12/14/2018 Malaysia (International Christian Concern) – At an interfaith Christmas dinner on December 13, the Federal Territories (FT) Mufti, an Islamic scholar who interprets and expounds Islamic law said, “peaceful co-existence between Muslims and non-Muslims is an essential principle in Islam and one that Malaysians should strive to emulate.”
“Existing peacefully with non-Islamic beliefs is an essential Islamic principle that is clearly stated in many Quranic verses, which has been practiced by Muslims throughout history,” he added.
In his speech delivered at the Christians For Peace and Harmony in Malaysia (CPHM) annual Christmas dinner, Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri stressed that “there is no contradiction between Islam and devotion to civil society, social culture and co-existence with others; it is essential to Islam.”
According to Malay Mail, the dinner was attended by more than 150 people of various denominations, in an effort to promote interfaith understanding.
Malaysia is a multiracial country with a population of 28 million, with approximately 60 percent as Muslims. Islam is constitutionally the country’s official religion, with the freedom to practice other faith. However, in recent years the rise of radicalism has led to abductions of Christians, church attacks, and shrinking of space for evangelism.
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