Rizal Doesn’t Deserve This

By Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star)

A Twitter message caused a stir in Kuala Lumpur political circles last week. Two reasons. It sullied the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal. And it allegedly was tweeted by Dato Zainab, wife of Malaysian envoy to Manila Dr. Ibrahim Saad.

Translated from Bahasa Twitter-speak, it went “That’s usual. Anwar Ibrahim is clearly pro-Christian, an admirer of Jose Rizal the infidel Malay! Oh yes, don’t forget…”

(Original: “@BikMama2U: @datozainab Biasala tu, @anwaribrahim mmg pro-Kristian, pemuja Jose Rizal si Melayu kafir tu! Oh ya, jgn lupa…” See http://twitter.com/datozainab/status/92163428017373184)

The tweet spoke of Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister, now Malaysia’s Opposition head. He is visiting Manila to lecture Friday at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Topic: the influences of Rizal and Ninoy Aquino on ASEAN leadership. The event is timed with the yearlong celebration of Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary. August marks the martyrdom of Ninoy (1983) and the passing of wife President Cory (2009).

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s long-ruling party loathes Anwar so, and is striving to deflate his political clout. In 1999 Razak’s mentor, PM Mahathir Mohamad, charged Anwar with corruption and sodomy. In jail Anwar was so inspired by Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo that he read the novels twice. The court acquitted him in 2004, but with a caveat to shun politics for five years. He sat out the 2008 federal election, yet his party won unprecedented five of 13 states. Weeks later he was indicted anew for sodomy.

Witnesses have flip-flopped; still trial is to begin this August 8. In 2010 Anwar won a special parliament poll, and came close to snatching the PM post by seven votes. Meanwhile, Razak is under fire for hundred-million-euro kickbacks as defense minister in a 2002 submarine purchase, and the murder of a Mongolian model. Three weeks ago riot squads broke up a protest in Kuala Lumpur, aiming teargas canisters at Anwar’s head. One hit an aide marching beside him in the eye.

Calling Rizal an “infidel Malay” is insolent, to say the least. He is honored in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines as “The First Malay.” In the late 1800s long before independence revolutions, he had advocated equal treatment by British colonialists of Malays, the Dutch of Indonesians, and Spaniards of Filipinos. Shrines, parks and halls dedicated to Rizal abound in Malaysia (and Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka, North and South America, Germany, Belgium, England, Russia and Spain).

Rizal is described as the “pride of the Malay race” for his prolific works. He was a painter, sculptor, sportsman, educator, doctor, biologist, novelist, essayist, diarist and poet. He spoke many languages, mostly European, but also Malay, Chinese, Hebrew, Arabic, and his native Tagalog.

Though born a Catholic, Rizal fought the Spanish friars, calling “a double-faced Goliath” the corrupt religionists and abusive colonialists. Extremist Muslims use “kafir” derogatorily to refer to non-Muslims, as in, “all infidels must die.” Overzealousness breeds Islamist terrorists, like the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu-Basilan, who in turn incite Christian right-wingers like the recent Norway massacrer. If true that a diplomat’s wife is defiling the memory of Rizal as “infidel,” then it not only drives a fanatical religionist wedge in Southeast Asian ties. It also derides global peace efforts through interfaith dialogue.

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