One Year's Jail: The Cost of Disrespect

A Swiss tourist has been sentenced to a year in prison in Bali for posting Instagram videos boasting that he had broken the rules of Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence. 

Luzian Andrin Zgraggen had filmed himself walking to an empty beach during the observance, smiling at the camera, and in one clip called the scene crazy while swearing in the caption. The video, since removed, was widely reshared and drew anger from Balinese residents. 

Police traced him after public complaints and arrested him the following day at a villa in Legian, a tourist area near Kuta beach. 

The 26-year-old (right) told the court, in a trial that began in June, that he had never meant to insult the holiday or the Balinese people, and that he made the posts while hungry and frustrated at being unable to get food during the shutdown, without fully understanding how far the restrictions went. 

"I deeply regret what I did, I apologise to the Balinese people", he said in his defence plea, according to AP. 

Zgraggen was convicted at the Denpasar district court on August 20, of insulting a religious observance under Indonesia's criminal code. The court found he had made the posts after staff at the villa where he was staying explicitly explained the restrictions to him. 

"What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage", said presiding judge, Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima, according to the Associated Press. "The defendant must be held accountable for his actions". 

Nyepi, marking the Balinese Hindu New Year, fell on March 19 this year. For twenty-four hours, the day is strictly governed by four primary rules (Catur Brata Penyepian):

• Amati Geni: No fire, light, or electricity.
• Amati Karya: No working or physical labor.
• Amati Lelunganan: No traveling or leaving your home/hotel accommodation.
• Amati Lelanguan: No entertainment, loud music, or revelry.

For the Balinese, Nyepi is a sacred day of reflection, restraint, and spiritual renewal. To observe the day, nobody leaves their home or accommodation, except in an emergency. Even Bali's international airport closes entirely, streets are completely emptied, and even local internet access is restricted. Local community watchmen, known as Pecalang, patrol the streets to ensure absolute silence and compliance. Entertainment is restricted, even the use of electricity is discouraged, and residents stock up on food beforehand so they can stay indoors. The rules apply to everyone on the island whatever their religion or nationality. 

While past tourist violations were usually resolved through apologies or immediate deportation, this jail sentence reflects a broader, ongoing crackdown by Indonesian officials targeting foreigners who publicly disrespect local culture.

Holy Mockery

Death rituals seem to be a source of inspiration during the Malaysian election season. 

Kindly check out my July 09 blog post "Shamsul Iskandar Akin's Spook-tacular Stunt", where in the Johor polls last month, we saw a talqin twist in Pakatan Harapan’s campaign. 

Now, Anthony Loke has become the subject of a tahlil by UMNO members, allegedly to mock the DAP secretary-general’s "demise" in the Negeri Sembilan polls after he failed to defend his Chennah seat. 

DAP leader Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali condemned UMNO Youth exco Wan Zuhir Wan Ghazali for posting a video of the tahlil – a prayer gathering for the deceased – that the latter took part in, with the caption: "Doing tahlil for Loke's burial in Chennah. Condolences". 

Calling the move “irresponsible”, Sheikh Umar stressed that religious ceremonies should not be exploited as "material for mockery, insinuation, or a political weapon". 

Wan Zuhir (left), however, denied he had insulted the sanctity of the religion, insisting that since the Islamic matters he mentioned were not part of the teaching’s fundamental principles, he did not disrespect Islam.

😏😏😏

Shamsul Iskandar Akin's Spook-tacular Stunt

Sadly, Malaysia remains shackled by a legacy of corruption. 

More so, its politics is just as contaminated, stained and tainted. Malaysians know all too well that our system is deeply rooted in systemic "money politics" and high-profile embezzlement scandals. 

Who doesn't know about the corporate mafia issue (highly publicized allegations first reported by Bloomberg on February 11, 2026, concerning a web of businessmen colluding with enforcement officials to launch hostile takeovers of public-listed companies). 

Or the Jana Wibawa government contracts scheme (introduced as a Covid-19 economic stimulus program for Bumiputera contractors that resulted in ongoing corruption and money-laundering trials involving former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and other political figures). 

Or the Littoral Combat Ship scandal (the multi-billion ringgit ⁠defence procurement failure in which substantial public funds were spent but major delivery delays occurred. Severe mismanagement was reported, including "dummy" payments to shell companies, overlapping contracts, and the destruction of records to hide irregularities. Millions in project funds were diverted or misused). 

