12/10: Uproar over ban on Deepavali greetings
Category: General
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A MALAYSIAN finance industry official has drawn fire after reportedly
forbidding Muslims from delivering Hindu festive greetings to ethnic
Indians in the multicultural country.
Mr Fauzi Mustaffar, head of the Islamic law department at insurance
company Takaful Malaysia, issued the warning to staff ahead of
Deepavali.
He said that because the festival - a highlight on the ethnic Indian
calendar - involved the worship of Hindu deities, issuing greetings was
like practising polytheism and against the tenets of Islam.
'Muslims who have inadvertently wished Hindus a happy Deepavali, happy
Durga Pooja or happy Lakhshmi Pooja must immediately repent and not
repeat it in the future,' he was quoted as saying in an internal e-mail
message.
Mr Fauzi told The Star newspaper that the e-mail was sent in response to queries from employees.
But Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamad Zin, from the Prime Minister's
Department, blasted Mr Fauzi, saying that pleasantries were important
for racial harmony.
'He has no authority to say Muslims shouldn't wish Hindus (well)
because that is like a fatwa (edict),' Datuk Dr Abdullah said, adding
that only government Islamic bodies could issue fatwas.
'Just because you wish someone happy Deepavali does not mean that you have embraced his beliefs and religion.
'In a multireligious and multicultural country like ours, it is
important to live in harmony and be nice to one another,' he added.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
*taken from kolejislam@yahoogroups.com
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