Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders questioned today Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s sincerity in his warning against religious pluralism, calling it a political stunt by the prime minister.
PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said that Najib’s remarks were rhetoric to instil fear in the public and further divide the communities.
“We have to recognise that people will have different faiths and will see their respective faiths as exclusive. The very essence of Islam is peace, and we should live up to the call of promoting religious harmony.
“Personally, I see the prime minister’s statement as mere rhetoric of politics of fear and indicative of Malaysians living in a police state rather than a democratic nation,” she said.
Najib had warned Muslims that religious pluralism was unIslamic because it places Islam on an equal footing with other faiths.
He also asked government Islamic agencies and religious teachers to explain the issue to the Muslim community.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said the main problem affecting the country was not religious pluralism but corruption, abuse of power and credibility of the country’s institutions.
“After more than 50 years of independence, we have had no problems with the different religious groups in the country. The problem is that after March 2008, Umno began playing with religious sentiments to gain more votes,” he said.
He also said that government Islamic agencies did not have the integrity to perform their duties in educating the public.
“We just need to look at Valentine’s Day, where Jakim took a rigid approach towards instilling Islamic understanding. I don’t think they have the ability and credibility in educating about Islam and religious pluralism,” he said.
Selangor DAP vice-chairman Charles Santiago said Najib has further strained the relationship instead of promoting better understanding between the different communities.
“What we need at this point is to forge unity and embrace the common and universal values in all of our religions and be consistent with the message of 1 Malaysia.
“But refusal to embrace other views is actually undermining the Muslims as it is our responsibility to know each other’s religions and how to bridge the different faiths,” he said.
Religious pluralism is sometimes used as a synonym for interfaith dialogue or promotes understanding of different faiths with the objective of reducing conflicts.
Critics of religious pluralism however see the concept as a threat to the supremacy of Islam and claim that it would result in the religion being equated with other beliefs.
Najib has initiated an interfaith council and told the members at a luncheon last week that some discussions must be held behind closed doors due to sensitivities in the multi-racial and multi-religious country.
Najib said yesterday that religious leaders must come forward to explain the issue of religious pluralism to Muslims.
PAS central committee member Dr Mujahid Yusuf Rawa said Najib must differentiate between religious pluralism and plurality.
“Plurality is a situation where exists many religions, and the bridge among the various beliefs based on respect and dialogue is encouraged so that we can understand each other’s religion better.
“I feel that it was irresponsible of Najib as prime minister to have given his opinion without explanation. I fear that his statement has caused confusion and was left without any proper discussion and debate,” said the Islamist party’s unity bureau chief.
Khalid Samad, who is member of the PAS central political bureau, stressed that rejection of religious pluralism was not a rejection of non-Muslim rights.
“Islam defends the rights of religious freedom and therefore the right of non-Muslims to exist within the state and to freely practise their beliefs.
“At the same time, in order to ensure better understanding between the religious groups, an interfaith council should be encouraged. It will go a long way in dispelling fears and mistrusts,” said the Shah Alam lawmaker.
- Malaysian Insider
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