Organisations linked to various religions must be allowed to distribute copies of their holy books for educational purposes.

 

Centre for a Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) co-president Gan Ping Sieu said this in relation to efforts by several NGOs to distribute free copies of the Quran.

 

Gan said both the federal and state government agencies should adopt a holistic approach in educating all major faiths for knowledge purposes.

 

And this includes the equal teaching of these major faiths and their respective histories in schools, he said.

 

“The Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) and other religious authorities should also, for good governance purposes, hold structured dialogues with the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) and other religious bodies to ventilate the ongoing concerns and grievances of the various religious communities.

 

Citing the blanket prohibition of using “Islamic words” by non-Muslims for non-religious propagation purpose as legislated in various state enactments, Gan said this had not been helpful in religious understanding.

 

He further pointed out how although the country’s multicultural people have lived alongside each other for nearly 60 years since independence, most are “shamefully ignorant of each other’s beliefs and practices”.

 

“Such ignorance breeds contempt and suspicion. As a result, we collectively become susceptible to fear-mongers and those who fan religious hatred,” he said.

 

He rationalised that should one be grounded in basic knowledge the beliefs and traditions of others, one would be less likely to develop prejudice against those who are “different”.

 

“On the contrary, we may learn to appreciate the beauty in other faiths, which is useful in helping peel off layers of suspicion or prejudice some of us have built up over the years.”

 

Meanwhile, Gan said efforts to educate the people should be in line with Article 11 (4) of the Federal Constitution, which gives freedom to carry on missionary work among non-Muslims, to avoid any misunderstanding.

 

“That being the case, the Attorney-General's Chambers can come up with a guideline, after consultation with various religious bodies, on the dos and don'ts of such educational efforts, including on how to handle holy books with respect.

 

“This way, no one can claim ignorance on where the line between "educational" and "proselytising" is drawn,” he said.

 

Muslim foundation Islamic Information and Services Foundation and its patron former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had announced plans to distribute a million copies of the Quran in various languages to non-Muslims.

 

MCCBCHST however expressed concern that the distribution of the Quran could be a way to propagate the religion to non-Muslims and induce conversions.