1. New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com)
Malaysia Premier Is to Meet With the Pope, 17 July 2011
by LIZ GOOCH
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia is scheduled to meet with Pope Benedict XVI in Italy on Monday, in a visit that analysts say is intended to signal a wish to mend ties with the country’s Christians after a series of episodes, including the firebombing of churches, that have strained interfaith relations in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation.
The talks at Castel Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence, are expected to touch on the possibility of Malaysia’s establishing diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
Malaysia, where Christians make up 9 percent of the population, is one of the few countries without diplomatic ties with the Vatican. Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and many other predominantly Muslim counties already have diplomatic relations.
Though Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion. There are about 850,000 Catholics in Malaysia, which has a population of 28 million.
In recent years, Christians and other religious minorities have expressed concern over what they view as the increasing dominance of Islam in Malaysia. In addition to the firebombing of churches, Malay-language Bibles have been seized by the authorities in a dispute over whether Christians should be allowed to use the word Allah for God.
Analysts say that Mr. Najib’s meeting with the pope is intended to demonstrate to Malaysian Christians that the government considers their religion important enough to warrant a state-level visit.
“Muslim-Christian relations in Malaysia have taken a hammering since the Badawi period,” said Farish Ahmad Noor, a political scientist at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, referring to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was prime minister from 2003 to 2009. “And many Christian groups now feel that they have been neglected by an uncaring government.”
“But the Najib administration has to show once and for all that it will not allow the harassment of Christians to continue in the country,” Mr. Farish said.
Since Mr. Najib became prime minister in 2009, he has sought to project Malaysia as a moderate Muslim-majority nation.
Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, the head of the Institute of Ethnic Studies at the National University of Malaysia, said the federal government had made many attempts at interfaith dialogue in recent years. But these attempts have not been very successful, he said, in part because many aspects of religious practice are controlled by the state, like regulations regarding Muslims who renounce the faith.
Forming ties with the Vatican would contribute to Mr. Najib’s “1Malaysia” policy, which promotes national unity and inclusiveness, Mr. Shamsul said.
The Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald, the Roman Catholic Church’s weekly newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, said he thought the country had not previously pursued diplomatic relations with the Vatican out of a fear among many Malaysians that Christians would try to convert Muslims. But he said that this concern appears to have diminished in recent years.
“They have seen that the Catholics are not the type who go and proselytize and convert the Muslims,” he said.
In Malaysia, ethnic Malays are automatically considered Muslim. Muslims who wish to convert to Christianity must obtain permission from Islamic courts, but it is rarely granted.
Religious tensions were reignited in May when a Malay-language newspaper published a report alleging that Christians wanted to make Christianity the country’s official religion, a contention vehemently denied by Christian leaders.
Father Andrew said that while there may still be a “pocket of people” who champion the rights of Muslims over other groups, he sensed that Malaysia as a whole was becoming more accepting of other religions.
“There’s an opening up,” he said, adding that he views the meeting with the pope “as a positive thing.”
2. Malaysiakini (http://www.malaysiakini.com)
Najib on working visit to Rome, 17 July 2011
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is making a two-day working visit to Rome from today.
His programme includes an audience with Pope Benedict XVI and a meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State (equivalent to a head of government), at Castel Gandolfo, Rome.
In a statement, Wisma Putra said he would be accompanied by wife Rosmah Mansor, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Koh Tsu Koon.
Other members of his entourage are Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom.
They will be joined by National Fatwa Council chairperson Abdul Shukor Husin and Archbishop Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam.
This will be the second meeting between a Malaysian prime minister and the Pope, after the one involving former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Pope John Paul in June 2002.
During the visit to Rome, Najib would take the opportunity to talk about Malaysia's initiative on the Global Movement of the Moderates.
Looking at possible avenues to enhance cooperation between Malaysia and the Holy See is also on the agenda, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Najib concluded his official visit to the United Kingdom on Friday.
(Bernama)
(End)
