Bishop suspects Jakim not alerted to change
Terence NettoPublished: Feb 1, 2014 4:58 PM | Updated: Feb 1, 2014 5:01 PM
Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing said somebody had neglected to alert the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) that the national theme has presently changed to reconciliation, so the “old scripts stressing conflict will have to be thrown out for the new ones promoting concord.”
Catholic prelate says latest Friday sermon contradicts national reconciliation push.
Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing said somebody had neglected to alert the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) that the national theme has presently changed to reconciliation, so the “old scripts stressing conflict will have to be thrown out for the new ones promoting concord.”
The head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka Johor diocese was referring to the sermon read at Friday prayers yesterday which warned Muslims that the Quran reminds them to be vigilant against the machinations of Jews and Christians constantly out to deceive them.
“It’s not my intention to tell Jakim what should be said in the khutbah but I feel somebody has not informed them of the move by the powers that be and the opposition in this country for a dialogue aimed at forging national reconciliation,” said the bishop.
The prelate said the government’s favorable response earlier this week to a call from the opposition for a national consensus should foster a “change to the tenor of the national debate on a host of contentious issues.”
“Somebody has neglected to apprise Jakim of the alteration to the tenor because what was said in yesterday’s sermon at Friday prayers provokes animosity rather than friendship between Muslims and Christians, and stirs suspicion and hatred rather than understanding and acceptance,” said the prelate.
The Jakim-authored sermon claimed that disagreements among Muslims are forbidden by the faith; however, it is “encouraged by the instigation of Islam’s traditional enemies like Jews and Christians, which never stops.”
Tan said the government cannot choose to “run with the hares of national reconciliation and hunt with the hounds of religious discord and division” if it wanted the project of promoting tranquility among the races and religions in the country to succeed.
“The government and opposition have an opportunity now to stop the downward spiral in race and religious relations in the country which can be achieved only if both sides are unequivocally for the project of national reconciliation,
“This project will fail if one or the other side is overtly for it and covertly sabotages it or allows such subversions to occur,” said the bishop.
"There can be no ambivalence about the project if it is to succeed," he iterated.
The head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka Johor diocese was referring to the sermon read at Friday prayers yesterday which warned Muslims that the Quran reminds them to be vigilant against the machinations of Jews and Christians constantly out to deceive them.
“It’s not my intention to tell Jakim what should be said in the khutbah but I feel somebody has not informed them of the move by the powers that be and the opposition in this country for a dialogue aimed at forging national reconciliation,” said the bishop.
The prelate said the government’s favorable response earlier this week to a call from the opposition for a national consensus should foster a “change to the tenor of the national debate on a host of contentious issues.”
“Somebody has neglected to apprise Jakim of the alteration to the tenor because what was said in yesterday’s sermon at Friday prayers provokes animosity rather than friendship between Muslims and Christians, and stirs suspicion and hatred rather than understanding and acceptance,” said the prelate.
The Jakim-authored sermon claimed that disagreements among Muslims are forbidden by the faith; however, it is “encouraged by the instigation of Islam’s traditional enemies like Jews and Christians, which never stops.”
Tan said the government cannot choose to “run with the hares of national reconciliation and hunt with the hounds of religious discord and division” if it wanted the project of promoting tranquility among the races and religions in the country to succeed.
“The government and opposition have an opportunity now to stop the downward spiral in race and religious relations in the country which can be achieved only if both sides are unequivocally for the project of national reconciliation,
“This project will fail if one or the other side is overtly for it and covertly sabotages it or allows such subversions to occur,” said the bishop.
"There can be no ambivalence about the project if it is to succeed," he iterated.
View Comments0