The work of a Malaysian committee, set up to promote religious harmony, has apparently come to a halt after Muslims objected to the use of “interreligious” in its name. Prime Minister Najib Razak initiated the Special Committee to Promote Inter-Religious Understanding and Harmony earlier this year.
The move came after controversy over Christians using the word “Allah” for God resulted in attacks on several worship venues, ucanews.com reports.
However, at the committee’s first and only meeting on April 6, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom, who is in charge of Islamic religious affairs, said state muftis felt the word “interreligious” could confuse Muslims.
The committee includes representatives from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM) and the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).
MCCBCHST President Reverend Thomas Philips confirmed the committee has been asked to come up with a new name.
“I hope the old name will continue,” he told ucanews.com. “It reflects how we understand and look at each other. Let us sit together, talk together, respect each other and move forward.”
The name also shows “that we are one,” he said.
The committee is under Koh Tsu Koon, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of national unity and integrity.
Muslim groups, however, say they want the committee to be under Baharom.
Koh had said earlier this year that the committee would allow members to hold informal dialogue on “matters such as inter-marriages, religious conversions as well as custody of children.”
Such a committee had been mooted in the past but was rejected by parties who argued that Islam should not be placed on the same level as other religions.
Islam is “the religion of the federation” of Malaysia, according to the country’s constitution.
SIC: CTHAS