Brickbat: Good to the Last Drop

American Water Works Association

Education officials in Malaysia say that reports a teacher told non-Muslim students they should drink their urine during Ramadan are not true. Officials say that the teacher merely told those students to respect the fasting of their Muslim peers and go to the toilet if they needed to drink water.

Comments

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Oh, well, the original story sounded like the teacher was being a dick, but this clarification makes everything better.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Oh, and the drink-from-the-toilet teacher is the *real* victim here:

"Tajul Urus said parents should go to the school to get an explanation from the teacher first before making a blind statement without first checking the facts and which could touch on sensitive issues which were racial in nature.

"He said they should have sought an explanation first before rushing to take action which resulted in the teacher getting threats and having to make a police report today."

[Adans smith]

So,going to lap up water like a dog? I guess this teacher showed them who's boss.

[Agammamon]

You know that's not what that sentence means? Right.

Most of the world does not call a bathroom/restroom that. The *whole* bathroom is called a 'toilet'.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

So drinking from the tap is halal?

Maybe I read it wrong.

[Agammamon]

Why wouldn't it be? Well, it is *Islam* so it may well not be.

But is there some reason why it would be wrong to fill a cup from the sink? Its certainly not as good as from a chilled water fountain, but you can't reliably assume that the school has one anyway.

In any case, I think its more along the lines of telling the students to go to an easily available *private* area to drink to not offend the sensibilities of their Muslim classmates, not a directive to drink from the *actual* toilet.

Wouldn't, shouldn't fly here, but we're not an explicitly Muslim country either.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"Clean as a Malaysian public-school toilet" is like a proverb in the region.

[[e-mail]]

Oh, for the love of Pete! Now, we're not supposed to even drink WATER in front of a Muslim??? Well, tough beans! If they don't like (or can't handle) seeing other people eat and drink during Ramadan, they can just turn their head or close their dang eyes! "m sick and tired of being told I have to kowtow to these.......people. If life is THAT difficult here as a Muslim, then I suggest you move to one of the countries that's run by Muslims.

[[e-mail]]

Oh, for the love of Pete! Now, we're not supposed to even drink WATER in front of a Muslim??? Well, tough beans! If they don't like (or can't handle) seeing other people eat and drink during Ramadan, they can just turn their head or close their dang eyes! "m sick and tired of being told I have to kowtow to these.......people. If life is THAT difficult here as a Muslim, then I suggest you move to one of the countries that's run by Muslims.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Malaysia *is* run by Muslims.

[Agammamon]

Forget it GKC - its a grandpa who can't even figure out how to keep the email address separate from the user handle.

He's probably on Facebook right now, typing in 'hot schoolgirls' in his status update block.

[Mr. Paulbotto]

I lolled

[John C. Randolph]

And they're notorious for their discrimination against their Chinese Buddhist minority.

-jcr

[Notorious G.K.C.]

"Teacher, today we non-Muslims observe *our* sacred customs. You see, it's Pepsi and BLT Day in our religion, when we drink soft drinks and eat bacon sandwiches. As part of our custom, we smack our lips as we drink and say "aaaah...refreshing!" and as we eat our sandwiches we say, "mmm...bacon...it smells so good!"

[JeremyR]

And then immediately get lynched by a mob, probably led by the teacher.

That's really the difference between Islam and other religions (except maybe Hinduism) - you not only have people saying crazy stuff, the devout believer can be whipped up into a murderous mob to enforce that crazy stuff.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Look, if all the teacher meant was "drink from the tap in the bathroom sink," then I guess it's not *quite* as bad as I thought...

[Notorious G.K.C.]

But in the interests of fairness, I presume the Muslim students are expected to respect the Christians' religion - eg, by putting up with them wearing crosses?

[AlmightyJB]

As long as you're ready to meet Allah sans head you can wear whatever you want.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Don't make fasting easy. It's not supposed to be easy. If I was Allah I would be super pissed at this guy.

[AlmightyJB]

-1 virgin

[invisible furry hand]

I wished my Muslim mate Ramadan Mubarak, and then said I'd eat a cronut in front of her every goddamn day. She thought that was pretty funny. Guess Allah must be annoyed I haven't gone through with it

[Swiss Servator, Holzhacker]

Cronut?! THAT BREAKFAST FOOD IS MISCEGINATED!!!

[AlmightyJB]

I have never had one:(

[Agammamon]

Its was a directive to the *non-Muslim* students - who are not bound by the fasting requirement.

Lot's of Muslims in the ME understand that not everyone follows their religion - cab drivers will even take you to places where you an eat and drink during the day - they just demand you keep those preversions out of sight.

[freeAgent]

I would be infuriated if someone told me to drink my own urine, but asking me to drink my own urine OR just drink toilet water is totally different and unoffensive.

[Rich]

respect the fasting of their Muslim peers and go to the toilet if they needed to drink water.

So, fasting Muslims don't go to the toilet?

[Jen G.]

This is one of those things where I am torn. In a culture that practiced actual tolerance of each other, being cognizant of how your behavior, while not illegal, might impact others is just common courtesy. Normally, I'd be all for it.

Malaysia, however, is not well-known for it's tolerance. It also must be a purely voluntary restraint, not one suggested by an authority who is part of the dominant culture. When you add the last two facts into the equation it is clearly an attempt to force a minority to outwardly comply with the majorities religious sensibilities without any reciprocity.