Jerusalem event in Malaysia canceled after Islamic party complaint
Assembly celebrating jubilee of Holy City’s reunification declared illegal.
By BENJAMIN GLATTThe Islamic party’s Facebook post of the event’s poster, with the word ‘cancel’ written on it.(photo credit: FACEBOOK)
A Christian group in Malaysia has canceled an event celebrating Jerusalem’s reunification jubilee after an Islamic party asked the government to stop the event and threatened to protest it. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) said the “Nations of the Golden Gate Aligning with Jerusalem’s Jubilee” event, which was scheduled to be held from June 15 to 18 in the city of Melaka in southern Malay, promoted “Zionist Christianity” and “Jewish culture.”“We can never forget the sufferings of Muslims caused by the atrocities of Israel. Now, they seek to create an extreme provocation to Muslims by organizing Jerusalem’s jubilee on Malaysian soil,” Nasrudin Hassan, the party’s communication officer, said on Facebook, according to a translation by the Free Malaysia Today website.“This Jewish culture should never be allowed to take root in our country. The government must take stern action. Don’t challenge the sensitivities of Muslims. Don’t rile this Malay land with this Zionist Christian activity.”The New Straits Times site later reported that the Christian organizers, All Malaysian-Golden Gate Nation Revival Convocation, called off the event after 32 police reports were filed against the event’s “Zionist theme.”While Christians in Malaysia, which make up about 10% of the population, may generally practice freely there are several restrictions to their freedom of worship. Zionism-based Judaism and the practice of supporting the State of Israel are illegal. The PAS spokesman later told that the press that the party checked with the state government and no approval had been given for the event.“We can never forget the sufferings of Muslims caused by the atrocities of Israel. Now, they seek to create an extreme provocation to Muslims by organizing Jerusalem’s Jubilee on Malaysian soil,” Hassan wrote. In a country where non-Muslim worship is fragile, even Christian leaders denounced the event.Christ Church bishop Jason Selvaraj spoke out saying ““Christians in Malaysia are tolerant, sensitive and understanding, and we will not disturb the harmony of the country.”But organizers wrote that they chose to host the event in Malaysia to coincide with the jubilee of the formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.“Why not in Malaysia?” the Christianity Malaysia portal wrote promoting the event. “Christian hearts cry out for the presence of God among us. Indeed, God has announced through his prophets on the destiny of Malaysia as a multiracial nation and catalyst for the revival of Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific and nations in the Golden Gate segment.”