Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews eISSN: 2395-6518, Vol 7, No 1, 2019, pp 347-353 https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2019.7140 347 |www.hssr.in © Mohad et al. MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS IN MALAYSIA: ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS Abd Hakim Mohad, Ros Aiza Mohd Mokhtar, Mashitah Sulaiman, Latifah Abdul Latiff Universiti Sains Islam, Malaysia abdhakim@usim.edu.my, rosaiza@usim.edu.my, masyitah@usim.edu.my, latifah@usim.edu.my Article History: Received on 10 th December 2018, Revised on 20 th April, Published on 02 nd August 2019 Abstract Purpose: The issue of Muslim-Christian relations in Malaysia is often in the limelight of the mass media, domestic and foreign. Within recent years, there have been incidents directly related to this topic of discussion. This paper discusses these the issues and challenges faced by the Muslim and Christian communities in Malaysia. Methodology: This is a qualitative study, and the data were collected from library sources such as books, journals, newspapers, periodicals, websites, and detailed interviews with members of the Muslim and Christian faiths. The data was then analysed through a documentary analysis technique. Main Findings: This study found that Muslim-Christian relations often go through ebbs and flows. Generally, incidents involving religious sensitivities are fanned further by the mass media and interested politicians, although these issues are not as serious as reported. These situations then create an uneasy tension between the two communities, thus negatively affecting foster unity in diversity within the plural societies in Malaysia. What should be encouraged as an alternative is dialogue between adherents of different religions for them to know one another, and to promote religious harmony. Implications: In the New Malaysia era, room of dialogue seems to flourish with the inclusive approach of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. This is a positive development, which hopefully would be a catalyst to building a Malaysia society united in diversity. Keywords: Tolerance, Religion, Islam, Christian, Malaysia. INTRODUCTION Muslim-Christian relations has been around for 1,400 years (Troll, 2008). Throughout this period, there have been numerous events that marked the high and low points of this relationship. Within the Malaysian context, both Islam and Christianity have their respective rights guaranteed under Article 3(1) of the Constitution, which states that “Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation. ” (Yaacob, 2012). As is generally known, Malaysia is one of the countries whereby its citizens consist of peoples of various religions, cultures, and ethnicities. However, a number of issues have affected Muslim-Christian relations in this country. Among them are the issue of banning the use of the word “Allah” in the Herald-The Catholic Weekly (Herald) by the Court of Appeal. This issue has attracted both local and international attention, as it has the potential to shape Muslim-Christian relations in the future. There are also other issues related to relations between the two faiths, like the confiscation of Malay-language Bibles by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) on 2 January 2014, as well as the protest by a group of Muslims against the erecting of a cross in a church there. These issues are very important in shaping Muslim- Christian relations in Malaysia. These issues have been brought to court for adjudication in order to find a solution. LITERATURE REVIEW There have not been a lot of studies on Muslim-Christian relationship, specifically in the Malaysian context. By and large, published writings focus more on the general themes of the plural society in Malaysia, without reference to the relationship between the Muslim and Christian communities. The narrative of Muslim-Christian relationship in Malaysia ranges in the majority-minority or superior-inferior interaction. The majority-minority interaction occurs as the majority of Malaysians are Muslims (61.3%); Christians are the minority (9.2%) (2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia). The superior-inferior interaction relationship is due to Islam being elevated as the religion of the federation, and Christianity is not (Yaacob, 2012). It should be emphasised here that religious issues in Malaysia is very sensitive. An issue considered unexceptional in other countries might be viewed highly seriously in Malaysia. Throughout Muslim-Christian relations in Malaysia, many issues have been interpreted as causing strains between the two communities. The largest and most polemical issue happened in 2009, when the High Court of Malaya allowed the Christian periodical the Herald Tribune to use the term “Allah” in their publications. On the government side, the Home Ministry had restricted the periodical for using the term “Allah,” which was seen as touching on Muslim sensitivities in this country. Imagine the strained relations and crisis between adherents of the two faiths. It was quote worrying (Rawa. 2013).