PAS Ulama Says “Disrespectful” To Ramadan If School Canteens Remain Open, Gets Roasted Online
PAS Ulama Council Chief Datuk Ahmad Yahaya claimed school canteens have always been closed during Ramadan.
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Every time Ramadan rolls around, the debate to keep school canteens open or close to students comes up.
The Education Ministry recently issued a directive to keep school canteens open during Ramadan.
Its minister Fadhlina Sidek said it’s part of the standard operating procedure for school each year to remain open during the holy month.
She said schools must provide guidance and education to non-Muslims to teach them mutual respect for those who were fasting.
The Education Ministry issued the same directive last year to keep school canteens open during Ramadan.
READ MORE: No Need To Close School Canteens During Ramadan, Says Fadhlina
However, this did not sit well with PAS Ulama Council Chief Datuk Ahmad Yahaya who claimed school canteens are typically closed during Ramadan to respect fasting Muslims.
He believes the ministry’s directive was disrespectful towards the holy month of Ramadan. Ahmad suggested that non-Muslim students bring packed meals and eat in “designated areas.”
This doesn’t mean we’re preventing non-Muslim students from eating during the day. It’s also a form of education for them to respect Ramadan while in school. They can bring packed meals and eat in designated areas. That’s sufficient without the need for a directive to open canteens, which is seen as excessive.
PAS Ulama Council Chief Datuk Ahmad Yahaya
Netizens disagree with Yahaya
Netizens immediately debunked Ahmad’s claim that school canteens had always been closed during Ramadan.
Many said school canteens have stayed open for non-Muslims and also for young Muslim students who don’t observe a full fast yet.
They added that the school canteens remained open in the 80s and 90s without issues. Canteens also remained open during the administration of former prime ministers such as Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Netizens shared that it makes no sense to force non-Muslims to suffer and fast simply because their Muslim classmates chose to fast.
They went as far as to ask Ahmad to show which hadith or surah stated that Muslims should bar others from eating in front of people who fast.
Others who fasted in their schooling days said mingling with their non-fasting schoolmates was not an issue. They would talk to their friends at the canteen as usual, perform prayers in the school surau or hangout in the library.
A netizen believes non-Muslim and Muslim students are educated enough about Ramadan and pointed out that Ahmad was the one who needed to rethink things.
Meanwhile, another person claimed this issue is one of the many reasons parents prefer to send their children to vernacular schools as the tolerance is one-sided.
Dulu bila? Masa 80s 90s takde pun kena tutup… We were ok. Yg puasa tahulah bawa diri.
— Jules Fernandez 🇲🇾 (@juliahjohan) March 12, 2024
Mana ada…zaman Najib pun kantin bukak. Zaman Diktator M pun bukak. Zaman Badawi pun bukak. Zaman PM 1-3 PUN bukak.
— Fighter (@ItsJun11) March 12, 2024
Zaman Muhyiddin je tak bukak sebab takde sekolah 😛
Ada jer canteen bukak. Walaun jer tak tahu. Rasa hormat tu memang ada. Tapi korang pun mesti hormat orang lain jugak. Hormat ni bukan satu hala jer. Kena saling hormat menghormati. Itu baru perpaduan
— Mel Lim (@Meranti_Merah9) March 12, 2024
When I was growing up, I used to hang out with my non-Muslim friends in the canteen during Ramadhan.
— Dr Haji Helmy (@dochelmy) March 12, 2024
I didn’t eat or drink, but chatted with them, and reassured them it’s ok to continue eating & drinking.
The person who chose to fast was me. https://t.co/HUfuw5Xfim
I think the students be it Muslim or Non Muslim are well educated enough about Ramadhan. I think this guy is the one who needs some proper education.
— Shahidan Majid (@MajidShahidan) March 12, 2024
Suruh dia tunjuk mana hadis/surah/dalil yg ckp kita kena larang agama lain makan depan kita masa kita tgh puasa.
— ⟭⟬ airaa ⟬⟭ (@_musangPutih) March 12, 2024
Adakah Islam menganjurkan agar kita memaksa org lain menghormati kita? Adakah islam menganjurkan agar org lain terpaksa susah kerana kita?
— Hasnularifin Hassan (@hasnul8286) March 12, 2024
Dulu tu bila? Dulu 2002? Zaman tu kantin buka, hormat tu sama2 hormatlah. Non muslim tak puasa, jd makan kat kantin. Yg kau nak bitter sbb kantin buka dh kenapa? Kau yg tak reti kawal nafsu makan lepas tu nak bitter kantin buka, nak tunggang isu hormat.
— HRS.ASL (@HrsAsl) March 12, 2024
Inilah Syiah versi PAS dia paksa non muslim puasa sekali 🤣 kenapa org cina buat sekolah sendiri , SEBAB PAS SYIAH cakap mahu tileransi tapi hakikatnya mereka paksa non muslim puasa sekali .
— Nazisrael (@ashkeNAZIsrael) March 12, 2024
This is the reason why parents send their children to vernacular schools. Muslims fast, school children of other religions don't have to eat? The oppression towards minority, thinking the world only revolves around you. Other races have to be tolerant but you are not tolerant.
— Dildo Baggins (@dildo_baggins77) March 12, 2024
Kita cuba nk menggambarkan Islam tu agama Rahmah lagi mendidik. Mendidik Anak2 yang puasa lebih menahan diri, memberi ruang pada yang Non Muslim dan yang baru belajar puasa untuk menghargai.
— Fahmi Mahat (@FahmiMahat) March 12, 2024
Payah betul nak appreciate peluang, diorg ni. Tau menghukum je. Lupa pesanan Syed Qutb
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