Muslims reach out to Christians with oranges, flowers

The Malaysian Insider, 2 February 2014

BY MUZLIZA MUSTAFA

Ally Hazran Hashim (right) with a group of friends meeting parishioners, including Father George Harrison (left), from the Holy Family Church in Kajang after mass today. They were there to spread the message of peace. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, February 2, 2014.

Against a backdrop of heightened religious and racial tension, a group of Malaysians handed out oranges, goodies and flowers at the Kajang Holy Family Church to foster ties between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Ally Hazran Hashim and his friends handed out the goodies following morning mass today.

"I am practising what my religion taught me. Islam is peace. I believe if you do things with good faith, people will see it in good light. We are creating love," he said.

He hoped that the small gesture of love would be an eye-opener for Muslims and others and inspire them to do the same.

 

"Don’t just offer love at churches but other place of worships like mosques,” Ally told The Malaysia Insider today.

Ally posted his plan on Facebook and invited others to join him.

“We are here out of love for our brothers and sisters," said Ally, 46.

A resident in Kajang for 12 years, Ally, a training consultant, said today’s gesture was to extend the Malaysian spirit of goodwill to Christians and to reinforce the message that not all Muslims have antagonism towards Christians.

"We do not want another racial riot. There is so much tension these days," said Ally, clad in his yellow baju melayu and a songkok.

This is the second group in a month to organise a show of solidarity with Christians.

On January 5, a group led by social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir handed out flowers at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Klang, following threats by Umno and Muslim NGOs to protest against the Christians' insistence on using the word Allah in their Bahasa Malaysia mass.

Ally said he was dismayed by recent events, including the Molotov cocktail attack against a Penang church.

He said racist postings on Thaipusam Day also played a part.

Muslims handing out flowers at the Holy Family Church in Kajang today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, February 2, 2014.

People should refrain from commenting on other religions and strengthen their own faith and beliefs. We have lived in peace for more than half a century, let us continue living in peace and harmony."

Church-goer R. Puspanathan, 53, said Ally and his friends should be praised for their act as it would ease religious tension.

"Will it be enough to solve the problem? No, it won’t... but I applaud their effort.”

Parish priest Father George Harrison also praised Ally.

"I have always urged people not to look at the problems but look at positive ways to build bridges with our sisters and brothers in Islam.”

He said the gesture of love should also be extended to pupils in schools.

On January 2, the Selangor Religious Affairs Department (Jais) raided the Bible Society of Malaysia’s premises and seized more than 300 copies of the Alkitab and Bup Kudus, further straining ties between Muslims and Christians over the use of word “Allah”.

In Selangor, under a 1988 enactment, non-Muslims are prohibited from using the word Allah and other 34 other Arabic words.

The tussle over the word Allah arose in 2008 when the Catholic weekly Herald was barred by the Home Ministry from using the Arabic word.

The Catholic church had contested this and won a High Court decision in 2009 upholding its constitutional right to do so.

Putrajaya later appealed the decision and successfully overturned the earlier decision when the Court of Appeal ruled last October that "Allah was not integral to the Christian faith".

 – February 2, 2014.