PETALING JAYA: Religious leaders have an obligation to unite and fight against those who reject faith and the values of humanity, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said this at The Second International Summit of Religious Leaders 2025 held here on Thursday (Aug 28).
The three-day summit was attended by 1,500 participants, including religious leaders, religious authorities and Islamic scholars from more than 54 countries.
Themed "The Role of Religious Leaders in Resolving Conflicts", the summit serves as an inclusive and global interfaith dialogue forum.
"In the days of imperialism and colonialism, religions were abused to subjugate people, but the many anti-colonial movements were led by religious leaders who believed in justice, peace and humanity.
"They believed in human dignity and that no country, no person should be subjugated. I appeal to religious leaders to take up the task as my limited experience in governance has shown that there is blatant hypocrisy when we talk about democracy, human rights and justice.
"Where else do I appeal if not to religious leaders? Do you understand the meaning of peace – there are differences among us. I am a Muslim and the compassion in Islam is for everyone. There is a need for equilibrium and balance and the need to tolerate each other.
"The challenge in Malaysia is the country has 60% Muslims, an abundance of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists and some animists.
"We as the government cannot easily satisfy everyone but we have to engage with everyone.
"All religions must unite to create an understanding and defend humanity against those who reject faith and values," said Anwar.
