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If the sex-centred content of Alvivi – who have since reconciled and discussed reprising their tag-team – was a sort of oblique critique of the prevailing values in Malaysia (the lack of freedom of expression, the increasing hold of Islamic morality on civic life) then Tan's posts from the USA have made that criticism explicit. He has gone on the offensive (definitely the mot juste in this case) against what he calls a "hellish failed state bat-shit-crazy Islam craphole", last month stirring fresh outrage with a garbled R&B cover version of the Azan, the Muslim call to prayer. The video went viral and prompted renewed calls for his extradition. He was interviewed by the BBC. Unrepentant and insouciant as ever, the former law student again goaded the authorities with their faulty understanding of the concept of "jurisdiction" and their attempts to charge him in absentia, while mocking the requests of Malaysia's "internet police" (MCMC) that YouTube and Facebook take his videos down.In his own words, Tan is "trolling Islam", which he considers the greatest counter-democratic force in his homeland. However, he is adamant that his problem with Islam is not as a faith per se, but as a "political ideology", which, given its increasingly prevalent role in public life, makes it a legitimate target of political satire. "Sure, I'll respect your right to practice your religion," he has said, "but when you use your religion as a basis of government, your religion is no longer a matter of personal choice and personal faith. It affects everyone's lives, especially including non-believers, so your religion is now in effect a POLITICAL SYSTEM, A POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. You mean to say I can't criticise political ideas? What ass-backward horseshit is this? Suddenly, just because you slap the name of God on it, a political ideology becomes so sacred that it can't be discussed or criticised, even though in practice it's nothing more than a way to control people's lives?"READ ON VICE NEWS: Malaysia Reintroduces Indefinite Detention to Stop 'Terrorists' – and Maybe to Quell Opposition
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