Or the monumentally infamous 1MDB (the gargantuan global kleptocracy scheme, leading to multiple corruption convictions and the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Najib Razak). 

This is just a very SMALL sample to get me started! 

Actually, I want to vent about something which is, in a way, relatable. I reckon it is the most ludicrous thing that just went down. You can't make this stuff up. Prepare yourselves for a very farcical story...

Keadilan (PKR) member Shamsul Iskandar Akin took a dark approach to campaigning for the Johor state polls (July 11), transporting voters into his macabre version of beyond the veil when he delivered a message talqin-style in hopes it’ll sink in. All very theatrical!

In a video posted on social media on Monday, Shamsul, clad in a white robe (jubah) under sombre lighting and with an echoing voice for the full effect, assured voters not to be afraid when approached by BN, Perikatan Nasional, and Parti Bersama Malaysia as they too are just God's creatures (makhluk Allah jua). 

The former senior political secretary to the Prime Minister not only encouraged voters to accept bribes from those parties, but to squeeze as much as they can, so long as they still vote for Pakatan Harapan come polling day. 

"When you are given RM100, ask for RM500”, he said.

[FYI, he, himself, faces a total of five corruption charges totalling RM241,753.03 linked to businessman Albert Tei (Tei Jiann Cheing)!] 

The video, however, did not go down well with the living. Many netizens and even politicians criticised what they saw as an insensitive take on the Islamic ritual traditionally held at a gravesite after a burial. The absurdity of this politician acting to make it as an election gimmick. A big fail!

He has since deleted the video.

Donald Trump Thinks He's Jesus

US President Donald Trump faced a firestorm of condemnation after posting an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus figure and launching a series of social media attacks on Pope Leo XIV.

The image, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform on Sunday and deleted on Monday, showed him in a white robe placing a hand on a man’s head in a scene resembling a healing. It was posted after a separate message in which Trump criticised the pope, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”. 

Later, Trump told reporters that, though he had posted the image, he thought it depicted him “as a doctor”. 

“And had to do with the Red Cross as a Red Cross worker, which we support. And only the fake news could come up with that one”, he said. 

He also said he does not “want a Pope who criticises the President of the United States”.

He must really think Americans are stupid. I suppose, they are, since they did elect him into the White House!

I do think this is a gross act of irreverence! Perhaps, they should crucify him – and then see if he gets up on the third day?!?! 

The irony is that he secured strong support from Christian voters in the 2024 election, including a majority of Catholics, who backed him 56 percent to 42 percent, according to an analysis by political scientist Ryan Burge of Washington University. 

Christians in America, you have lost your marbles if you are still supporting this basket case! 

Arne Slot (right) was so damn confident. He was adamant the Reds could pull off what would be a comeback for the ages when Liverpool faced Paris St-Germain in the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final yesterday. 

Of course, he was talking BS.

Half time: 0-0. Then the European champions scored in the 72nd minute. And for good measure, a second one in the 91st minute. 

2-0 at home and 2-0 away. 4-0 on aggregate. And Liverpool are OUT! This is Liverpool's 17th defeat in 50 games in all competitions this season.

Well done, Slot!

US Troops Told Iran War Is God's Plan

Note: While the US president has broad authority to launch military action without a formal declaration of war, Congress, by law, must be notified within 48 hours of hostilities beginning. 

US military commanders have been invoking extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical “end times” to justify involvement in the Iran war to troops, according to complaints made to a watchdog group. 

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) say they have received more than 200 complaints from service members across all branches of the armed forces, including the marines, air force and space force. 

One complainant, identified as a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in a unit that could be deployed “at any moment to join” operations against Iran, told MRFF in a complaint viewed by the Guardian (March 03, 2026) that their commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ”. 

“He said that ‘President (Donald) Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth’”, the NCO added. 

The NCO’s complaint was filed on behalf of 15 troops, including eleven Christians, one Muslim person and one Jewish person. The complaint was first shared by MRFF with Jonathan Larsen, an independent journalist.

