Govt To Introduce New Guidelines For Muslims Participating In Interfaith Celebrations

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Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar said the new guidelines, titled 'Guidelines on Muslim Participation in Interfaith Festival Celebrations and Funeral Ceremonies, as well as Visits and Events Held in Places of Worship of Other Faiths', will provide clearer direction on the matter.

The guidelines will outline the permissible and non-permissible forms of Muslim involvement in interfaith events, particularly in ensuring that participation does not compromise Islamic principles.

- Avoiding acts that may be perceived as religious propagation, such as delivering speeches, singing religious-themed songs, or distributing religious materials

- Ensuring no element of insult or mockery towards Islamic beliefs in any performances or speeches

- Preventing scheduling conflicts by ensuring events do not take place during Muslim prayer times, including the call to prayer (azan), congregational prayers, and Friday sermons

- Event locations should not be in close proximity to mosques, suraus, Islamic cemeteries, or waqf (endowment) land

- Premises for such events should not display symbols or rituals of religions other than Islam

The upcoming 126th Muzakarah Meeting of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs, scheduled from 25 to 27 February, will finalise the guidelines, he said in a parliamentary written reply.

According to him, the initiative follows existing regulations, including the 'Guidelines for Muslims Participating in the Festive Celebrations of Other Faiths', which was endorsed by the National Fatwa Committee in 2005, and the 'Guidelines on Islamic Content in New Media', published by JAKIM in 2024.