Islam: A Peaceful Religion, Does Not Promote Cruelty - BN Secretary-General

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is unhappy that the Islamic State (IS) militant group is linked to Islam, a peaceful religion which encourages its followers to live in peace and harmony. Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said Islam, Malaysia's official religion, did not encourage Muslims to commit cruelty and in fact taught them to respect one another and others as well. "We live harmoniously together in this multiracial country. Despite being a Muslim-majority nation with Islam as the official religion, about 40 per cent of the population freely practise other faiths such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism and many more. "There are many ethnic groups in this country but we still manage to live together in peace and build a nation which moves forward to ensure Malaysia's success in every aspect." Tengku Adnan said this in his welcoming speech at the 9th International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP)'s Medical Emergency Forum (IMEF) dinner, here, Monday night. The dinner was attended by 82 delegates from 22 countries including Cambodia, Russia, the Philippines and Indonesia. The Malaysian delegation was led by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim, who is also an United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) supreme council member. UMNO is Malaysia's largest political party, and is currently leading the National Front or ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN). The three-day meeting, which started Sunday, provides an opportunity for Malaysia to learn how other countries manage disasters, especially in the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea and Japan. Several papers have been and will be presented by representatives from countries that have experienced environmental destruction caused by the tsunami, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides. -- BERNAMA