At the All England Open Badminton Championships 2026 – the 116th edition of badminton’s oldest and most prestigious tournament – Malaysia's Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan brushed aside South Korea's Lee Seo Jin-Lee Yeon Woo 21-14, 21-14 in the round of 16 yesterday to progress to the quarterfinals.

On Wednesday, in the round of 32, the Malaysian women's doubles pair had powered past Japan's Chiharu Shida-Arisa Igarashi in straight sets 21-19, 21-13.

Give McDonald's Fish-O-Filet An Upgrade

I'm hooked on McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich! 

And I came across this suggestion that gives this favorite McDonald's menu item a conspicuous upgrade. 

Looking to double or triple the fish on your Filet-O-Fish? Add extra filets. Duh!

Want a British pub-style fish sandwich? Layer french fries in between the buns. 

Want to make it even more special? Pile on crispy strips of bacon, accompanied by lettuce and tomato. This offers a smoky, crunchy, and fresh element that mimics a high-end diner sandwich.

And while you're at it, you can load an extra slice of cheese, smother extra tartar sauce, or substitute tartar sauce for Big Mac sauce to increase richness and umami.

If I'm to combine everything, I bet you it'll be the ultimate comfort food! 🤪🫢🤗

Goodness, I'm feeling hungry now! 😋😋😋

Note: Since the Filet-O-Fish was created for the meatless Fridays of Lent – refer my post yesterday – it's important to note that this customization is not Lent-friendly. 

The 2025/26 Scottish Premiership title race has thrown up more twists and turns than any of its previous instalments. 

Champions Celtic, who have won 13 of the last 14 titles at a canter, have been chasing underdogs Hearts for the majority of the season. A resurgent Rangers, who sacked their head coach, sporting director and chief executive after their worst-ever start to a league campaign, joined the race in the winter. Now, a fourth force could be emerging, as dark horses Motherwell close in on the top three. 

When we examine the table rankings, Hearts sit at the top with 60 points from 28 games, with Rangers coming in second (56 points); Celtic are two points behind their Old Firm rivals in third, while Motherwell are four points further back but the last two have a game in hand. 

For sure, all four managers (featured below) are looking to make history – none of whom were in the post this time last year. 

To be honest, methinks, all four clubs have a more than decent chance of being crowned champions of Scotland.

But my money is on either of the Old Firm to deliver. It has to be noted that Hearts haven't won the league for 66 years. Motherwell's sole top-flight title was in 1932. And nobody outside Glasgow has won it for 41 years.

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish Sandwich: Origin

On February 16, I had blogged about the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Admittedly, it is a personal favorite.

Moreover, this item has become a popular menu item among those looking for a relatively healthy, low-calorie, or high-protein McDonald's menu item. 

It's also a best-seller during Lent, when the fast food behemoth sells approximately 75 million sandwiches in one 40-day period. 

In fact, this religious observation is one of the primary reasons the sandwich was first added to the menu by Lou Groen, the US owner of a franchise in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a neighborhood with a large Catholic population. After noticing how sales decreased during Lent and seeing how other local joints succeeded with fish sandwiches, Groen developed his own version of a fast food fish sandwich, creating a "special batter" for the fish filet. 

His version used a variety of fish that was tender yet somewhat pricey for the time: halibut. 

"I wanted halibut originally", Groen told USA Today. "I was paying $2 a pound for halibut. That sandwich cost me 30 cents apiece to make". 

However, McDonald's wanted to sell the menu item for only 25 cents. 

In the end, Groen was obliged to replace his choice of halibut (Family: Pleuronectidae; genus: Hippoglossus) with Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). 

Nowadays, McDonald's uses Alaskan pollock (Family: Gadidae; genus: Gadus), a species of cod, in their Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. 

I'm not complaining because they're not using Dory fish! I generally avoid this type of fish because it has a reputation for being a product of, or synonymous with, industrial aquaculture. The farming practices have been criticized for poor, overcrowded, and unhygienic conditions.

Dalai Lama Mention In Epstein Files

Very many prominent figures and celebrities from the Silicon Valley elite, people in wealthy circles and academics, politicians, royals, musicians, and actors have appeared in the Epstein files. 

