Wrong To Preach Islam At Non Muslim Houses Of Worship Mufti Told

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An interfaith council has urged followers of all religions to respect the sanctity of other houses of worship. (Envato Elements pic)
PETALING JAYA: The interfaith council of non-Muslim religions has hit out at Terengganu mufti Sabri Haron’s claim that Muslims are allowed to enter non-Muslim houses of worship to propagate Islam.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said Sabri’s claim could lead to feelings of ill-will, disharmony, hatred and enmity among followers of different religions.

If the purpose of entry to a place of worship is with a view to fostering unity and promoting interfaith relations and understanding, then it should be welcomed, the council said.

But if the purpose of the visit is to propagate one’s own faith at another faith’s place of worship, then it becomes offensive and may affect the sanctity of the place of worship and cause disharmony, a statement by the council read.The council said Muslims preaching at non-Muslim houses of worship risked affecting the sanctity of these religious places, which could then escalate to disturbing the peace.
Although the constitution restricts the propagation of other religions to those who profess to be Muslim, this does not mean Muslims have free rein to propagate their faith to non-Muslims even in their respective houses of worship, the council said.
The council called upon the Terengganu mufti to respect the rights of all persons and adhere to the correct interpretation of the Federal Constitution and Malaysian laws.
It also said propagating Islam at a non-Muslim place of worship could violate Penal Code provisions that deal with wounding religious feelings of a person or group, causing disharmony, and making statements that are likely to incite the commission of offences.
The council urged followers of all religions in Malaysia to respect the sanctity of other houses of worship and not to commit actions that would cause disharmony.
No person of one religion had the right to go to a place of worship of another religion and propagate their faith without invitation or permission, the council said.
The Terengganu mufti was reported to have said that Muslims can enter the house of worship of another religion if it is to preach Islam and its precepts.
He also said Muslims cannot enter these religious places without any purpose, Sinar Harian reported.
His comment was in response to a visit to a Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur organised by the Perak Islamic religious department. The visit went viral after a video featured a female participant saying there were many similarities between Islam and Hinduism.
The department later issued an apology, saying the woman was just a participant but her remarks had caused a 
misunderstanding and tarnished its reputation. - FMT

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