Why do people sometimes love to show how ignorant and foolish they are?

Take the controversy about hotdogs in Malaysia. Yes, I am talking about those long, round objects commonly known as sausage, served in a sliced bun with your condiment of choice. They are made from ground meat, pink slime (low-grade meat trimmings, cartilage, sinew, etc., and a shot of bacteria-killing ammonia), spices and preservatives. Hmmm, appetizing ya? Not!

Hotdog sausages can be made of pork, but in Muslim countries obviously they are made of beef. Nevertheless, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department felt it necessary to change the name of hotdogs because dogs are considered unclean, and “the name cannot be related to halal certification”. 

Hotdogs by any other name are not really “clean” anyway (when you consider what they are made of), so why make a fuss about the name when the health hazards of hotdogs are still there, even if they were called “Heavenly-bliss sticks”?

As Malaysian Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz said, “Hotdog is hotdog lah”, slamming the ruling, calling it “stupid and backward”. Phew, at least there are still sane and sensible Malaysians around, at least when it comes to hotdog naming.

Indonesians are certainly not exempt from these flagrant displays of ignorance and intolerance. The current example of the rage and violent protest against Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, the incumbent Jakarta governor, is a case in point.

For conservative and radical groups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Hizbut Thahrir, it’s a knee-jerk reaction to reject an infidel, i.e. non-Muslim leader, which Ahok as a Christian, is, in their eyes. This rage reached boiling point when Ahok said that the electorate should not let themselves be fooled (dibohongi) by Al-Maidah 51, a verse in the Quran that is commonly interpreted as Muslims not being allowed to be ruled by non-Muslim leaders. 

Oops! Sure it was not cool that Ahok used the word dibohongi, but I reckon it was just a slip of the tongue. Ahok is not known for his diplomatic style, if anything, he’s famous for shooting his mouth out (see “Ahok: His potty-mouth, performance and presidential bid”, in The Jakarta Post, April 8, 2015). 

Predictably, Ahok was accused of blasphemy, and rallies and demonstrations all around Indonesia — not just in Jakarta — have continuously been held demanding that Ahok be taken in, tried and punished. 

Of his own volition, Ahok went to the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), to explain and also to apologize. Having been educated in Islamic schools in his native Bangka-Belitung, he is well-versed in Islam and in many public talks, he has been known to recite verses from the Quran — in Arabic. So he slipped up once, is it a reason to hang him? Considering that he’s running for governor of Jakarta, does it make sense that he would deliberately want to anger his Muslim constituents? 

Rather than being obsessed with one wrong statement, shouldn’t people focus more on Ahok’s performance as Jakarta governor?

From what I have heard, seen, and in my own experience, Jakarta has improved considerably since Ahok became governor. 

No longer are there unauthorized collection fees — the erstwhile ubiquitous pungli (pungutan liar), which used to be synonymous with government bureaucracy. 

Getting administrative matters sorted out, which used to take months, now takes only a few days. Government officials are much more serving in their attitude whereas in the past they were like little kings who wanted to show their power, forcing you to go back and forth if you needed something from them. 

Queues are also much shorter because government office staff are working more efficiently. That is because their salaries have been raised and there are clear incentives and punishments for government officials and staff for their performance or lack thereof. 

Even low-level staff who previously were only paid Rp 800,000 (about US$60) per month, now get a decent Rp 3 million. 

Jakarta is far from perfect, but in so many ways it has become better, cleaner, more efficient and livable in as much as a huge, bustling, teaming, overpopulated metropolitan city like Jakarta can be.

The case of blasphemy is most likely just a political move by Ahok’s opponents. Why, when it comes to being critical of religion, Ahok has also been critical of Christianity, saying it’s a stupid religion because everyone goes to heaven in the end, whatever they do. He contrasted it with Islam, which he says makes more sense because it has a clear system of rewards and punishments.

Political Islam has been trying to gain power through various means since independence in 1945, and targeting Ahok is just one in a long stream of actions and maneuvers to gain social and political influence. It’s quite possible that the demonstrators are being paid to create unrest and hatred anyway.

Indonesia claims to be the fourth-largest democracy in the world, but are we? If we are, it is a democracy that is filled with people who are racist, tribal and religiously intolerant. Democracy is merely a procedure: free competition for a free vote. 

Jakartans can democratically express their intolerance by voting Ahok out simply because he is a double-minority.

This is also happening in the US with the rise and popularity of Trump, who is clearly a personification of intolerance, bigotry, evil and so many things anathema to a civilized, democratic society. If he gets voted in as US president — heaven forbid — it would have been through democratic procedures. Should the situation in the US make us feel better? If anything, it should make us worry even more.

In relation to Ahok, Quraish Shihab, a well-known Islamic scholar, asked the question: if you as a Muslim, were flying in a plane, would you overlook an infidel who was a competent pilot, in favor of a Muslim pilot who was much less qualified? 

Unfortunately, conservatives and radicals would choose the Muslim, even if it means the risk — or certainty — of crashing. 

What does democracy give you if the majority of voters are racist, intolerant and stupid? You get racist, intolerant and stupid outcomes. Democracy gives it the appearance of legitimacy, but it is appearances only. 

Hotdogs by any name are still harmful to your health. Bigotry by any method — even democratic ones — is still bigotry. 

***

The writer is the author of Julia’s Jihad.

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