They include former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor; the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton; British supermodel, Naomi Campbell; former chief strategist of the White House, Steve Bannon; former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns; American businessman and philanthropist, Bill Gates; former prime minister and Minister of Defense of Israel, Ehud Barak; German cognitive scientist, Joscha Bach; British business magnate, Richard Branson; American billionaire hedge fund manager, Glenn Dubin; Indian-American New Age guru and alternative medicine advocate, Deepak Chopra; American real estate developer, Andrew Farkas; American rapper, Jay-Z; American economist, former United States secretary of the treasury, and former president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers; American former film producer and sex offender, Harvey Weinstein; Indian businessman, chairman, and managing director of Reliance Group, Anil Ambani; American magician, David Blaine; former UK politician and life peer, Peter Mandelson; American filmmaker, actor, writer, and comedian, Woody Allen and his wife; among many, many others.  

Of course, no wrongdoing is established by merely having their names mentioned in the documents. It should be said that they have also denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein's life and crimes. Yet the revelation of the names in the files released led to what the The Washington Post called "a wave of resignations and investigations".

Another name featured is none other than Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama himself. 

Actually, the Dalai Lama is referenced no less than 157 times in the latest tranche of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by the US Justice Department. 

In an October 21, 2012 email, Epstein is telling a contact via email that he was going to attend an event on an unnamed island, which the Dalai Lama would attend. 

"Yes. First step would be to meet Tenzin. His student who runs the Dalai Lama center and is now a Director's Fellow at the Lab and going to start the ‘ethics initiative’ at the Media Lab. We're working on some cool things like a meeting about cognitive machines and man. I think you'll probably like him. He can get us the Dalai Lama", reads another email sent to Epstein on May 10, 2015. 

In another email the following day, Epstein writes: "I'm working on the dalai lama for dinner". 

American journalist and consultant Michael Wolff, who had acted as an advisor to Epstein, recalled in a podcast with host Joanna Coles for the Daily Beat last July that he met the Dalai Lama at Epstein's Manhattan residence. 

"Did you actually meet the Dalai Lama at Jeffrey Epstein's?" asked Coles. 

"Yeah, indeed", Wolff responded, adding that Epstein met many known figures at that house.

In fact, an 'ND24 Updates' post on Facebook on February 08, 2026 had the Dalai Lama's office stating that they "strongly rejected recent media and social media reports attempting to connect the Tibetan spiritual leader with convicted sex offender #JeffreyEpstein". 

As they say, there's no smoke without fire! 🔥

And here's the said statement: "We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness’s behalf".

Now that is a denial that simply won't stand up. Besides, birds of a feather flock together.

The Buddhist leader has been linked to past controversies, including an incident in 2023 in which he was filmed asking one of his young male students to “suck my tongue”, prompting widespread public backlash. [Read my April 10, 2023 post "Dalai Lama's Inappropriate Behavior"].

Fun fact: The Dalai Lama is a known CIA asset!

God Have Mercy, [V]ladimir [Z]elensky Portrayed as a Saint

Russia has lambasted an icon-like depiction of [V]ladimir [Z]elensky and his aides as a “meme-canonization of the ghouls”. 👻👻👻

The September issue of NV (New Voice of Ukraine) magazine carried a photo-shopped image of the Ukrainian head honcho, his chief of staff Andrey Yermak, and adviser Dmitry Litvin dressed in white robes with halos above their heads and large white wings extending behind them. 

It was reported that the cover story, titled "The Supreme Trinity", had promised readers an inside look at how key decisions are made in [Z]elensky’s office.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (left) wrote her response on Telegram on Thursday that she first thought the image was “fake” and said she was surprised that the Ukrainian media outlet had chosen to portray the trio in the style of Christian iconography. 

In traditional Catholic belief, one can only be declared a saint after death, so Zakharova interpreted the cover as “a subtle hint that the Ukrainian people would agree even to this scenario as long as the [Zelensky] regime departs”. 😆😆😆 

In the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals yesterday, Celtic beat Partick Thistle 4-0. Two goals in each half. 

Benjamin Nygren floated a lovely cross for the unmarked Yang Hyun-jun to nod in at the back post in the twenty-sixth minute. And the Swede again delivered a cross to the near post which was headed home by Liam Scales barely two minutes later. 

Sebastian Tounekti celebrated his first Celtic goal as he drove forward to play a one-two with Kelechi Iheanacho before drilling a shot into the far corner on forty-six minutes. And Luke McCowan charged forward to slot a lovely, angled shot into the far corner of the net in the seventy-ninth minute. 

