Source / Courtesy: China Daily

KUALA LUMPUR – About 5,000 Malaysian Muslims rallied at a stadium near Kuala Lumpur on Saturday in a move to defend their religion and protest against what they saw as a trend of proselytization among Muslims in the country.

They were also pressing for new laws to penalize those who try to convert Muslims.

The turnout at the rally, organised by 25 non-governmental groups, was short of the one million that organizers had expected.

The event was peaceful, with religious hymn recitals and speeches by clergies taking the centre stage.

“Muslims have to be more united and I am here to support the call for us to be protected from attempts of proselytism but I am not opposing other religions,” said one of the attendees, Zamzuri Abdul Rahman.

Religion is a very sensitive issue in Malaysia because of its multiracial background.

Some believed Saturday’s rally was sparked by a controversial raid by the Selangor state religious authorities at a dinner in a church where Muslims attended.

Organizers of the rally said they are concerned about the trend of apostasy among Muslims.

“We are co-existing with people of other faith and religion and we want to convey a message that we don’t want to be intruded. We want people to understand that there is an agreement in the constitution that you cannot spread religious teachings other than Islam to the Muslims,” Mohammad Azmi Abdul Hamin, lead organizer of rally told reporters.

Editor’s comments: If you were Ahmadiyya Muslim, you will not be afraid of other religions preaching to you, you would only welcome it.  So, give up your myopic lenses and grow into the 21st century.  Proselytizing or preaching one’s religion is only a part of freedom of thought and religion and best preaching is done by your character and attitudes.

This demand by the Muslim clergy is an acceptance of their defeat and moral and intellectual bankruptcy.  It is time for the masses to look at the Ahmadiyya interpretation of Islam, where you do not live in a constant fear of other religions, you know that Islam has clear intellectual and rational victory and supremacy over all of them!