Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Mahfuz's heavenly reminder: PAS not immigration counter for hereafter
Monday, September 07, 2026
Malaysiakini : As Malaysian politics ventured into the celestial sphere yet again, Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar fired a sarcastic salvo of divine proportions at his former party, reminding PAS that it is not the āgatekeeper to heavenā.
He pointed out that PAS was ānot an immigration counter for the hereafterā responsible for handing out āheaven stampsā to those who sign up as members and vote for it. āHeaven does not belong to PAS. Heaven belongs to Allah,ā he reminded.
Mahfuz was responding to PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassanās statement that supporting or joining PAS can lead a person to heaven. The Amanah leader said that while PAS can encourage people to support and vote for the party, it must be emphasised that PAS was never given a sacred mandate to determine who enters heaven.
āPAS should not behave as though it is the gatekeeper of heaven - those who vote for PAS get the door opened, while those who do not are told to wait outside.
āIf one vote for PAS is indeed a ticket to heaven, I would like to ask directly: Since when did a ballot paper become a passport to the hereafter, and since when was a political party given the power to determine a personās final destination?ā he asked in a statement.
Only Allah knows
Urging politicians against overzealousness, Mahfuz said they should refrain from āturning heaven into currency for buying votesā in their pursuit of power.
āIslam teaches us that a personās standing in the eyes of Allah is determined by faith, piety, good deeds, justice, trustworthiness and the mercy of Allah. Not by the colour of a flag, a party logo or the candidateās number on a ballot paper.
āMore worryingly, statements like this could create the perception that Muslims who choose other parties are somehow on the wrong path and have no place in heaven.
āIf voting for PAS is a ticket to heaven, what then is the fate of Muslims who do not vote for PAS? Does that mean Muslims who are not members, do not vote for and do not support PAS will be deemed to enter hell?ā he asked in a statement.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan
Arguing that statements like Takiyuddinās are not a healthy way of bringing Islam into politics, Mahfuz said the religion is far greater than PAS.
āIf they truly want to make politics a struggle for Islam, then talk about trust, justice, corruption, poverty, education, the welfare of the people and the ethics of governance. Show it through administration and deeds, rather than claiming that support for a political party is a ticket to the hereafter.
āThat is not Takiyuddinās right. It is not PASā right. It is the absolute right of Allah,ā he added.
This is not the first time PAS leaders have invoked divine rewards as part of their political appeal.
The party and its leaders have, on various occasions, sought to frame political support not merely as a choice at the ballot box, but as something carrying religious merit or consequences in the hereafter.
Takiyuddin had said those who died fighting to defend Islam would be regarded as martyrs, rewarded with divine blessings and granted entry into heaven.
He said the phrase ājoining PAS means entering heavenā could be interpreted as political opponents mocking the party, but maintained that PASā struggle was rooted in Islam and aligned with teachings commanded by Allah.
asokkumar : But PAS says so.
āJoining PAS in that way, God willing, we can enter heaven when we die. That is certain, ladies and gentlemen,ā he said.
/file/publisher-c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2026/09/657496f7b5a59eb90a9bdb615aa5acea.jpg "PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan PAS Muktamar event day 2 040926")
