.png)
Picture this.
You’re sitting at a table with friends from all walks of life, each sharing stories about what gives them hope or makes their hearts full.
Your Hindu friend talks about visiting a temple she believes holds mystic powers, recounting how it helped heal a loved one.
Your Christian friend opens up about his devotion to Jesus, explaining how his faith carried him through the toughest days.
Your non-believer friend shares how stepping away from religion brought her clarity and enriched her life in countless ways.
And then there’s you, a Muslim, sitting through it all, soaking in their stories, and sharing a piece of your own. You talk about your upcoming trip to Mecca, how you’re longing to feel God’s presence closer than ever.
This, right here, is what sharing faith is all about - telling your story, not to prove anyone wrong or push an agenda, but simply to offer a glimpse into your heart.
This is exactly what Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh did in her biography, Becoming Hannah. She wrote about her personal journey, her faith, and her perspective. Her words were her truth, shared honestly and unapologetically.
But in true Malaysian fashion, some people found a way to make it controversial. They accused her of having ties to evangelicals who might “threaten” Islam in Malaysia. Some even demanded action, claiming she violated laws banning the proselytisation of Muslims.
Let’s take a moment here.
Proselytisation isn’t about sharing your faith story or personal beliefs. It’s about actively trying to convert someone - pushing your way as the only way or dangling rewards to win them over.
In a country as colourful as ours, with its melting pot of cultures and beliefs, understanding this difference is essential. If we start calling every honest conversation “proselytisation,” we’ll stop talking altogether.
And when we stop talking, we stop understanding. Misunderstandings grow, walls go up, and the unity we’ve worked so hard to build begins to crack.
Sharing stories - about faith, struggles, joys, and everything in between - is how we stay connected. It’s how we thrive as a diverse nation.
To twist such stories into accusations of conversion is not only unjust, it’s reckless. It puts the harmony of our country at risk.
And as a Muslim, here’s the part that stings: no one is more active in converting others than we are.
We make it compulsory for people of other faiths to convert if they want to marry a Muslim. We allow one parent to convert their children without the other’s consent. We celebrate converts with privileges, incentives, and fanfare.
Yet, when someone of another faith simply shares their story, we clutch our pearls and cry foul. Hypocrisy much?
Let’s be honest. We often think we’re superior, convinced that everyone else is heading straight to hell unless they join us. We see converting them as an act of salvation.
But here’s the irony: while we’re so busy “saving” others, we tremble at the thought of being influenced ourselves. How fragile is our faith if a single story can shake it?
I’m a proud Muslim, but sometimes practicing my faith in this country feels like an uphill battle. Why can’t we give non-Muslims the benefit of the doubt? Why do we view people of different faiths with such suspicion?
The truth is, anyone devoted to their beliefs, whether they’re Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or none at all, is an ambassador of goodness. They bring kindness, love, and positivity into the world.
If we believe in one God, then we’re all ambassadors to that same God. Our enemy isn’t Hannah or people who don’t share our beliefs. Our enemy is extremism - those who use religion to spread chaos and division.
When are we going to call out these bozos for what they are?
Fa Abdul is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.