Actually, the outcome was never really in doubt and as anticipated, Celtic cruised into the last four with the minimum of fuss.

On Wednesday, the Scottish champions will begin their Europa League campaign with a trip to face Red Star Belgrade before hosting Hibernian next Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Donald Trump Imagines Himself as Pope

US President Donald Trump has posted an AI-generated image of himself in papal attire, just days after joking about becoming the next pope. 

The image, shared on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, depicts Trump in white papal robes, a gold crucifix, and a mitre, with his right hand raised in a traditional papal gesture. 

The disrespectful post follows comments Trump made earlier this week to reporters. “I’d like to be pope, that would be my number one choice”, he said in response to questions about potential successors to Pope Francis, who died on April 21. 

He went on to praise Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York as “very good”, though Vatican observers note that the election of an American pope is unlikely. 

The president and First Lady Melania Trump attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome on April 26, which marked his first international trip since returning to office in January.

The final Old Firm derby of the Scottish Premiership season ended in a 1-1 draw today. 

Rangers took the lead in the forty-fourth minute when their forward shrugged off Liam Scales and tucked a low shot past goalkeeper Vijami Sinisalo. But Celtic drew level in the fifty-seventh minute when Adam Idah's powerful shot found the back of the net via a deflection off a Gers player. 

I daresay it was a fairly even game that produced a fair outcome. I guess neither team did enough to win the match.

A Bakery's "Faith-based Convictions" Are "Intentionally Discriminatory"

In the US, an appeals court ruled last week in a suit brought by California's Civil Rights Department that the owner of a bakery who refused to sell a generic wedding cake to a lesbian couple in 2017 violated the law.

The case stemmed from the marriage of Eileen and Mireya Rodriguez-Del Rio, who visited Tastries bakery in Bakersfield to buy a cake for their wedding in August 2017. 

The couple spoke with an employee and selected a pre-designed plain, white, three-tiered cake that the bakery often sells for various celebrations including birthdays and baby showers, according to court filings. 

When the couple returned with friends and family for a tasting the following week, Tastries’ owner Catharine Miller refused to sell the cake upon learning it would be served at a same-sex wedding. 

Miller is a devout Christian who also refuses to make cakes depicting marijuana use or sexual imagery. She later told the courts she has a bakery policy stating that “wedding cakes must not contradict God’s sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman”. 

The couple filed a complaint with the state Civil Rights Department, which sued Miller in 2018. Miller, who is represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, argued her policy was based on her religious beliefs about marriage, not hostility toward LGBTQ people.

A Kern County judge sided with her, ruling that Miller’s policy did not violate the state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act because it applies to all customers, and because Miller referred the couple to another bakery that had previously agreed to sell cakes to same-sex couples (but which the Rodriguez-Del Rios had already ruled out). 

The state appealed the decision last year, and a three-judge panel of the 5th Appellate District reversed it in a unanimous ruling. The judges ruled Miller’s policy is not neutral because it could only apply to customers on the basis of their sexual orientation. They also ruled that reproducing a plain cake with no writing or decorations that Miller would have sold to anyone else does not count as being forced to express support for a same-sex wedding. 

“Drawing the contours of protected speech to include routinely produced, ordinary commercial products as the artistic self-expression of the designer is unworkably overbroad”, the judges wrote. 

Miller, through a spokesperson at the Becket Fund, declined to comment. In a statement, her attorney and Becket Fund vice president Eric Rassbach said Miller would continue to run the bakery while they appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.

Berjaya Food Bhd reported Friday their fifth straight quarterly loss, blaming pro-Palestine boycott against American brands as the reasons behind their financial struggles. 

The group, which operate the Starbucks and Kenny Rogers franchise in Malaysia, reported a pre-tax loss of RM67.09 million in the six-month period ending December 31, 2024. Their pre-tax revenue in that period was RM247.3 million – a whopping 46 percent steep fall from RM461.09 million in the same period the previous year.

Monkey King Worshiped as God in Fuzhou

Most Chinese associate the Monkey King (or Qi Tian Da Sheng) with the monkey-turned-demon-slayer in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) epic novel. 

 

But in Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province, he is worshiped as a tutelary deity. 

