Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the PAS MP for Parit Buntar renowned for a strong streak of ecumenism, sought to bring a dispute-settling clarity to the issue of the removal of the cross symbol from a Christian church in Kampong Medan in the PJ Selatan constituency.

Speaking to Malaysiakini , Mujahid cited what he referred to as the writings of 12th century Islamic jurist Ibn Taimiyah as a guide on how Christians residing in Muslim lands should be treated.

“Ibn Taimiyah said that Christians as ‘People of The Book’ and who are resident in Islamic lands are entitled, upon payment of a tax called the jizyah, to protection for the practice of their faith,” said the PAS central committee member and head of their national unity bureau.

“So long as their rituals and the display of religious symbols like the cross do not attain to a size that is disturbing to Muslims, Christians are allowed the liberty to do so,” explained the PAS leader, who is probably the most well-regarded Islamic politician among Malaysian Christians.

Using what Ibn Taimiyah wrote in the ‘Ahluzimmah’, his manual on how the dhimmi (non-Muslim residents in Muslim controlled territory) are to be treated, Mujahid said that not all what the jurist said is directly applicable.

“Christians in Malaysia pay rates and taxes and that is sufficient to make the jizyah inapplicable,” he remarked.

“If they rent shop houses where they set up a place of worship, then local government stipulations, rates and by-laws apply and so there is no cause to apply jizyah rules as outlined by Taimiyah,” Mujahid clarified further.

“If there is no local government bar against the conversion of shop lots into places of worship, then provisions for the protection of the freedom of Christians to practice their faith must apply,” iterated Mujahid.

“We must look at each individual case and derive wisdom from the Islamic frameworks and constitutional ones that are relevant,” he expatiated.

“One must remember that when Taimiyah wrote the rules, he did so when there conflict between House of Islam (Darul Islam) and the House of War (Darul Al-Harb).

“If Christians resident in the territories controlled by Muslims paid the jizyah, then they were entitled to practice their religion though not to the extent that their symbols and structures are of disturbing magnitude to Muslims,” said Mujahid.

He said his advice on the issue of the removal of the cross from a Christian church in Kampong Medan should be solved using Islamic precepts, where applicable, on the matter and liberal democratic ones, where these also apply.

A member of the National Unity Consultative Council where he chairs the law and policy panel, Mujahid counselled: “Let’s not go overboard on the issue. Let’s cultivate what is the good and the sensible in charity.”