GEORGE TOWN, April 22 — Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor, in condemning the Easter Sunday terror attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, has called on all Muslims not to be influenced to hate other religious and ethnic groups.
He said differences in religions and ethnic groups must be accepted as a reality and the will of Allah so that all humankind can get to know each other and help each other.
“It is not right to use these differences in religions and ethnicity as a factor for enmity and to hate each other,” he said in a statement issued today.
He is certain that if all religious groups fully understood their respective religion’s teachings, such acts of terror can be prevented.
“The problem is that there are people using religion to justify their actions when they acted on their own personal motives. Religions have never sanctioned such terror attacks as such attacks are against all religious teachings,” he said.
Easter Sunday celebrations in Sri Lanka were rocked by suicide bombers that blasted churches and hotels, killing up to 290 people and injuring hundreds more.
Wan Salim said such terror attacks against churches must be condemned just as how the attacks against Muslims at the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand were condemned.
“Any reasons for such attacks cannot be accepted and must be condemned by all regardless of ethnicity, cultural or religious backgrounds,” he said.
He also called on political, religious and ethnic leaders to work together to ensure that everyone understand the importance of maintaining a harmonious relationship that is full of mutual respect.
“All parties must set aside religious fanaticism and avoid feelings of enmity and suspicions against others,” he said.
He said it is with mutual understanding and respect among different religions and ethnicity that such incidences can be avoided.