According to China Daily, the origin of the Monkey King belief has many versions: ape worship, a monkey Buddha, a monkey demon converted by a goddess into the heavenly cause – there are a thousand Monkey Kings in a thousand priests' eyes due to a lack of historical records. 

 

One thing is certain: people in Fuzhou were worshiping the Monkey King long before the classic literary work "Journey to the West" made the dramatis personae a household name. Historical records suggest the city had a temple for the monkey in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Some academics say the belief can be traced to the ancient worship of apes. 

 

"Prehistoric Chinese in the mountains worshiped monkeys. The powerful Monkey King figure in the novel met the believers' expectation for an almighty god and made the belief more popular", according to Gan Mantang, a sociology professor at Fuzhou University. 

 

Vague as his identity might be, the monkey god never lacks followers. 

 

Belief in the Monkey King is prominent in Fujian Province, and in Fuzhou, he is worshiped in about 700 to 800 temples, it is claimed. 

 

In the 1990s, Qitian Temple the temple regarded as the Monkey King's "ancestral temple" on Fuzhou's Pingshan Mountain registered 243 offshoot temples, including in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.

 

 

 

No Long Sermons, Please

Good grief! Pope Francis (right) on June 12 called on Catholic priests to keep their homilies as brief as possible!

 

The homily or sermon is the address in which a priest comments on a reading from the Bible. 

 

A homily, he said, was meant to transfer the word of God from the book to life. "But for this, the homily must be brief: an image, a thought and a sentiment", he spoke at his weekly general audience. 

 

"The homily must not go beyond eight minutes, because after that time, attention is lost and people go to sleep, they fall asleep and they are right to do so", the 87-year-old pontiff added. 

 

"And I want to say this to priests, who talk a lot, very often, and one does not understand what they are talking about", he continued in a light-hearted tone. 

 

This is not the first time the head of the Catholic Church has offered such advice. In 2023, he described long homilies as a "disaster".

 

Of course, the congregation deserves better! May I suggest these learned preachers gain competency in public speaking? Better still, get a copy of "The Diamond in Your Speech"! 😁😁

 

 

Potato Chips for Communion Sparks Catholic Outrage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A potato chip commercial that features nuns receiving the crispy snacks for communion is outraging Catholics in Italy.

 

The spot by Amica Chips features doe-eyed young nuns inside a convent delighting that their communion wafer, known as the host, is actually a potato chip. A mother superior figure looks on as the nuns giggle, and it is revealed that it was her that substituted the hosts for potato chips in the box where communion wafers are kept, called a tabernacle. 

 

Catholics believe the communion wafer represents the body and blood of Christ. 

 

Giovanni Baggio, the head of AIART, a Catholic group that monitor Italian radio and television, called the ad a “blasphemy”. In a statement, Baggio said the 30-second commercial was “outrageous” and that it “offends the sensitivity of millions of practicing Catholics by trivializing the comparison between the potato chip and the consecrated object”. 

 

The Catholic newspaper Avvenire also criticized the ad in an editorial: “Christ has been reduced to a potato chip. Debased and vilified like 2,000 years ago”. 

 

Amid the backlash, Italy’s advertising standards authority, the IAP, announced an order for the commercial to be taken off air. Amica Chips have seven days to appeal the decision, during which time broadcasts will continue. The order does not apply to online placements. 

 

Social media users also reacted in horror to the ad. 

 

“This is blasphemy! Respect Our Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!” wrote one Instagram user. 

 

Another said: “You don’t play with God. To my Italian friends, I suggest a total boycott of this company”. 

 

One user said Amica Chips had “offended all the Catholics of the world”, and another accused the company of “a very serious lack of respect”. 

 

Amica Chips did not reply to a request for comment.

The Case of Two Lions Named Akbar and Sita

The government of India’s northeastern state of Tripura has suspended the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife and ecotourism), Prabin Lal Agrawal, following a row over the naming of a zoo lion and lioness as Akbar and Sita. 

 

The suspension came after a complaint was filed by the right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Indian media reported on Monday. 

 

While Sita is a deity married to Lord Ram in the Indian epic Ramayana, Akbar was a 16th-century Muslim emperor of the powerful Mughal dynasty that ruled India and is seen as ‘invaders’ by some Hindus. 

