Malaysia in 2011 has many of the trappings of a successful state. Superhighways, reams of soaring skyscrapers, with the dazzling twin Petronas Towers at the center of Kuala Lumpur, usually never fail to impress tourists or visiting foreign dignitaries. These visible signs of progress show Malaysia as a genuine economic success story, but how did this economic success come about?
The truth about this success is not permitted to be published in Malaysia's Muslim slash government controlled press. In actuality, Malaysia's economic growth has little to do with its majority Muslim population, and everything to do with its large, dynamic and entrepreneurial non-Muslim population.
It is this same population that is increasingly marginalized by long-standing government policies that favor Muslims. It is this same group of people that, year after year, increasingly opts out of Malaysia for foreign shores where better opportunities and more enlightened laws beckon. Even the so-called 'infidels' who choose to stay, in the only homeland they have ever known, raise smaller families of typically one or two children. On the other hand, the Malays, as Muslims often do, continue to outbreed their 'non-believer' neighbors, with Malay families often having four, five, or even more children.
The long-term demographic trends are irrefutable. Malays (who are, by legal definition, Muslims) will increasingly become more dominant as the years pass -- from their current bare majority (between 50 and 60%) to higher and ever higher levels. The future Malaysia will see Muslim political and by extension economic power become more secure and essentially unassailable. So, what then? What does the future hold for Malaysia?
The past history of the Middle East and of Islam offers a clue. Malaysia's success corresponds to some extent to the early phases of Islam in the Middle East a millennium ago. This period is often misleadingly called the 'Golden Age of Islam', misleading because much of the glory was either exaggerated, or more accurately, of a borrowed kind. This period, when Islam was at the height of its power, came about only because Islam 'parasited' or otherwise exploited the abilities and knowledge of conquered non-Muslim populations. The so-called "Golden Age of Islam" was in reality the twilight of the pre-Islamic cultures in the Middle East, Asia Minor and North Africa. When the non-Muslim communities in those regions inevitably declined due to Muslim persecution, discrimination, and harassment (as is now happening in Malaysia), those regions declined as well. This part of the world, home to some of the oldest civilizations on earth, slowly succumbed to Islamic backwardness from which it has never recovered.
Take the sad example of Lebanon, which was at one time a reasonably successful and civilized country. However, due to higher Muslim birth rates, relentless Muslim persecution of non-Muslims, and the resulting departure of these persecuted groups, Lebanon's slim non-Muslim (Christian) majority vanished in the past few decades. The result is what we now see -- a country now locked in the death grip of Jihad, Islamic-inspired terror, and Sharia barbarism. Malaysia could well be in for the same fate, as Muslims in this country grow ever more confident, numerous, and aggressive.
Even if Malaysia's political opposition topples the ruling party -- both ruling party and opposition are led by Muslims -- one cannot reasonably expect any change in the situation. Islam will continue to be at or near the center of Malaysia's national life. Harassment and denial of basic rights to women, apostates, gays, and non-Muslims will continue. Erosion of all manner of human rights is inevitable. Shariah will continue to hold sway and increase its power over civil law and courts. The exodus of non-Muslims will continue. The percentage of Muslims in Malaysia's population -- due to births and conversions (forced or otherwise) -- will continue to grow.
Only minimizing or removing Islam from this picture offers the country any real hope. But these are the options that are precisely off the table and are not up for discussion of any kind. The government has made this more than clear by not only by having long criminalized criticism of Islam, but in essence criminalizing dissent as well. Without radical change, Malaysia's future appears unavoidable, and bleak.
Hence, Malaysia's only conceivably useful purpose now for the free world is as a cautionary tale. Malaysia should serve as a warning as to what happens when Muslims become the majority and the final arbiters of a nation's power.
The truth about this success is not permitted to be published in Malaysia's Muslim slash government controlled press. In actuality, Malaysia's economic growth has little to do with its majority Muslim population, and everything to do with its large, dynamic and entrepreneurial non-Muslim population.
It is this same population that is increasingly marginalized by long-standing government policies that favor Muslims. It is this same group of people that, year after year, increasingly opts out of Malaysia for foreign shores where better opportunities and more enlightened laws beckon. Even the so-called 'infidels' who choose to stay, in the only homeland they have ever known, raise smaller families of typically one or two children. On the other hand, the Malays, as Muslims often do, continue to outbreed their 'non-believer' neighbors, with Malay families often having four, five, or even more children.
The long-term demographic trends are irrefutable. Malays (who are, by legal definition, Muslims) will increasingly become more dominant as the years pass -- from their current bare majority (between 50 and 60%) to higher and ever higher levels. The future Malaysia will see Muslim political and by extension economic power become more secure and essentially unassailable. So, what then? What does the future hold for Malaysia?
The past history of the Middle East and of Islam offers a clue. Malaysia's success corresponds to some extent to the early phases of Islam in the Middle East a millennium ago. This period is often misleadingly called the 'Golden Age of Islam', misleading because much of the glory was either exaggerated, or more accurately, of a borrowed kind. This period, when Islam was at the height of its power, came about only because Islam 'parasited' or otherwise exploited the abilities and knowledge of conquered non-Muslim populations. The so-called "Golden Age of Islam" was in reality the twilight of the pre-Islamic cultures in the Middle East, Asia Minor and North Africa. When the non-Muslim communities in those regions inevitably declined due to Muslim persecution, discrimination, and harassment (as is now happening in Malaysia), those regions declined as well. This part of the world, home to some of the oldest civilizations on earth, slowly succumbed to Islamic backwardness from which it has never recovered.
Take the sad example of Lebanon, which was at one time a reasonably successful and civilized country. However, due to higher Muslim birth rates, relentless Muslim persecution of non-Muslims, and the resulting departure of these persecuted groups, Lebanon's slim non-Muslim (Christian) majority vanished in the past few decades. The result is what we now see -- a country now locked in the death grip of Jihad, Islamic-inspired terror, and Sharia barbarism. Malaysia could well be in for the same fate, as Muslims in this country grow ever more confident, numerous, and aggressive.
Even if Malaysia's political opposition topples the ruling party -- both ruling party and opposition are led by Muslims -- one cannot reasonably expect any change in the situation. Islam will continue to be at or near the center of Malaysia's national life. Harassment and denial of basic rights to women, apostates, gays, and non-Muslims will continue. Erosion of all manner of human rights is inevitable. Shariah will continue to hold sway and increase its power over civil law and courts. The exodus of non-Muslims will continue. The percentage of Muslims in Malaysia's population -- due to births and conversions (forced or otherwise) -- will continue to grow.
Only minimizing or removing Islam from this picture offers the country any real hope. But these are the options that are precisely off the table and are not up for discussion of any kind. The government has made this more than clear by not only by having long criminalized criticism of Islam, but in essence criminalizing dissent as well. Without radical change, Malaysia's future appears unavoidable, and bleak.
Hence, Malaysia's only conceivably useful purpose now for the free world is as a cautionary tale. Malaysia should serve as a warning as to what happens when Muslims become the majority and the final arbiters of a nation's power.
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