KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Malaysia’s non-Muslim minority must learn about Islamic civilisation in school so that they know not to offend the country’s Muslim majority, the leader of the Islamist group, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) claimed today.

Making the subject “Islamic civilisation” mandatory at secondary school will help fight prejudice against the religion, according to the head of the group’s missionary bureau, Annuar Salleh.

The subject won’t aim to convert non-Muslims but help to stop the creeping climate of disrespect for the religion, Annuar said on Isma’s website.

“We just hope that there will be a feeling of respect inside of them and they will no longer be prejudice towards Islam,” he said.

He said the dispute between Muslims and Christians in the country over the use of the word “Allah” was an example of non-Muslims attempting to challenge and insult Muslims.

“That is why it is our role to introduce Islam to them; surely it can deflect and reduce the prejudicial feelings they feel towards Islam,” Annuar added.

The Education Ministry had announced in Parliament last year that Islamic and Asian Civilisation Studies (TITAS) will be mandatory for tertiary students seeking accreditation from the country’s qualifications agency.

The director of the think-tank, Centre for Policy Initiatives, Dr Lim Teck Ghee criticised the move as part of the government’s bid to foist the principle of Ketuanan Melayu or Islamic Supremacy on the country.

MCA and DAP lawmakers, meanwhile, said the compulsory subject may cause religious tensions.

In 2011, historian Dr Ranjit Malhi Singh complained that secondary school history texts have become too Islamic- and Malay-centric, noting that five out of 10 chapters in the current Form Four history textbook revolve around Islamic history, compared to just one in the earlier edition.

He has also pointed out that the texts on Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Hinduism had been whittled down from the previous edition.