SHAH ALAM, 20 Apr: Religious freedom must be protected, especially when involving sentiments that can affect racial and religious tolerance.
The Chairman of the PAS National Unity Committee, Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, said that issues touching on religious sentiments must be addressed according to the law to prevent any uproars.
“The issue concerning pressure to take down a religious symbol at a non-Islamic house of worship must be addressed with tact. It needs to be looked into on whether or not it is conflicting with provisions of municipal by-laws.
“If it is an offence, then it is a legal issue. Otherwise, principles of religious freedom must be defended,” he said in a press statement today.
He is worried that if all parties disputed each other’s religious symbols, there will be loss of tolerance and mutual respect between religions.
“It is feared that the issue is being exploited by a group of narrow and racist group of people to damage peaceful relations between religions,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of Global Movement of Moderates (GMM), Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, also criticised these actions on Facebook.
The former Member of Parliament for Temerloh said that the move to pressure the church to take down the cross is conflicting with teachings of Islam.
NS
