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Sunday February 18, 2007

Najib: Islam is all about moderation

KUALA LUMPUR: There is no such thing as extremism in Islam – the beauty of the religion is in its moderation, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Deputy Prime Minister said moderation meant that the religion could be accepted by anyone at anytime.

All ears: Najib listening attentively to 12-year-old qari (male Quran reader) Muhammad Ahmad Zaid. Muhammad had impressed the audience when he read a verse from the Quran at the closing ceremony of the Wacana Ilmuan Islam programme at PWTC in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“The dynamism of Islam lies in its ability to be in various situations and be open to the changes that come with time,” he said in his closing address at the Wacana Ilmuan Islam programme at the PWTC.

However, there were those who were fanatical and others who neglected the faith.

“The first group shows an extreme attitude and are fanatical to the extent that they make up practices which do not exist. They like to look for faults in others and love to punish.

“They say that this is wrong and that is wrong, that this is haram (prohibited) and that is haram. This kind of over zealousness can scare others away and give a negative impression of Islam.

“The second group on the other hand pushes aside and neglects the practices of Islam. They set aside the fundamentals of the religion because they are ignorant and ape negative influences from outside,” he said.

Najib said whether Muslims realised it or not, the bond among them currently was very weak, and called on the community to cast aside their differences.

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