Explain real meaning of Islam to counter violence, extremism, says Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today called on ulama and Muslim professionals to explain the real meaning of Islam to counter the idea of violence and extremism in the country.

He said they should come forward with action plans, strategies and programmes that the government could implement to check and disable the idea and ideology of violence.

"We are faced with ideas of violence and extremist movements, and these movements can have a detrimental effect on the Islamic world. How can Muslims permit murder among themselves?" he said when speaking at the national-level Ma'al Hijrah celebration at the National Mosque.

Also present were Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

The celebration, carrying the theme 'Perpaduan Nadi Transformasi Negara' (Solidarity Pulse of National Transformation), was held at the National Mosque for the first time to coincide with the golden jubilee of the house of worship and its status as an Islamic landmark in the country.

Najib said ulama and the professionals should use every medium possible to explain the real Islamic teachings, especially to the young generation.

He said Islam should be explained little by little to avoid confusion because Islam was not hostile to other religions.

The prime minister also pledged to continue to champion the plight of Muslims in Palestine against exploitation by the Zionist regime.

He said the plight of the Palestinian people should be championed because they had been subjected to insult and treated as people who had no rights.

"It was for this reason that at the United Nations I said we have to take up the struggle of the people of Palestine, and I will carry on with the struggle on behalf of the Muslims in Malaysia," he said to applause from the audience.

Najib also said that Malaysia's decision to accept 3,000 Syrian refugees was also based on the principle of assisting Muslims in need.

He said this could be done because Malaysia was a peaceful and progressive country and desired to become a developed nation based on Islamic principles.

"This is what we can be proud of, let's not allow this to be destroyed. Let's not allow anyone to conspire with parties in the country and abroad to destroy what we have achieved," he said.