Dr M tells Sunnis to accept Shias as Muslims
(FMT) – A person becomes a Muslim as soon as he testifies that God is one and Muhammad was his human messenger. Both Sunnis and Shias make the same two testimonies, he pointed out.
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has pleaded with the Sunni majority in Malaysia to accept the Shias as fellow Muslims and thereby avoid the deadly sectarian strife that has torn apart some communities in the Middle East.
In a speech last night at a forum organised by Isma, Mahathir reminded his audience of the Islamic belief that a person becomes a Muslim as soon as he testifies that God is one and Muhammad was his human messenger. Both Sunnis and Shias make the same two testimonies, he pointed out.
He noted that Malays had enjoyed freedom from sectarian strife for a long time because they were nearly all Sunnis subscribing to the Shafie school of jurisprudence. But he said the situation in the country had changed somewhat in recent years with the presence of expatriates from Shia-majority countries such as Iran.
