely also be finding the action and expressions of converts like Zamri Vinoth or Ridhuan Tee or Firdaus Wong to be admirable, right and true.
Siti Kasim might not technically be a convert to the non-Muslim side – there is no legal provision for a Muslim to convert into becoming a non-Muslim after all – but like the 6 Bersatu MPs who declared support for Anwar and the unity government, while technically still belonging to Bersatu, Siti Kasim also perhaps be considered as somewhat of a pseudo-convert, that supports the non-Muslim and secular cause, while still belonging to the Muslim side.
As a rule, converts tend to be True Believers or fanatics, who not only take an extreme position in regards to their support of the ideology of the identity group that they converted to, but also often take an irrationally ultra-antagonistic position towards the identity group that they converted out of.
The relationship between identity groups tends to only be stable and cordial if its true believers and fanatics form the inner core of the respective identity groups, meaning that they insulated from interacting with other identity groups as much as possible - and as much as possible, only interact with the members of their own identity group.
Even if perchance the true believers of one identify group does interact with the members of other identity groups, they should only be allowed to do so with the more moderate section of the other identity groups, not their true believers.
When the true believers of one identity group are regularly interacting with the true believer of another identity group however, expect sparks to fly.
You can see this happening even in a football game – when the fanatics of one football team come close with the fanatics of another football team, as they do during certain high intensity football matches, riot police might have to be on standby to keep the peace.
In Malaysia today, that converts or pseudo-converts of an identity group, like Zamri Vinoth and Siti Kasim are engaging more frequently with each other is a troubling sign that the relationship between the Malays and non-Malays in the country is increasingly becoming more volatile.
I am not accusing these converts and quasi-converts of inflaming racial and religious relationship in the country – it is not the case that it is because these converts and pseudo converts from different identity groups are increasingly interacting with each other, that is the reason why racial and religious tension is on the rise in the country.
It is also likely the case that it is because racial and religious tension is on the rise, that these converts and pseudo-converts from different identity groups are interacting with each other on a more frequent basis.
Regardless of whether they are the root cause or the symptom however, one thing is for certain – for the religious and racial tension in the country to abate, one of the signs we will need to see, is for the converts, pseudo-converts and true believers of each identity group, to stop interacting with each other, retreat back into the core section of their identity group and interact primarily with members of their own identity groups .
For as long as these converts and true believers from different identity groups, look like they are expanding outwards and increasing their interaction with each other, expect sparks to fly, and in the process, raise the temperature of the racial and religious tension in the country.
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