KUCHING: State Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman on Wednesday sought to give clarity to misgivings over the now cancelled ‘Jom Ziarah Gereja’ initiative.
He commended the initiative spearheaded by federal Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, saying it was a noble effort that would have showcased Malaysia’s multicultural and multi-religious aspects.
He said some may have misconstrued the visit programme as an attempt to convert Muslims.
Going to a church or temple will not make any Muslim less Muslim and will not lead to any conversion,” he stressed during a press conference here Wednesday (March 22).
“I think we do not have that problem in Sarawak. A lot of us go to mission schools, myself being a product of a mission school. We can understand each other.
“I even took up (the subject of) Scripture during Form 5 Cambridge (Senior Cambridge Examination), with Bible Knowledge being one of the subjects and it did not make me less Muslim, it did not convert me and make me leave my own religion.
“I know Hannah personally, and although I have never discussed this with her, I can feel that when she planned the visit initially, her intention was to make Malaysians much more harmonious and tolerant with one another,” he said.
Abdul Karim said as a Muslim, he felt ashamed of people coming up with remarks like ‘masuk ziarah gereja, terus terpikat.’
It is not as simple as that, he said.
“That is why I feel what she did was misconstrued by Che’gubard (Badrul Hisham Shaharin of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) and a few others,” he added.
In a similar vein he also hit out at religious bigots who objected to seasonal greetings like ‘Gong Xi Fa Chai’ and ‘Merry Christmas’.
He deemed their objections as ‘stupid’ and cited his experience at an Islamic university where he studied alongside Christians who remained Christian.
“It does not mean you go to an Islamic university, you become a Muslim after that.
“There are also Christian universities all over the world, there are Muslims who go to these Christian universities, but that does not make them turn over (to become Christians),” said Abdul Karim.
Being exposed to other religions does not automatically result in conversion but leads to greater tolerance and understanding, he added.
Towards this end he lauded examples of interfaith cooperation in Sarawak, such as the Good Shepherd Church and Masjid An Naim’s arrangement of sharing car parks on Fridays and Sundays for their congregation in Lutong, Miri.
