RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND ISLAM: AN APPRAISAL OF PLURALISM IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Religious Diversity is as old as mankind's history. From old cavern occupants to the social orders of the great empire of China, India, Iran, Egypt, and Babylon, religion as the human journey for the divine showed itself in an assortment of dialects, reverential practices, myths, and customs. Certain scholars put forward some religious theologies regarding such kind of diversity. Islam is divine religion and complete code of life, which also gives some principles about religious diversity. It is a general misconception that Islam is a biased and prejudiced religion. This article highlights the Islamic injunctions based on Quran regarding religious diversity, correcting the misconception about the biasedness of Islam. In the context of Islamic injunctions, this research paper discusses theological and Islamic approaches towards exclusivist-inclusivist-pluralistic trichotomy. It also discusses the Malaysian approach towards religious diversity and multi-ethnicity, where the Muslim majority is living with the people of other religions with love and respect as the biggest example of religious harmony in today’s world. The objective of this paper is to portray religious theologies and circumstances in today’s Malaysia where multi-ethnic and multi-faith people exist with harmony, mutual regard, and understanding, however remain institutionally separate.