Malaysian Muslims denounce Christian conversion efforts - World - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

Malaysian Muslims denounce Christian conversion efforts - World - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News:
SHAH ALAM, Malaysia - About 2,000 slogan-shouting Malaysian Muslims gathered near the capital on Saturday to denounce alleged Christian attempts to convert Muslims, widening a religious rift that could cost Prime Minister Najib Razak minority votes in upcoming polls.

The rally led by non-governmental bodies comes amid an escalating row over accusations of covert conversions among Muslims and a raid on a Methodist church, which has divided Muslims and angered ethnic minorities.

Men, women and families gathered in a stadium in a suburb outside Kuala Lumpur to unite against what they said were attempts to evangelize Muslims, an offence in a country where over half the population follows Islam.

"We have gathered today to save the faith of Muslims due to the threat of apostasy," Yusri Mohamad, chairman of the organising committee, told the crowd.

"Some people say they (non-Muslims) work hard to spread their religion and that there is nothing wrong with apostasy. These are the voices which we want to drown out with our gathering today."

Ethnic Malays, who make up over half of the population, are Muslim by birth and constitutionally forbidden to leave the faith. Non-Muslims are guaranteed freedom of worship.

The protest follows a recent meeting in a church which was raided by Islamic authorities on suspicion of attempts to convert Muslims. The church said it was a charity meeting.

In keeping with Muslim tradition, men wearing skullcaps and women in traditional dress and headscarves sat separately in the stadium on Saturday as clerics delivered fiery speeches and urged followers to remain faithful.

Banners strung across the stadium read "Say no to apostasy, don't challenge the position of Islam" and "Together let's prevent apostasy".

Religious singing groups entertained the crowd, while they chanted "Let's gather to save the faith of Muslims" and "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest).

"This gathering is good so that Muslims can unite because the recent raid on the church has raised fears about apostasy," said Muhammad Basori Hassan, a trader in his 30s, who attended the protest.

The four-hour gathering was peaceful and the turnout was a fraction of the 10,000-strong crowd which took to the streets in July to demand electoral reforms, but analysts said it would have ramifications for Najib in the next general election.

Malaysia's next election is not due until 2013 but many expect Najib to call one early next year before economic growth, projected at 5 percent in 2011, slows amid a possible global downturn.

Khoo Kay Peng, a political analyst, said the protest would only further stoke fears among minorities and would not garner new Malay support for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

"For people who are already voting for Barisan Nasional, the gathering is preaching to the converted as there will always be fears by some that outspoken Chinese will erode Malay rights," he said.

"Barisan needs instead to move to the centre and bridge the gap."

Analysts say political parties have traditionally used race and religion to sway support in this multi-ethnic Southeast Asian country.

In recent years, ethic strife between Malays, Chinese and Indian minorities has inflamed racial tensions. But the squabble between Muslims and Christians has taken centerstage amid a rash of church bombings, the seizure of Bible shipments and legal action over the Christian use of the word "Allah". — Reuters
'via Blog this'

In good faith

In good faith

INTER-religious difficulties in the country are being successfully resolved through mediation. According to the chairman of the Committee for the Promotion of Inter-Religious Understanding, Datuk Azman Amin Hassan, who is also the director-general of the Department of National Unity and Integration, out of 320 cases reported to the department, 299 have been solved by mediators trained by the International Islamic University working jointly with the department. Given Malaysia's ethnic and religious plurality, such efforts should be deemed necessary and important because any faith-based differences of opinion can easily be exploited by the ruthless and unscrupulous to foment social unrest. That the inter-faith dialogue comes under the prime minister's portfolio testifies to the emphasis given towards defusing such problems. It is indeed heartening to know that efforts put in place through public policy are actually bearing fruit.

Malaysian politics can all too readily fragment along religious lines and it is common knowledge that religious parochialism can lead zealots astray, and stepping on the toes of the several other communities is only too easy. Unfortunately, while faith itself is meant to bring the best out of humanity, there are aspects of it that when misconstrued can only have negative outcomes. A recent example of inter-ethnic violence poisoned by religious sentiments leading to national disintegration is post-Tito Yugoslavia. Today we speak of the Balkan states of Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia. It is a pity that Yugoslavia had to be relegated to history when as a nation it was an economic exemplar of the countries under Soviet influence. Attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt show that even communities that have coexisted for a long time can break out into conflict.

It is, therefore, unrealistic to be dismissive of niggling problems of religion when these divisions may run deep in history. Hard-won economic prosperity alone may not be enough to cement ethnic and religious ties because affluence can bring its own challenges and contestations. Furthermore, piety is not to be cheated with secularism, as the Yugoslav socialist experiment demonstrated. The angst of centuries of religious misunderstanding, passed down the generations, cannot be swept under the carpet. Rather, there is a need to understand the religious grievances voiced by the different communities so as to encourage better understanding between them. An ongoing and continuous inter-faith dialogue builds the bridges that reinforce acceptance, moderation, compromise and mutual help. More of it should be done to lay the cultural foundations of 1Malaysia, which embraces the nation's diverse sensitivities under the banner of Islam as its official religion.

NST Editorial 11/10/2011
Read more: In good faith http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/16goo/Article/#ixzz1aXXAJ4Va

Sultan amat tersinggung

Oleh AZIAN AZIZ

pengarang@utusan.com.my

SHAH ALAM 10 Okt. – Siasatan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) ke atas majlis Thanksgiving Dinner yang diadakan di Dewan 3, Kompleks Dream Centre di Seksyen 13, Petaling Jaya pada 3 Ogos lalu mendapati berlaku cubaan untuk memesongkan kepercayaan dan akidah umat Islam

Sehubungan itu Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah melahirkan rasa amat tersinggung dengan usaha-usaha pihak tertentu yang cuba melemahkan kepercayaan dan akidah orang Islam di negeri ini.

