政治人物在圣诞节和年末时，无可避免的都会例行发表贺词。通常他们不只是在面向庆祝佳节的群体表达祝福和欢庆的愿望。
尤其在政治上——对一些领袖而言这是一个大好时机——有些人还试图以此为自己及其政党打造最佳形像，以供媒体消费。
许多国人对政客无论是在节庆还是在其他特殊日子所发表的言词，都持有保留的态度。他们在过去已经失望过太多次，不再相信那些炮制出来的花言巧语——即使是那些来自相对可信和值得尊敬的政治人物言论。
无论如何，一些重要政治人物近来的发言，仍然值得关注。
伊党总秘书达基尤丁，来自于一个长期目标是要把马来西亚变为伊斯兰国家的政党。其在圣诞节献词中宣称，作为一个伊斯兰政党，伊党祝贺大马基督徒圣诞快乐，并始终对国家的多元性持开放态度。
他说：“这不仅是我们社会的一个特色，也是伊斯兰教义的核心，以正当和尊敬的方式，拥抱我们伟大的人类大家庭的纽带，包容所有种族、文化和宗教。”
他接著指出，各种宗教或文化节庆能在和谐、喜庆下欢庆，体现了我们社会长久以来建立起稳固的温和、宽容、相互尊重的文化。
因此，对他来说，必须维护多元民族和多元种族社会免受“任何可能削弱这特征”的影响。他还认为，必须促进国家现有的多样性，因为这是我们社会的财富，也能为国人的团结增值。
这读起来很棒。但可信吗？
无论达基尤丁的个人信念如何，他和伊党领导人都很清楚，尽管绿潮在第15届大选中取得亮眼成绩，但伊党若无法获得非穆斯林和非马来政党支持，尤其是来自沙巴和砂拉越者，伊党将无法在组建执政联盟中占主导地位。
自去年全国大选以来，伊党在下议院222个席位中占了43个议席。尽管，伊党是议席最多的政党，但如果其依然被视为如该党主席哈旺阿迪的强硬、极度保守和仇外路线的伊斯兰政党，那么其就无法主政并推进其伊斯兰议程。
对于达基尤丁和其他想上位成为伊党最高领导人的人来说，显而易见的是，任何不容协商、不容妥协的伊斯兰和马来穆斯林至上立场，不仅违背了他和党内其他异议份子所试图倡导的马来西亚多元理想主义下的伊斯兰价值观和规范，这也会在下届大选中对伊党产生反效果。
哈迪伊斯兰观
到目前为止，伊党内没有人对哈迪在党报《哈拉卡》专栏上向追随者发出的声明做出澄清。这篇发表于2019年10月初，如今已从网络上撤下的专栏文章中，哈迪解释了伊党在当年9月与巫统签署全民共识中的角色，同时也支持同年10月6日召开的马来人尊严大会。
哈迪在他的专栏中指出：
“穆斯林把权力交给非穆斯林是违反教义的，这犹如侮辱般把屋子拱手让给外来者，然后流浪在外，无立足之地。”
哈迪的评论可视为马来人尊严大会决议的延伸，即要政府的主要官位，包括首相、副首相、大臣和首长，以及重要部门，如财政部、教育部、国防部和内政部，都应只能由马来穆斯林掌控。大会其他决议包括促请政府只任命马来穆斯林出任重要的官职，如首席大法官、总检察长、政府首席秘书、警察总长、武装部队总司令等。
根据哈迪的说法：
虽然两场会议（全民共识与马来人尊严大会）看似不同，地点也不同，但都有一个共同的因素，即马来人的团结，以及唤醒马来人与伊斯兰崛起。
“这片土地是上苍赐给马来穆斯林的礼物，必须加以维护，并捍卫上苍在这片神圣土地上托付给他们的宗教，并成为真主为其他非穆斯林国家树立榜样和指南的国度。”
何谓违反教律
如今是伊党总秘书达基尤丁与党主席哈迪阿旺坐下来商讨，如何确保伊党在伊斯兰教、非马来人和非穆斯林问题上保持一致的立场，以免伊党被指责为是一个政治虚伪或更糟的政党。
与此同时，他们或应深思我友人胡仙哈米 (Hussein Hamid)在博客上转贴的一张图片，图中显示一群显然是伊党支持者拉著横幅指（穆斯林）祝贺圣诞节快乐是违反教律的。请参阅https://www.husseinhamid.com/post/saya-dan-haram-mengucapkan-selamat-hari-natal-to-all-our-friends
对此，作为一名独立、敏锐、勇敢的部落客，胡先哈米回应说，我违反教律的祝所有朋友圣诞节快乐。
林德宜《圣诞节、伊党与违反教律》原文：Christmas, PAS and Haram
Xmas and the end of the year brings the routine and almost inevitable messaging from politicians. They generally seek to extend not only wishes of goodwill and cheer to the celebrating members of the public.
