CROSS IS OUR SACRED SYMBOL: Council of Churches condemns protest led by IGP's brother, Umno leaders

PETALING JAYA - The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) has condemned the protest calling for the removal of the cross at a church in Taman Medan, saying that there was a clear political agenda behind such an act.

CCM said it was not surprised that such an incident had taken place in Selangor yet again, initiated by certain quarters out to instigate inter-religious tension in the state.

“The Churches categorically oppose any action that disrupts inter-religious harmony in the country.

“We believe that the majority of Malaysians will lend their voices to oppose actions of anyone who seeks to disrupt and deny the right of people to worship and their right to display their religious symbols,” said the Council’s secretary-general Reverend Dr Hermen Shastri on Monday.

He said the protesters had taken the law into their own hands and disrupted a worship session, besides making religiously insensitive demands about Christians’ sacred symbol.

Dr Hermen Shastri

“Our Council calls upon the state authorities to come to the aid of this small and vulnerable congregation, traumatized by a small group of demonstrators.

“The Council also calls on the authorities to take firm measures against anyone who seeks to disrupt the worship of others and seek to act above the law by imposing their religious view upon people of other faiths, by show of mob force,” Shastri said. - ANN