KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has called out PAS for being intolerant of other cultures and religions following the Islamist party’s warning for Muslims not to celebrate Christmas tomorrow, or to greet anyone celebrating it.
PAS Youth chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi had warned Muslims not to celebrate Christmas as it has an element of “syirik” (idolatry) which is against Islamic teachings.
Lim questioned Muhammad Khalil’s remarks, and whether this form of intolerance and “toxic politics” was part and parcel of his father, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s teachings.
“Is this to be Hadi Amanat to spearhead the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion to destroy Malaysia as a tolerant, harmonious and successful plural nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures,” the Iskandar Puteri MP said in a statement.
In 1981, Hadi gave a religious sermon in Kuala Terengganu, which has since come to be known as “Amanat Haji Hadi”, or Hadi’s Mandate, which dubbed supporters of the Islamist party as jihadists, while those who opposed them as infidels.
“On this Christmas Eve, Malaysians are presented with the most shocking example of the vicious and toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion to destroy Malaysia as a tolerant, harmonious and successful plural nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures with the primitive warning by the PAS Youth leader and son of PAS President, Mohamad Khalil Abdul Hadi to Muslims not to celebrate Christmas tomorrow or to post Christmas greetings on Facebook because the Christian celebration is against the teachings of Islam and that there should be any acknowledgement of the Christian religion.
“Does PAS want to have a world war of religions or a peaceful, tolerant and harmonious world based on the tolerance and peaceful co-existence of all the great religions of the world?” Lim asked.
Lim then added this is not the first attempt by PAS to spread the “politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion”, following the latter’s strong opposition to the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
Quoting an excerpt from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who wished a Merry Christmas to those celebrating the occasion in Turkey, Lim then questioned whether Hadi and Muhammad Khalil would question Erdogan’s faith because of that.
“Is Hadi, whether the father or son or both, holding to the view that Erdogan is not a true Muslim?” Lim added.
