Press Statement
by Chow Kon Yeow

(Penang, Wednesday): The Sun carried a report today that an exhibition on world religions, universal peace and global peace in Kuala Lumpur was called off as one off the displays was deemed sensitive.

The exhibition organized by Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF) which had been displayed at the UN headquarters was supposed to take place on the sidelines of the four-day meeting hosted by the think-tank Institute Strategic and International Studies (ISIS).

KAF representative Peter Schier said ISIS asked them to scrap the exhibition.

He said that he was told the exhibition was “sensitive” and that ISIS feared it would be criticized by radical Muslims or the government for allowing the exhibition.

Peter Schier said, “I explained that this is not something sensitive but was to overcome prejudices and promote peace within different cultures and religions.”

In response, ISIS director-general Datuk Mohd Jawhar Hassan said: “We must be very sensitive to the environment we are operating in. We don’t want to take the risk of embarrassing incidents happening at an international event,” (He was referring to an Article 11 forum which ended abruptly after a demonstration in Penang last month).

I blogged, after the Article 11 demonstration, that our space for discussion had been hijacked by radicals. But this time, ISIS is hijacking this space by default because of their fear of a radical demonstration.

This time, even a quasi-government organization is facing a seized mentality and it would make radicals most happy.

For KAF, this is not the first time they are running into troubles. Earlier last month, a cultural and religious awareness programme they initiated in Penang’s Streets of Harmony was abruptly called off by the State Education Department.

Although the Department said the programme was called off because the organizer did not seek the prior approval of the Department.

I questioned the decision and said the programme was called off because of objections from Islamists.

The State Education Department did not respond. I then requested Phee Boon Poh, DAP Assemblyman for Sungei Puyu to raise the matter in the Penang State Legislative Assembly late last month.

The Umno Assemblyman for Permatang Berangan Shabudin bin Yahaya, who happens to be the President of the Penang State Islamic Council, interjected to say that the contents of the integration programme included materials that are sensitive and unacceptable to Muslims.

That is the reason why another KAF programme is stopped. Again this is a victory for those who see universal values and inter-religious dialogue as a threat to the purity of their religion.