Terror war strains Christian-Muslim ties, Malaysian PM

0 Comments | Asian Political News, August 9, 2004

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 3 Kyodo

The war on terror has widened the gulf between Christians and Muslims who view it as a war against Islam, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday.

''In the eyes of many Muslims, events in the last three years seem to lend credence to the view that the Christian West is, once again, at war with the Muslim world. Sept. 11, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq and the war on terror have all taken religious undertones,'' Abdullah told an international gathering of Christian priests and scholars.

The danger, he warned, is the view that this is a battle between good and evil, recasting the anti-terror effort into a religious war.

''Many Muslims the world over feel that the war against terror is a war against Islam and no amount of reassurance from the West that it is not will convince them otherwise,'' he said.

The weeklong World Council of Churches meeting in Kuala Lumpur, which began last Wednesday with more than 100 church leaders from around the world in attendance, marks the first time for it to be held in a Muslim country.

Malaysia is incidentally the current chair country of the world's largest Muslim grouping, the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Abdullah said the failure of the West to address the root cause of terrorism, which he identified as the Palestinian issue, has confirmed to the Muslim world that the West does not place importance to Muslim grievances.

''The lack of progress in resolving the Palestinian issue continues to be a principal cause of hatred in the Muslim world towards those who have the power and influence to push the process along,'' he said.

The prime minister, however, reiterated that he does not condone the terrorism committed by extremists in the name of Islam.

''They are in the minority. They do not speak for Islam. They are misguided and their efforts are giving Islam a bad name,'' he said.

Urging people to practice religious moderation, he said, ''If we fail to do so, we risk having our religion hijacked by those who promote hatred and violence, we risk ceding ground to those who do not see the need to live in peace with other religions.''

Abdullah also called for more inter-faith dialogue to promote greater understanding among the different religious groups.

The current conflicts in the Muslim world, he said, should not be seen as a Muslim problem alone.

''The Palestinian issue or the conflict in Iraq are not just a Muslim grievance. These problems are of universal concern. The Palestinian problem is a problem of fundamental human rights and dignity. The Iraqi problem is a problem of securing peace and nation-building.''