Why are Muslims questioned for distributing translated copies of the Al-Quran when Christians are doing the same, asked Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (Macma) Selangor chapter president Sharin Low.

“I feel very strange why when we Muslims do this, people ask questions, but have you seen the Christians doing it?

“Everywhere in the world they do it, why don’t you ask the Christians why they are proselytising?

“When Muslims do it, people ask whether it is right or not, that is why I feel very sad. We Chinese are narrow-minded as far as I am concerned,” Sharin Low ( right ) told a press conference today after attending a Chinese New Year joint open house organised by several Muslim associations.

Sharin also clarified that it was non-Muslims themselves who asked for copies of the Al-Quran from them.

“Actually we are not distributing it, a lot of people ask for the copies from us. We don’t simply give it to everybody because people may abuse the Al-Quran and we will get angry, too,” said Sharin.

On the effort by some Muslims associations to send cpies of the Al-Quran to non-Muslims' houses, Sharin retorted it was not true.

“This is because when the people ask for the Al-Quran from us, if someone cannot give it to them immediately, he or she may ask for their addresses and arrangements will be made to deliver it to them."

'Distribution should not be made an issue'

Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia vice-president Shahrul Aman argued that the distribution of Chinese translations of the Al-Quran in the country should not be made an issue.

“Even if everybody go around and give out copies of the Al-Quran, what's the issue?” asked Shahrul.

He said one can choose to accept or reject the Al-Quran given to them.

“Actually nowadays, we can download the Al-Quran and save it in our handphone, but it is still important for us to print them because there are many versions and translations,” explained Shahrul.

Meanwhile, Hidayah Centre Foundation (HCF) chairperson Nicholas Sylvester ( left ) said being a Muslim does not automatically a Chinese into a ‘non-Chinese’.

He said a Chinese who embraced Islam can still retain their cultural practices and maintain good ties with their families.