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Dr Mazeni Alwi has made a sincere gesture to his Catholic brethren, and I found it disturbing to note Proarte's prejudicial interpretation of the Quranic verse 5:51.

Quoting from an authoritative Islamic site:

'Regarding the charge of teaching not to make non-Muslim friends, the short instruction in 5:51 is governed by the following two verses:

'Let believers not make friends with unbelievers against the (just) interests of the believers ...' (2:28)

'Allah does not forbid you to be kind and equitable to those who have neither made war on your religion nor driven you from your homes or abetted others to do so. Allah loves the equitable. But He forbids you to make friends with those who have fought against you on account of your religion and driven you from your homes or abetted others to do so. Those who make friends with them are wrongdoers'. (60:8-9)

Remember again, the above verses are relevant only when there is war imposed upon the believers. The general instruction for all times whether it is peace time or war is given in the following verse:

'... Cooperate with every one (whether he is a non-Muslim) in what is good and pious and do not cooperate with anyone (even if he is called a Muslim) in sin and transgression ...' (5:2)

In between the verses concerning war, there always is the directive of restraint and conciliation. The conduct of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is a historical testimony to the teaching of the Quran.

It is saddening that Proarte has chosen to misconstrue Mazeni's true intention in lending trust to his Christian brethren.

Don't equate the historical spread of Islamic faith with intolerance and don't equate intolerance to the Quran. Facts are facts, and people like Proarte who find Islamic tolerance in history as a 'tolerance show-off ploy' and blame it on the Quranic verse 5:51 should be blamed for their own skewed views.

Proarte should instead highlight the similarities of the virtues of the Abrahamaic faiths and seek first from the learned to understand, then to be understood in matters pertaining to Islamic sources of divine knowledge before making prejudicial judgments on Muslim-non-Muslims relations.

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