Being in the business of politics - big business for those at the top - some also try to put forward the best picture of themselves and their parties for media consumption.
Many people in the country take the news item emanating from politicians - whether on festive occasions or on other special occasions - with more than a grain of salt. They have been disappointed too many times in the past to believe in the rhetoric churned out - even from those regarded as relatively believable and respectable.
Nevertheless it is still interesting to go through the recent messages from some of our leading political leaders.
Takiyuddin Hassan, Secretary General of PAS, is a politician of a party with a long avowed objective of an Islamic state He announced in his Xmas message that as an Islamic party, PAS celebrates and is always open to such diversity.
"Not only as a special feature of our society but also as the core of Islamic teachings which embraces such bonds of our great human family, inclusive of all races, cultures and religions, legally and honourably," he said.
Continuing, he pointed out that the harmonious and festive celebration of various religious or cultural events is a manifestation of our culture of gentleness, tolerance and mutual respect that has long been firmly established in our society.
Thus to him, the multi-ethnic and multiracial society must be defended from "any inclinations that may weaken the practice of such qualities". He also believed that the existing diversity in the country must be nurtured as it was a treasure of our society and adds value to the quality
of Malaysians' togetherness.
Fantastic to read. But believable?
Whatever his personal beliefs it is clear to him and PAS leaders that, despite the green wave and its electoral success in GE15 PAS will not be able to be the major partner in any winning coalition without the support of non Muslim and non Malay parties and their supporters, especially from Sabah and Sarawak.
Since the last GE, the party holds 43 of the 222 seats in the federal Dewan Rakyat. Though the largest individual party, PAS cannot govern the country and advance its Islamic agenda if it is identified with the hard line, deeply conservative and anti pendatang brand of Islamic resurgence associated with Awang Hadi, the party's President.
What may be obvious to Takiyuddin and other wannabe top PAS leaders is that any non-negotiable, take no prisoners stand on Islamic and Malay Muslim supremacy is one that is not only contrary to the pluralistic idealistic vision of Malaysian Islamic values and norms that he and perhaps a dissident group within the party may be attempting to promote. It isalso one that will be counterproductive to the party in the next election.
Hadi"s Islam To the Rescue?
So far, no one in the party has clarified Hadi's declaration when writing a column addressed to his followers in Harakah Daily. In that column which appeared in early October 2019 and which now has been taken off the internet, Hadi explained PAS' role at the Muafakat Nasional Charter between PAS and Umno on Sept 14, and his support of the Malay Dignity Congress held on 6 October.
In his column, Hadi explained:
"Haram bagi umat Islam menyerah kuasa kepada bangsa lain yang bukan Islam, sehingga menjadi hina laksana menyerah rumah kepada penumpang, kemudian melarikan diri tanpa bumi tanah air tempat berpijak."
[It's forbidden for Muslims to surrender power to other races who are not Muslims until they are disgraced, akin to surrendering your home to a guest, and then fleeing without a homeland to stand on]
Hadi's commentary can be seen to be an extension to the Malay Dignity Congress resolution demanding that the main positions within the government including that of the prime minister, deputy prime minister, menteri besar and chief ministers as well as important ministries such as finance, education, defence and home affairs should only be held by Malay Muslims.
Other resolutions called for the government to only appoint Malay-Muslims to top positions such as the chief justice, attorney-general, secretary-general to the government, inspector-general of police, chief of defence forces and others.
According to Hadi: "Although the two meetings appear to be different and the place is different, there is one common factor - the unity of the Malays and to awaken Malays to rise together with Islam."
"This homeland is a gift from Allah to the Malay Muslims and must be preserved in order to uphold the religion of God entrusted to them on this blessed land, to serve as a model and guide to other non-Muslim nations by God's command."
What is Haram
It is high time that PAS Secretary General Takiyuddin gets together with PAS President, Hadi Awang,to ensure a consistent position of the party on Islam, non-Malays and non-Muslims that will not see the party being accused of political hypocrisy and worse.
In the meantime they may want to ponder on the messaging behind the Christmas banner unfurled by a group apparently of their supporters that was recently posted in a friend's blog site. SEE:
https://www.husseinhamid.com/post/saya-dan-haram-mengucapkan-selamat-hari-natal-to-all-our-friends
In response, Hussein Hamid, independent, incisive and intrepid blogger, has replied: Saya dan Haram mengucapkan Selamat Hari Natal to all our friends.
