Reflecting growing religious tensions in the south-east Asian nation, hundreds of Malaysian Muslims rallied on Saturday, October 22, in a suburb outside the capital to denounce alleged attempts by the Methodist church to evangelize Muslims, Reuters reported.
“We have gathered today to save the faith of Muslims due to the threat of apostasy,” Yusri Mohamad, chairman of the organizing committee, told the crowd.
“Some people say they (non-Muslims) work hard to spread their religion and that there is nothing wrong with apostasy. These are the voices which we want to drown out with our gathering today.”
The rally, which included men, women and families, gathered in a stadium outside Kuala Lumpur to unite against what they called attempts to evangelize Muslims.
Led by non-governmental bodies, about 2000 angry Muslim protesters reflected an escalating row over accusations of conversions among Muslims by a Methodist church.
Police raided a Methodist church near the capital last August on suspicion that a meeting was being held to evangelize Muslims.
The meeting’s organizers, a non-governmental organization, denied the allegations and said the gathering was a charity affair.
The authorities are still investigating the matter.
Ethnic Malays, who are by birth Muslims in Malaysia, make up about 60 percent of the population of 28 million.
Ethnic Chinese and Indians, many of whom are Buddhist, Christian and Hindu, account for most of the rest.
The church raid is the latest in a series of rows between the Malays and the minority Chinese and Indians.
In recent years, a legal battle by Catholics to use the word “Allah” and complaints of marginalization by Indians have cast a cloud over the government’s attempts to build racial harmony.
Muslim Concerns
Reflecting a growing anger with the church policies, the rallied Muslims said their peaceful protest was intended to show Muslims’ unity in the face of conversion attempts.
“This gathering is good so that Muslims can unite because the recent raid on the church has raised fears about apostasy,” Muhammad Basori Hassan, a trader in his 30s, who attended the protest, told Reuters.
Banners strung across the stadium read “Say no to apostasy, don’t challenge the position of Islam” and “Together let’s prevent apostasy”.
Religious singing groups entertained the crowd, while they chanted “Let’s gather to save the faith of Muslims” and “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).
Thought the four-hour gathering ended peacefully, the rally was expected to have ramifications for Prime Minister Najib Razak in the next general election.
The next general election is not due until 2013 but there is increasing speculation that it could take place by early 2012.
Analysts see little chance of the ruling National Front coalition losing the next general election but caution that Najib needs to win a convincing two-thirds majority if he wants to avoid a revolt within his UMNO party, long accustomed to majorities by that margin.
Khoo Kay Peng, a political analyst, said the protest would only further stoke fears among minorities without garnering new Malay support for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
“For people who are already voting for Barisan Nasional, the gathering is preaching to the converted as there will always be fears by some that outspoken Chinese will erode Malay rights,” he said.
“Barisan needs instead to move to the centre and bridge the gap.”
Race and religion have always been touchy subjects in a country split between ethnic Malays, Chinese and Indians.
Traditionally, Malaysian leaders have trod a careful line in dealing with religious issues after violent race riots in 1969 redefined the Southeast Asian country’s ethnic and economic landscape.
Still, race and religion are often the strongest tools for politicians to win support on pledges to distribute economic opportunities along ethnic lines.
Racial unity is a cornerstone of Najib’s plans but many Malaysians have derided his efforts to create a “1Malaysia” that is not drawn along racial lines.
Recently, Najib also extended an olive branch to unhappy Christians by establishing official ties with the Vatican but the gesture has been largely dismissed as no more than a symbolic measure.
Source: OnIslam & News Agencies
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