 

The VHP, in their plea heard by the Kolkata High Court, claimed that religious sentiments were being hurt by housing the two animals together at the Bengal Safari Park. The duo was transferred from Tripura’s Sepahijala Zoological Park to the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri, West Bengal on February 12. 

 

The court said that animals should not be named after any religious deities or figures. 

 

“Why should you draw controversy by naming a lioness and a lion after Sita and Akbar?” Justice Saugata Bhattacharya, who weighed in on the case, was quoted by PTI news agency as saying.

 

“Sita is worshiped by a larger section of this country”, the judge stated. “I also oppose naming the lion after Akbar. He was an efficient, successful, and secular Mughal Emperor” . 

 

The court called on the state government to consider renaming the lioness to avoid controversy. 

 

The lawyer representing the state, meanwhile, said the lion and lioness were born in Tripura in 2018 and 2016 respectively, but no protest was made about the names. 

 

The seven-year-old Akbar and five-year-old Sita were taken to Siliguri as a part of an animal exchange program along with other animals, including two langurs, two leopard cats, and four blackbucks. India has another big cat named Sita – a white tiger in the Delhi Zoological Park.

Chinese Lion Dance in Malaysia

Check out China's CGTN report on the Chinese lion dance in Malaysia. 

 

Originally from China, lion dance is an ancient art that has become deeply ingrained in Malaysia's multi-ethnic society. Lion dance troupes across Malaysia train tirelessly to perfect their skills, allowing them to thrill their audiences with their dazzling moves and performances. 

 

Malaysia is particularly well known for its acrobatic lion dance, and today more and more young Malaysians are getting curious to give it a try.

 

My post "Malaysia's Apex Court Strike Down 16 Provisions in Kelantan Syariah Criminal Enactment" published Sunday refers. 

 

The menteri besar of neighboring state, Terengganu, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar says his government will examine all aspects of the state’s syariah criminal law to ensure it does not contradict federal law, as reported by FMT yesterday. 

 

[Note that Terengganu, like Kelantan, is governed by the opposition PAS].

 

A prudent move by the Chief Minister.

Malaysia's Apex Court Strike Down 16 Provisions in Kelantan Syariah Criminal Enactment

Malaysia’s apex court have ruled that 16 Islamic laws in the northeastern state of Kelantan are unconstitutional in a landmark decision that could have major implications for the country’s legal system. 

 

By an 8-1 majority, the Federal Court ruled on Friday that the Kelantan state government did not have the power to enact the laws, on offences from sodomy to sexual harassment, possession of false information, intoxication and scale measurements, because they were already covered in civil law and were the responsibility of the federal parliament.

 

Malaysia is a federal country where states have jurisdiction over laws related to Islam, the official religion. It also operates a dual legal system where Islamic law applies to Muslims, who make up just over 60 percent of the population, in personal and family matters, as well as the practice of their religion. All other offences are handled by the civil courts. 

 

Kelantan, seen as the heartland of ethnic Malay Muslim culture, has been ruled by the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) since 1990. 

 

“The power of parliament and state legislatures are limited by the Federal Constitution and they cannot make any laws they like”, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mai was quoted as saying by Malaysia’s BFM radio as she delivered the findings of the nine-judge panel.

 

The case was brought in 2022 by Kelantan lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid (far left) and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman (left) after the state government passed a new set of laws on Islamic offences. 

 

The two challenged the constitutionality of 18 of the laws arguing that they were beyond the jurisdiction of the state assembly and already covered by parliament. 

 

The Federal Court did not strike down two other laws and the Chief Justice (right) stressed that the two women had not brought the case to challenge the position of Islam or the Islamic legal system. 

 

The Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) are expecting an increase in Japanese seafood exports to Malaysia this year in view of the boom in the tourism industry, the weak yen as well as expectations of better economic growth in the country. 

 

Based on the latest official government trade statistics from Japan, Japan exported 4.369 billion yen (100 yen = RM3.18) of marine products, such as fish, fish eggs, crustaceans and canned marine products, to Malaysia from January to December 2023, a 16 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022.

 

Malaysian media said that during an official visit by his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had been reassured of the negligible radiological impact from the discharge of the treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant and would continue importing Japanese products!

 

Sorry, I don't believe Kishida!