MALAYSIAN'S ANWAR HITS OUT AT PM OVER RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

The Opposition Leader also pointed out that the government continues to ban the use of the word ‘Allah’ for Christians to refer to God, even though the administration conditionally allowed recently the release of Malay-language bibles.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has accused the Najib administration of religious intolerance and double standards over the Malay bibles row, while investigating him for advocating mutual respect and tolerance. He cited as examples of hypocrisy and double standards the flogging of a Muslim woman for drinking beer while rich Muslims drank with impunity.

• Anwar said it was hypocritical of the government for wanting to probe him for allegedly uttering blasphemous statements during a speech in London when he was actually advocating the inclusiveness of Islam.
• He refused to back down from his stand on religious pluralism, insisting today that the concept does not denigrate Islam but promotes inclusiveness unlike the “hypocrisy” of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia.
• Under Najib’s administration, scoffed Anwar, religious intolerance and ethnic tensions had only intensified over the years, fuelled by a number of recent incidents that showed the Prime Minister not only practices double standards but has also failed to adhere to his own 1 Malaysia principles.
• Anwar said that Najib’s administration practiced religious intolerance and double standards when dealing with religious matters particularly during the recent row over Malay-language bibles and the directive to remove Christian symbols during a Christmas function attended by the Prime Minister.

It is reported earlier, Malay-language bibles have not been allowed to be brought into Malaysia resulting in thousands of copies being left to rot at the Customs holding.
Two weeks ago, the Najib government apparently relented by allowing an initial 5,000 copies to be brought in but the offer was attached with so many conditions including stamping them with serial numbers and caveats against dissemination to others apart from Christians, that church leaders have rejected it.

• Malaysia’s not just as a violation of my constitutional rights, but a great affront to the people,” he said.
• Anwar explained that during his speech in London entitled, “Religion and Pluralism in a Divided World”, he had explained that the recognition of Islam as Malaysia’s official religion should not be misinterpreted as being against the spirit of religious pluralism.
• He added that history has shown that the belief by certain groups that only their doctrines would lead to salvation had eventually led to violent upheavals and bloodshed.
• The former deputy prime minister mocked the local religious authorities for taking offence to his words, pointing out that he had only been advocating mutual respect and tolerance, particularly in a country of such diversity as Malaysia.

“The Religious Affairs Minister (Jamil) has indicated that these remarks were ‘blasphemous’ and had denigrated the status of Islam as the official religion of the country as well as ‘seditious’ in that I was effectively advocating pluralism by encouraging Muslims to view Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions in a more inclusive light,” Anwar said.

Source: The Malaysian Insider