MALAYSIA BANS MUSLIMS FROM SEEING THE PASSION

The movie "The Passion of the Christ" may have packed theatres in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, but the authorities in Malaysia don't want Muslims to see it. When the movie opens in Malaysia, moviegoers will have to show national identification cards -- which show religious affiliation-- at cinemas to ensure that only Christians are allowed in.

The story of the crucifixion contradicts the Koran, which characterizes Jesus not as the Son of God who died for mankind's sins, but as a Muslim prophet who was taken up to heaven without dying. Islam also regards the portrayal of prophets through pictures or images as a sin.

Just over 60 percent of Malaysia's 25 million people are Muslims, and only some nine percent are Christians.

Although Malaysia is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country, Islam is the official religion. The government of Malaysia, like those of many other Muslim countries, worries about Muslims converting to other faiths.

The editor of the Catholic Herald weekly in Kuala Lumpur, the Rev.Lawrence Andrew, said that by the time "The Passion" comes out in Malaysia many Christians will already have seen it -- on pirated DVDs. While he conceded that for Christians there could be an ethical problem with buying pirated copies, Andrew said many would have regarded doing so as "the lesser of the two evils" when the movie was not otherwise accessible.

Source: CNSNews