Two public lectures on 'Muhammad SAW in the Bible' by Shaykh Afeefuddin Al-Jailani scheduled in Kuching, have been withdrawn after protests.

 

One was to be held at the Kuching Islamic Information Centre tomorrow and the other at the Islamic Centre at Unimas on Thursday.

 

This follows complaints by Association of Churches in Sarawak, state PKR, and angry reactions from Christians there.

 

Speaking at a media conference this afternoon, Baru Bian said the burning question was who the organisers were.

 

The Ba'Kelalan  assemblyperson was shocked that they would have the temerity to plan lectures centred on the Bible without inviting the participation of those who possess the greatest understanding and knowledge of the Bible, i.e. Christian scholars and leaders.

 

“Is it too much to ask that they display the same sensitivity to the feelings of Christians that they demand from us where their religion is concerned?

"Imagine how the Muslims would feel if a group of Christians proposed a Christian scholar to talk about the Koran. I shudder to think of the reaction from the extreme ‘defenders of the faith’ in West Malaysia,” he said.

 

The initial topic of the talk ‘Muhammad SAW in the Bible’ was an affront to Christians, because the Prophet Mohammad was not mentioned in the Bible, contrary to what the topic implied, he said.

 

“In fact, the topic itself is considered to be blasphemous by many Church leaders. I was made aware yesterday evening that the topic had been changed to more innocuous ones. Perhaps the organisers caught wind of the unhappiness of the Christians.

 

“However, the seeds of suspicion have been planted and many are questioning: will the content of the lectures remain as originally intended?” he asked.

 

Baru said that he would also like to ask why a public university was hosting this sort of event, and who was endorsing it.

 

“Are the Sarawak Islamic Affairs Department and Sarawak Islamic Council aware of it? This sounds alarmingly like the unfortunate UiTM incident of Christian-bashing disguised as ‘brainstorming’ played out at Unimas.

 

“In that case, the public is still waiting for some action to be taken by the authorities but it appears that no one has the gumption to do the right thing. We cannot allow this disgraceful attack on Christians to happen in a public university in Sarawak, or at any venue, for that matter,” he stressed.

 

The PKR leader said that the chief minister had said on many occasions that he would preserve the peace and harmony that existed in Sarawak among the people of different religions.

 

Baru said he was therefore disappointed that such an event could be organised and promoted.

 

He pointed out that he had written to the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs), Daud Abdul Rahman ( right ), asking him to look into these lectures and if necessary, cancel them.

 

“I hope in future, the council will be more pro-active and vigilant when such public talks are organised and stop them immediately rather than waiting for complaints to be lodged.

 

“Sarawak is considered a bastion of religious harmony and mutual respect and we must be mindful to guard this fortress at all times,” he said.

 

Baru declined to comment whether the organising of the public lectures on such sensitive topics was a deliberate attempt to embarrass the chief minister, knowing him to be liberal on religion.