Screenshots

The final part of Malaysiakini's interview with Dr Mahathir. Excerpts:

QUESTION: A few years ago (In September 2001) you declared Malaysia an Islamic state. Given that there has been increased religious tensions lately, what do you think of that declaration in hindsight?

ANSWER: It has to nothing to do with the Islamic state, this increase in tensions. It’s just because you don’t explain things properly to the other side. During my time, I opposed hudud laws because they are not hudud laws not because I oppose religious laws. I’m opposed to their interpretation of hudud laws because they are not based on the teachings of Islam. We’ve got a situation where mothers are being separated from kids and wives separated from their husbands. What’s your solution to that?

We’ve got a situation where mothers are being separated from kids and wives separated from their husbands. What’s your solution to that?

Go back to the teachings of Islam. These things become a problem because of interpretations. Go back and find out what is it that Islam wants you to do in such cases. Go back to the Quran. It’s there.

Do you agree with what the religious authorities did? That R Subashini should be separated from her children?

Is that what the Quran suggests? I don’t think so.

You don’t think so?

I don’t think so. The problem is that it is difficult for non-Muslims to even talk or question this. We are living in such a climate of fear, that it’s not easy to be up front in this debate...

[...]

We’ve got Islam Hadhari to counter it...

I don’t know what is Islam Hadhari. I’m not a Muslim Hadhari. I’m a Muslim, period.

Putrajaya stands up Building Bridges conference on 11th hour

Meanwhile, Britain’s Times newspaper reported that the Building Bridges conference, which was accepted by the Prime Minister's Office and other Islamic institutions after the idea was mooted a year ago, was cancelled with just a two-week notice.

The Building Bridges Global Interfaith Seminar was scheduled for May 7-11 whereby over 30 world renowned Islamic and Christian scholars and theologians will deliberate under the theme, “Humanity in Context: Christian and Muslim perspectives on being human”.

In response, the Council of Churches of Malaysia said it is confused over the government’s sudden cancellation of the conference.

Its general secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri said in a statement today, picked up by Malaysiakini, that “we are as much confused as the organisers of the London office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, as to the sudden withdrawal of the endorsement and support by the Malaysian authorities for holding the Building Bridges seminar in Kuala Lumpur.”