Berikutan adalah kenyataan penuh Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah:-

Beta selaku Ketua Agama Islam Negeri Selangor amat mengambil berat di atas tindakan yang dilakukan oleh Bahagian Penguatkuasan, Jabatan Agama Islam, Selangor (JAIS) yang telah menjalankan pemeriksaan ke atas majlis 'Thanksgiving Dinner' yang diadakan di Dewan 3, Kompleks Dream Centre, Seksyen 13, Petaling Jaya pada 3 Ogos 2011 yang lalu.

Beta amat berharap agar rakyat Negeri Selangor tanpa mengira bangsa dan agama tidak menyalahanggap dan mempertikaikan tindakan JAIS tersebut sebelum mengetahui dengan jelas fakta sebenar mengenai tindakan yang telah diambil oleh pihak JAIS.

Sebagai sebuah Jabatan Kerajaan Negeri yang bertanggungjawab menguatkuasakan undang-undang Islam dalam Negeri ini, JAIS mempunyai tugas yang berat untuk memastikan Agama Islam dalam Negeri Selangor ini sentiasa dipelihara dan dimartabatkan selaras dengan kedudukan Agama Islam sebagai agama Negeri Selangor di bawah Perkara XLVII Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Selangor, 1959 dan juga agama Persekutuan di bawah Fasal (1) Perkara 3 Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Pihak JAIS telah menyembahkan kepada Beta laporan penuh mengenai pemeriksaan yang telah dijalankan di kompleks Dream Centre, Seksyen 13, Petaling Jaya tersebut dan juga tindakan susulan yang telah diambil oleh JAIS. Beta sendiri telah meneliti laporan tersebut dengan terperinci dan Beta berpuas hati bahawa tindakan JAIS tersebut adalah betul dan tidak menyalahi mana-mana undang-undang yang berkuat kuasa di Negeri Selangor ini.

Tindakan JAIS tersebut adalah selaras dengan bidang kuasa yang diperuntukkan di bawah Enakmen Tatacara Jenayah Syariah (Negeri Selangor) 2003, Enakmen Jenayah Syariah (Negeri Selangor) 1995 dan Enakmen Ugama Bukan Islam (Kawalan Perkembangan di Kalangan Orang Islam) Negeri Selangor, 1988.

Agama Islam yang diamalkan dalam Negeri Selangor ini adalah sebuah agama yang penuh toleransi. Penganut agama Islam sentiasa dipupuk agar menghormati penganut-penganut agama lain.

Walaupun begitu, mana-mana pihak tidak boleh mengambil kesempatan untuk cuba mengembangkan ajaran agama lain kepada penganut Agama Islam.

Ini adalah selaras dengan Fasal (1) dan (4) Perkara 11 Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Enakmen Ugama Bukan Islam (Kawalan Perkembangan di Kalangan Orang Islam) Negeri Selangor, 1988 yang tidak membenarkan pengembangan ajaran agama lain kepada penganut Agama Islam.

Perkara XLVII Undang-Undang Tubuh, Kerajaan Selangor 1959, Fasal (1) Perkara 3 dan Fasal (1) Perkara 11 Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah memberikan hak kebebasan beragama kepada penganut agama lain untuk mengamalkan ajaran agama mereka masing-masing dengan aman dan harmoni.

Hak kebebasan tersebut telah pun berjalan dengan penuh harmoni dalam Negeri ini. Beta amat berharap keharmonian tersebut yang telah wujud sekian lama terus dikekalkan.

Peliharalah hak dan agama masing-masing dan jangan sekali-kali cuba mempengaruhi dan memesongkan fahaman dan kepercayaan orang Islam terhadap agama Islam.

Merujuk kepada siasatan pihak JAIS, terdapat keterangan bahawa ada cubaan untuk memesongkan kepercayaan dan aqidah umat Islam.

Tetapi keterangan yang diperolehi tidak mencukupi untuk tindakan undang-undang diambil.

Oleh itu setelah meneliti dengan secara mendalam laporan oleh pihak JAIS dan setelah mendapat nasihat dari pakar-pakar agama dan undang-undang, Beta bersetuju tiada pendakwaan terhadap mana-mana pihak.

Walau bagaimanapun Beta menitahkan JAIS memberikan kaunseling kepada orang Islam yang terlibat dalam majlis tersebut supaya aqidah dan kepercayaan mereka terhadap Agama Islam dapat dipulihkan.

Beta juga menitahkan JAIS supaya menjalankan aktiviti dakwah terhadap orang Islam dengan lebih kerap dan tersusun supaya akidah dan kepercayaan mereka terhadap Agama Islam dapat dipelihara dan dipertingkatkan.

Beta amat berharap selepas daripada ini, apa-apa kegiatan dan aktiviti yang sedang berjalan atau yang akan berjalan bagi tujuan mengembangkan ajaran agama lain kepada penganut Agama Islam dalam Negeri Selangor ini hendaklah dihentikan segera dan tiada kegiatan dan aktiviti yang serupa dijalankan di masa hadapan.

Sesungguhnya Beta selaku Ketua Agama Islam Negeri Selangor ini amat mengambil berat dan berasa amat tersinggung dengan usaha-usaha pihak tertentu yang cuba untuk melemahkan kepercayaan dan aqidah orang Islam dalam Negeri Selangor ini.

Beta menitahkan Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) dan JAIS supaya sentiasa mengadakan pemantauan rapi dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya tanpa perlu teragak-agak lagi selaras dengan bidang kuasa yang diperuntukkan di bawah undang-undang.

Beta juga ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua pihak yang telah mengambil berat berkaitan isu ini dan yang telah memberikan kerjasama dan sokongan yang tidak berbelah bahagi kepada JAIS.