Residing in Malaysia, broaching the subject of religion can be rather delicate, given that many have faced accusations of showing disrespect towards religious beliefs, while others have cynically used it to gain popularity.
In our multiracial nation, harmonious coexistence and mutual respect for each other's religions have traditionally been the norm, often culminating in the joint celebration of festive occasions. However, regrettably, this harmonious spirit appears to elude certain individuals.
Young Malaysian Uses Christianity As His Aesthetics
Lately, a young Malaysian caught the attention of a Twitter user who uses the handle Wentour or @cass48374. This individual posted a series of tweets unveiling someone's disrespectful behaviour towards Christianity. The hope expressed was that the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) would initiate suitable actions against the individual in question, including their arrest.
According to the Twitter thread, a young individual named Razeeq has come under scrutiny for posting offensive content on both his Instagram and TikTok accounts. As per the original poster (OP), this issue began a couple of months ago when Razeeq shared pictures on his TikTok account featuring himself and a friend posing beside graves in a Christian cemetery late at night. This act prompted criticism, with many condemning it as an offensive "photoshoot" that displayed a lack of respect for the deceased.
Despite facing substantial backlash in the comments section of his TikTok posts, Razeeq remained unapologetic and refused to acknowledge his wrongdoing. The controversy centres around his affinity for metal music, and he sought to emulate photos by artists who often incorporate Christian imagery in their album covers, music videos, and promotional photoshoots. An individual claiming to know Razeeq personally came forward to offer an apology on his behalf. However, despite their attempts to advise him, these efforts proved unsuccessful.
Within the thread, the OP included screenshots of comments made by TikTok users, illustrating Razeeq's reactions to most of those comments. Some of these comments were highly critical, to the point where the OP's initial call-out of Razeeq on TikTok resulted in the suspension of the user's account. It's worth noting that some of Razeeq's comments were also notably harsh in tone.
In the posts that Razeeq shared, one of them included a photo featuring a screenshot from a page of a Batman comic titled "The Blasphemy of Batman." In this comic page, the beloved DC superhero Batman is depicted observing a bloodied and vandalized statue of Jesus Christ within a church.
Concluding the thread, the Twitter user expresses their hope that the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) will initiate suitable actions against Razeeq. The user emphasizes their belief that every religion imparts valuable teachings, and it falls upon individuals to propagate those messages positively.
Netizens Criticize Razeeq
At the time of writing, the post has accumulated more than 679.7k views, over 5.6k reposts, and more than 5k likes on the platform. Numerous Malaysian Christians and Muslims also participated in the comments section, expressing their condemnation of Razeeq's actions as a form of disrespect towards religion.
Here’s some of the comments:
Buat repot rasmi kepada polis & MCMC. Baru boleh tindakan diambil.
— Ahmad Muzhir ; 🇲🇾 (@ahmadmuzhir) October 1, 2023
It’s either this or dia kna bnned atau dia pgi switch acc buat hal kt situ. But either way,this guy has always been like this. So mmang tknk bg dia trlepas.
— Wentour (@cass48374) October 1, 2023
Muka macam penolong kanan hal ehwal murid pun acah blackmetal
— AL (@ciraplaici) October 1, 2023
Aku rasa dia dah kena rasuk, mungkin kena panggil pak ustaz tolong ruqyah kat telinga dia
— Asraf (@Asraflah) October 1, 2023
Orang camni kau hujahlah camana sekali pun dia tetap akan rasa diri dia lagi better dari semua orang.. Moga PDRM ambil berat isu ni!
— SpanishLatte (@SpanishCoffee_) October 1, 2023
Following the viral spread of the issue on Twitter, it appears that Razeeq has deactivated both his Instagram and TikTok accounts. This action suggests that Razeeq may have realized the magnitude of trouble he could be in due to the posts. Currently, there has been no official statement from the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) regarding the matter, and Wentour has not provided any further updates on the issue.
It's important to emphasize that making light of or using one's religion as part of an "aesthetic" lifestyle is not a respectful way to treat any religion. Hopefully, authorities will thoroughly investigate this issue, and justice can be served accordingly.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media & various cross-references for context.
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