No forced conversions to Islam, says Najib

Federal Govt will adhere to principle of no compulsion in Islam, Sabahans told.

KOTA KINABALU: The Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has reiterated that the Federal Government does not have any policy to force non-Muslims to embrace Islam and assured Sabahan Christians that Islamic teachings themselves did not call for forced conversions.

Speaking at the delegates’ conference of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah here today, he said that as chairman of the Barisan Nasional he adhered to the principle of being fair to all BN component parties and to all people, whether in urban or rural areas, poor or well off, or whether they are bumiputera or non-bumiputera, or non-Muslim bumiputera, even though they are a minority.

For example, he said, the Cabinet decided to eliminate the “Others” column in official government forms because the indigenous groups in Sabah and Sarawak did not like to be categorised as such.

On religion, he said that the government’s point of view as “we hold the principle that there is no compulsion in Islam. In Islam itself there is a verse that says ‘No compulsion in Islam. To you, your religion, and to me, my religion’. This means there is no compulsion in Islam. If he or she wants convert to Islam yes, but there is no compulsion in Islam”.

Najib gave assurances that the government would continue to adhere to the principle and in the event such coercion occurred, it would be purely an act of certain individuals, and that the affected parties could complain to the authorities.

-BERNAMA