Canadians who allegedly posed naked on Mount Kinabalu barred from leaving Malaysia

Ok, let me sum up what is going on here:

Two Canadians visiting Malaysia are being charged with violating Malaysian laws by posing nude in front of 'a sacred mountain,' and are being barred from leaving until due process is played out. I understand that one must obey the laws of the land despite not agreeing with them, especially as a visitor, but here is where the story gets strange: Apparently, the Deputy Chief Minister of Malaysia has accused the tourist of offending the spirit of the mountain by posing nude in front of the mountain thus causing the earthquake.

Being charged for posing nude in public which is against the law of the land is one thing. Being accused that the EQ was the result of their actions by the Deputy Chief Minister of Malaysia is crazy IMO. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill!

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan blamed the tragedy on a group of 10 foreigners who “showed disrespect to the sacred mountain” by posing naked at the peak last week. He said a special ritual would be conducted later to “appease the mountain spirit.”

Officials have said a group of foreigners – including two Canadians – broke away from their entourage and stripped naked before taking photos at the mountain peak on May 30.

globalnews.ca...

www.cbc.ca...

One of the Canadians being charged has responded making matters more interesting:

CANADIAN NUDIST ACCUSED OF CAUSING EARTHQUAKE RESPONDS TO MALAYSIA: ‘F YOUR CULTURE’

A Canadian man claiming to be one of a group of international tourists being sought for arrest in Malaysia after stripping on top of “sacred” Mount Kinabalu has responded to accusations by Malaysian politicians on Facebook that he and his peers triggered a deadly earthquake with their insolence. Responding to death threats from Malaysian believers, Emil Kaminski wrote on Facebook, “f*ck your culture.”

Alrighty then...from the frying pan into the fire.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun agreed, vowing that Malaysia would “kick them out and ban them” from the region and that local religious officials were preparing a ceremony “to appease the spirits as soon as possible.”

For that remark, Kaminski called Masidi an “idiot” and “dildo” on his Twitter page. Masidi responded, stating, “it takes a monkey to call another person a monkey.” Kaminski’s travel blog is called Monkeetime Video. While much of his account is dedicated to his travel exploits, it also boasts an aggressively anti-religion– particularly anti-Islamic– stance, including a post comparing Islam to Nazism and one using the hashtag #F*ckthePope. He appears to be a staunch supporter of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

As a result of Kaminski’s antics, climbing has been suspended on the mountain, where travel guides claimed the visitors also “urinated in improper places.”

I think he's pissing off more than just the Mountain Spirit...

www.breitbart.com...

I bet if someone told them in their past that one day they would be accused of causing an earthquake they would of laughed.

Just passing the news along.

Sounds like their attitude is what is getting them into the most trouble. When you are in a foreign country, you should respect their laws and traditions and by no means piss off the people who are policing the area or influential government officials..

And suddenly a monster quake happens ......im just waiting for that

a reply to: Involutionist

You say crazy? Is it really?

How is it different from those who (Im laughing so hard here I really am) believe in Allah and god and jesus and Noah and the budda and whoever and the things they do like pray and worship their funny little religious things everyday or kill in the name of religion or the fact WE ALL have to respect other peoples religions?

It the exact same nonsense as the Malaysians and their spirit mountain beliefs.

All religion is a joke and its interfering in OUR lives way too much. ABOLISH them all and have those who believe locked up for being insane!!

a reply to: Involutionist

Wow this sounds like a hornets nest! That story got crazier and crazier.

How stupid do you have to be, to say those things while in trouble for breaking the law. No one forced him to go there.

This is why no one in the world likes Canada. Thank goodness I live in the United States!

*snickers*

originally posted by: Metallicus
This is why no one in the world likes Canada. Thank goodness I live in the United States!

*snickers*

Zing!

Religious lunacy to the forefront once again. And I'm sorry, but religion (in general) has commanded (and I do mean commanded) far too much respect for far to long, while disrespecting, ruining, & killing anyone else not like them. So these people stood up to religious craziness… and they are the ones provoking? They were accused of causing an earthquake by taking their clothes off! Why would gods care about clothes? You'd think they'd be psyched... at one with nature as you were born. So ridiculous.

a reply to: okrian

They did no such thing. They broke a law. A law against public nudity which is a pretty universal law.

a reply to: Involutionist

I am not the one to defend wacky things in Malaysia but why did those Canadians act like they have no class

Is it because they have no class

a reply to: okrian

When you are a visitor you show respect for your host, their customs and their laws. You can't just go anywhere you like and disrespect those that live there.

a reply to: okrian

They, very simply, broke the law. In a foreign country.

This is Malaysia, not a French Riviera beach where nudity is allowed. To call it stupid is an understatement. Then to say something like that on a public forum where it's sure to be read? That's full on insane.

My sympathy is somewhat limited.

As for causing the earthquake? Less said about that particular idiocy the better...

a reply to: seagull

Exactly. The law they broke was for nudity, not for causing an EQ.

originally posted by: okrian
Religious lunacy to the forefront once again. And I'm sorry, but religion (in general) has commanded (and I do mean commanded) far too much respect for far to long, while disrespecting, ruining, & killing anyone else not like them. So these people stood up to religious craziness… and they are the ones provoking? They were accused of causing an earthquake by taking their clothes off! Why would gods care about clothes? You'd think they'd be psyched... at one with nature as you were born. So ridiculous.

I think it is caused by stupid and ignorant people who do not even understand their own religion in the first place, not by any religion itself.
People of every religion do this and people blame the religion for it, but it isn't religion doing it, but rather the irresponsible and ignorant loving numbskulls who feel they are above the status of others and who wrongly assume they have authority for making their religion something that it isn't, all because they are over zealous and feeling that their misappropriated spiritual powers and the authority to judge has been automatically given to them by using their brand of religion as a shield. (whew, lost my breath spitting all that out)

Right. Some nature spirit is going to be mad because people don't have clothes. Same likely hood or more that clothes would be or could be offensive.

Really it would seem like really basic and primal anthropomorphism. The people did something and enjoyed it, the mountain got "angry", we know it's angry because it killed people and -we-, not the mountain, don't like dead people, so it was indeed angry and it did so because humans were having fun and I'm a jealous god.

Or is there some tie in to gambling addiction? Who knows, when human sacrifices work, they work, and when they don't, you gotta kill or spend more until the jealous god who is a b to please gets it's fill. When you get it though finally, so worth the cost.

Whether one believes in any religion or not, there is something called simple respect one ought to embody, especially when they are privileged to travel and visit other countries and cultures. When we travel, we are the ambassadors of our home countries, and I for one am embarrassed and dismayed at the sheer arrogance displayed by -this- ambassador of Canada.

I have met what I term "jaded" travelers before, they have been everywhere and done everything but learned and experienced nothing at all of the culture within the countries they have traveled to. Manners & Respect, they go a long way the whole world over.

originally posted by: okrian
Religious lunacy to the forefront once again. And I'm sorry, but religion (in general) has commanded (and I do mean commanded) far too much respect for far to long, while disrespecting, ruining, & killing anyone else not like them. So these people stood up to religious craziness… and they are the ones provoking? They were accused of causing an earthquake by taking their clothes off! Why would gods care about clothes? You'd think they'd be psyched... at one with nature as you were born. So ridiculous.

I can only speak for myself, but I am not religious in the slightest and am all about being one with nature, as often as I can and wherever I can - however I draw the line at being an intentional affront to others, as they should not have to have my beliefs forced in their face either.

a reply to: Involutionist

So they were freed

I hope they learned their lesson !

Pics or it didnt happen!
Also, mountain spirit?