Anyone accepting the free Quran must keep it properly and respect it , otherwise return it to the distributor.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: A religious authority, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), has laughed off suggestions in the social media that a project underway to distribute one million free copies of the Quran to non-Muslims had a hidden agenda.
The Malaysia Reverted Muslims (MRM) and the Islamic Information and Services Foundation, the two groups behind the translated version of the free Quran, have claimed the project was to reduce misconceptions about the religion and Islamophobia.
The Sin Chew Jit Poh, a Chinese daily, reported Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha as laughing off the suggestions in the social media that the free Quran project had any sinister purpose.
He stressed that anyone who embraces Islam had to take an oath and go through certain ceremonies. The mere act of accepting a Quran does not make one Muslim, he assured. “No one can be forced to accept Islam.”
“Anyone accepting the free Quran must keep it properly and respect it or otherwise return it to the distributor, a mosque or another Muslim,” he said. “Muslims respect the Quran and expect others to do the same.”
In the past, there had been reports that non-Muslims had been “tricked” into reciting the profession of faith and subsequently reported to the religious authorities as having converted. Those who deny, the reports go, had to explain to the Syariah Court why they wanted to “leave Islam”.
The reports in the social media warn that anyone who accepts a copy of the Quran would have to fill in a form, listing out their particulars. Apparently, the fear is that that such particulars will be used by the religious authorities to track them down later and also get them to change their status from non-Muslim to Muslim.
“You have to fill in a form. They will claim it’s just for record purposes, but actually they will track you down and convert you or change your records stating that you are a Muslim,” the messages in Whatsapp state.
“Be reminded that the Quran is their holy book and it’s not to be touched by others and once it’s in our possession we can’t dispose it or put it anywhere because it’s considered a holy book. Please be safe and exercise your rights and politely reject it,” the message read.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) warned non-Muslims on February 9 against accepting the free copies of the Quran. It pointed out that non-Muslims are not supposed to even touch the Quran, let alone have a copy of it for whatever purpose.
The Council doesn’t buy the idea that the free Quran project was aimed at reducing misconceptions about the faith and eradicating Islamophobia. “It should work both ways.”
The actual intention behind the free Quran project, it claimed, was propagation of Islam since the laws don’t prohibit Muslims from preaching to non-Muslims, only vice versa.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: A religious authority, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), has laughed off suggestions in the social media that a project underway to distribute one million free copies of the Quran to non-Muslims had a hidden agenda.
The Malaysia Reverted Muslims (MRM) and the Islamic Information and Services Foundation, the two groups behind the translated version of the free Quran, have claimed the project was to reduce misconceptions about the religion and Islamophobia.
The Sin Chew Jit Poh, a Chinese daily, reported Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha as laughing off the suggestions in the social media that the free Quran project had any sinister purpose.
He stressed that anyone who embraces Islam had to take an oath and go through certain ceremonies. The mere act of accepting a Quran does not make one Muslim, he assured. “No one can be forced to accept Islam.”
“Anyone accepting the free Quran must keep it properly and respect it or otherwise return it to the distributor, a mosque or another Muslim,” he said. “Muslims respect the Quran and expect others to do the same.”
In the past, there had been reports that non-Muslims had been “tricked” into reciting the profession of faith and subsequently reported to the religious authorities as having converted. Those who deny, the reports go, had to explain to the Syariah Court why they wanted to “leave Islam”.
The reports in the social media warn that anyone who accepts a copy of the Quran would have to fill in a form, listing out their particulars. Apparently, the fear is that that such particulars will be used by the religious authorities to track them down later and also get them to change their status from non-Muslim to Muslim.
“You have to fill in a form. They will claim it’s just for record purposes, but actually they will track you down and convert you or change your records stating that you are a Muslim,” the messages in Whatsapp state.
“Be reminded that the Quran is their holy book and it’s not to be touched by others and once it’s in our possession we can’t dispose it or put it anywhere because it’s considered a holy book. Please be safe and exercise your rights and politely reject it,” the message read.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) warned non-Muslims on February 9 against accepting the free copies of the Quran. It pointed out that non-Muslims are not supposed to even touch the Quran, let alone have a copy of it for whatever purpose.
The Council doesn’t buy the idea that the free Quran project was aimed at reducing misconceptions about the faith and eradicating Islamophobia. “It should work both ways.”
The actual intention behind the free Quran project, it claimed, was propagation of Islam since the laws don’t prohibit Muslims from preaching to non-Muslims, only vice versa.
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