High Hypocrisy At Interfaith Conference

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Indeed, the very idea of an interfaith council – where all religious leaders sit together as equals to discuss issues of concern – is anathema to the Islamic establishment.
Dennis Ignatius
[1] High hypocrisy was on full display at the recently concluded International Conference of Religious Leaders organized by JAKIM. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – who gave the keynote address – waxed eloquent about the importance of interfaith harmony in building a just society. Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar enthused about the much abused ‘unity in diversity’ cliché and talked about building a shared civilization aimed at uniting the values of moderation and unity.
[2] It was all very nice except for the stunning hypocrisy of it all. Everything they spoke so eloquently about, all the things they boldly promoted to the world, are the very things that are in short supply in Malaysia.
[3] They spoke about the need for interfaith dialogue and the importance of working together to solve problems but they have done little to create the conditions for it at home. Indeed, the very idea of an interfaith council – where all religious leaders sit together as equals to discuss issues of concern – is anathema to the Islamic establishment.
[4] They promote Malaysia as some sort of poster boy for religious harmony but  just the sight of anything that even vaguely looks like a cross is enough to result in paroxysms of frenzy at home. They talk about respect and tolerance but routinely treat other faiths with contempt. They talk about the need for greater interfaith understanding but forbid Muslims from learning about other faiths or even entering non-Muslim places of worship. They stress the rights of all but the state conspires to keep a non-Muslim mother from a child who has been surreptitiously and illegally converted. They talk about justice but cover up the enforced disappearance of pastors and other religious workers.
[5] In which other country are ‘hotdogs’ controversial or Bon Odori (the Japanese harvest festival) declared haram for Muslims or bakeries forbidden to display pastry with the words ‘Merry Christmas’ on them?
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