Such was the message delivered by activist Mythreyar Mutturamalinggam to a crowd during a street rally in solidarity with Palestine earlier this year.
Malaysia has remained one of the most vocal supporters of the Palestinian cause on the global stage. The recent involvement of local volunteers in the Global Sumud Flotilla only strengthened public attention on the issue.
Mythreyar stands out as one of the few Indian Malaysians who has so visibly aligned himself with the Palestinian struggle. And he’s not just marching: this will be the third year in a row he’s choosing to forgo Deepavali celebrations as an act of empathy for the people of Gaza.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, the 47-year-old revealed: “I only have one ideology – we are one family in Malaysia. I saw all the Malays voicing out and I thought, ‘What am I doing? Am I not human?’
“There are still those who say that’s their (the Palestinians’) problem. But who are they? They’re our family,” he said.
“We learn at a very young age that if relatives pass away, we don’t celebrate the festival.”
Mythereyar has travelled all across the country to participate in protests, even completing a 200-hour hunger strike at Dataran Merdeka.
“When people see that I’m the only Indian there, they look surprised that a non-Muslim has come,” he said.
His initial motivation to speak up was stirred by the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka, which began in 1956. He feared the same pattern of violence and oppression would unfold in Palestine.
Mythreyar has also been active in Malaysian causes, including the Kampung Sungai Baru land dispute.
But when did his activism really begin? Once the employee of a legal firm, a road accident that left him in a coma became a turning point.
“When I woke up from the seven-day coma, it felt like I came back from death. I realised we don’t bring anything material with us when we leave this world – just our name. So I felt I had to do something to be remembered.”
Despite the admiration from many, Mythreyar has also faced criticism. “I’ve had people embarrass me publicly on social media, saying why don’t you stand up for your own community first? But that doesn’t stop me.”
He insists it isn’t about race or religion, even though he has observed that things have changed in the past two years. “I’m seeing more people from other races showing their support at rallies,” he said.
And his activism goes beyond humanity as he also advocates for the voiceless, including for animals and on environmental issues.
Now based in Tanjong Malim, Perak, Mythreyar continues his advocacy work with renewed purpose. Even with the recent Gaza ceasefire, he is taking a step back while the rest of his family celebrates the Festival of Lights.
“As a human being, I can’t be happy. We celebrate Deepavali after eradicating evil. In my view, evil is still right here in front of us,” he said.
In the battle between light and darkness, it may be people like Mythreyar who keep that light burning in the spirit of Deepavali.
Follow Mythreyar on Instagram.