SHAFAQNA – The faith of Muslims will not be threatened by merely looking at a cross and having a church in their area, said PKR’s Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Mohamed Talha (pic). “They assume that the faith of Muslims is so fragile that just by looking at a cross, they will be driven away from Islam,” said Haniza, referring to a group of Muslim residents who had protested against the cross sign at a church in the area on Sunday. She said their excessive behaviour had resulted in a negative perception towards Islam and its followers.
“Muslims are now seen as obsessed and extremist in deterring others from practising their own faiths “Islam teaches its followers to respect other religions. It is stated as such in Surah Al-Kaafirun, which says to each his own religion and that Islam does not force its teachings upon others,” Haniza said in a statement on Monday. Some 50 Taman Medan residents had protested outside the church on Sunday, claiming that the cross was put up without consulting the locals, whom they claimed were 95% Muslim. The church voluntarily removed the cross later in the day. It is not yet certain if the church had obtained permission from the Petaling Jaya municipal council to run.
Source : http://www.thestar.com.my/