Najib warns Muslims against religious pluralism

Najib said Muslims must not insult other religions. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned Muslims against religious pluralism, saying today putting Islam on an equal footing with other faiths is unIslamic.

The prime minister also asked government Islamic agencies and religious teachers to explain the issue to the Muslim community.

“To say all religions are equal before Allah is against the Islamic belief,” said Najib when addressing some 800 religious teachers at a gathering here.

“We respect other religions, we must not insult other religions, but they cannot be said to be as similar to Islam,” he added.

Religious pluralism is sometimes used as a synonym for interfaith dialogue or promotes understanding of different faiths with the objective of reducing conflicts.

Critics of religious pluralism however see the concept as a threat to the supremacy of Islam and claim that it would result in the religion to be equated with other beliefs.

Najib has initiated an interfaith council and told the members at a luncheon last week that some discussions must be held behind closed doors due to sensitivities in the multi-racial and multi-religious country.

Najib said today that religious leaders must come forward to explain the issue of religious pluralism to Muslims.

“It is the responsibility of preachers, religious teachers, muftis and imams to explain the truth,” Najib told reporters after the gathering.

“Do not misunderstand my statement, I am not insulting other religions but this has to do with the Islamic akidah (theology),” he said.

Najib, however, admitted that the influence of religious pluralism is still limited, but said it has to be controlled.

“If we don’t do something, it will be promoted to more people, but currently it is only limited to certain groups,” said Najib when asked about how serious is the threat of religious pluralism to Muslims.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was previously accused of equating Islam with other religions for political mileage by Umno-linked religious scholars at a forum last November.

The forum on religious pluralism was supported by several government agencies — the Selangor Religious Department, Federal Territory Mufti Department, federal Islamic Missionary Foundation (Yadim) and Information Ministry’s Special Affairs Department (Jasa).