GEORGETOWN - The Education Ministry's initiatives to introduce the 'Imam Nawawi 40 Hadith' Module in schools are designed to create a more open and mature-thinking younger generation on matters involving racial diversity, religion, and culture.
Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor said the introduction of the module was also seen as contributing to the harmony of the country.
In this regard, Wan Salim said that the protest was unjustified and that other parties should first learn more about the module.
"Parties opposed to the Education Ministry's proposal to implement the Imam Nawawi 40 Hadith Module must obtain clear information on the content of the hadiths.
"Protesting the proposal without filing a motion for review is completely unreasonable. Moreover, this criticism is motivated by a desire to achieve political clout by marginalising the interests of the country and the people," he said when contacted on Monday.
He also stated that those who oppose the proposal should consider the explanation provided by the ministry and some Islamic non-governmental organisations (NGO) that the module is only intended for Muslim teachers and students in religious secondary schools (SMKA) and government-aided religious schools (SABK).
"The objective of introducing this module is to foster a spirit of welfare and love among people of all races, religions, and cultures.
"The intended purpose can be achieved through a proper understanding of Islam as a religion of grace, as well as promoting tolerance and mutual respect for one another, despite different religious faiths and cultures," he stated.
Wan Salim went on to say that non-Muslims in Malaysia must recognise that harsh and antagonistic opinions towards non-Muslims stem from misunderstandings of Islam's teachings.
"Groups such as Da'ish, which fought for the establishment of Islamic states in Iraq, and Sham (Syria-Lebanon), which arbitrarily killed anyone who did not agree with them, were due to their misunderstanding of their learnings of true Islam," he stated.
Earlier, the Education Ministry said in a statement that it would begin implementing the Imam Nawawi 40 Hadith Module in schools in order to create a spirit of love and mercy.
It added that it is an attempt to strengthen religious understanding among Muslim teachers and students.
"It would be implemented on a trial basis with Muslim teachers and pupils in 61 SMKAs and 228 SABKs across the country," it said.