It is with deep disappointment that I read that the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) invited Dr Mahathir Mohamad to open the general assembly of the World Evangelical Fellowship last Saturday night. So far NECF has chosen to remain silent on the abuses of human rights in this country.

Maybe it thinks that as a religious body it is not appropriate to comment on those matters. Or maybe it doesn't want to offend the authorities so that it can continue to hold rallies at stadiums and organise world-class Christian events in the country.

But to invite someone who doesn't hesitate to use his powers to silence those who oppose him, to open the general assembly is an insult to the worldwide evangelical community.

Human rights as evolved from the West are firmly rooted in the biblical worldview. Reform after reform, be it in the area of slavery, conditions in the prisons, labour/employment, were all brought about by Christians who were passionately convicted by the biblical view of the dignity of a human being.

Therefore it is sad that a body that claims to be evangelical chooses to be openly associated with someone who treats another human being with contempt if he/she disagrees or opposes him.

Perhaps NECF should be reminded of 'The Grand Rapids Report on Evangelism and Social Responsibility; An Evangelical Commitment' which states: "When the church concludes that biblical faith or righteousness requires it to take a public stand on some issue, then it must obey God's Word and trust Him for the consequences."

What a Protestant pastor wrote when he was being imprisoned in a concentration camp during World War II should be a reminder to us Christians in this country. "When they (the Nazis) came for the communists, I didn't speak up because I was not a communists. When they came for the Jews, I didn't speak up either because I was not a Jew. When they came for the Catholics, again I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me. By that time there was no one to speak on my behalf."

It is time for us to speak up and trust God for the consequences. May God forgive us for our appalling silence thus far.