8 hours ago
Shia flags flying in Malaysian streets trigger sectarian debate online
IT IS hard not to hear about the Israel and Iran war which has been raging on the news. An exceedingly vocal president of the United States Of America on X certainly helped sensationalise all that and more.
But where do we stand in this great war that is far, far away from Malaysian shores, or according to Google AI, approximately 6,036 km away.
This is a question best answered by a recent viral video where a convoy supporting the Islamic states could be seen cruising across the Malaysian streets.
They ranged from Iran, Palestine, Hesbollah and many others. Netizens, however, were not impressed by the show of support since Iran and its allies were dominantly Shia, which are the mortal enemies of the Sunni Muslims. This is understandable, since the majority of Malaysian Muslims are Sunni.
Suasana malam tadi di sekitar KL.
— ًِ (@bckupacc99) June 22, 2025
Take it from netizen @adambennetttt_ who said flying a Hezbollah and IRGC flag is another level of delusion.
According to him, women in Iran get killed just for not wearing a hijab. According to him, Iran doesn't care about Palestinians when the Israelist are killing them.
However, @SonOfLenin69 disagreed, pointing out that Iran continued to fight against Israel through Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi which were their proxies.
'And just like that Shia slowly enters into the heart of the Malaysian people,' pointed out @FeisiTangg.
Replying to his comment was an incredulous @sonotmez who said, 'You become Shia just by holding a flag?'
'It is okay because it is not a China flag,' said @TVivivanne.
@kapastulin further pointed out that these people could support the middle east but they had trouble fulfilling their Zakat obligation.
'This is how the B40 spend their weekend,' added @ZzackIzzat.
On a separate note, Malaysian representation in Iran is at an all time low. Only 13 Malaysians remain in Iran as regional tensions continue to escalate, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed.
Among them are five students, while the rest include Malaysians who reside, work, or are visiting the country.
One of the individuals is a tourist, another is employed in Iran, and six are long-term residents. There is also a permanent resident of Malaysia who holds Iranian citizenship and has chosen to stay.
According to the minister, three Malaysians who had initially agreed to evacuate changed their minds at the last minute and decided to remain in Iran.
The Foreign Ministry continues to monitor the situation and stands ready to assist remaining Malaysians in Iran should conditions worsen. —June 23, 2025
Main image: @bckupacc99 (X)
