Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email PUTRAJAYA: Muslims in the country should exercise wisdom in addressing religious issues and not become hysterical when confronted with something seen as challenging their faith or belief like a film, Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said.
He said it was crucial for parents to nurture strong religious belief in their children, which would protect them from being easily influenced by elements that could dent their faith.
Zainuddin said this in response to calls by various quarters for the Government to ban the screening of Evan Almighty following claims the movie contained scenes that insulted Muslims and Islam.
"Muslims should not become weak by overreacting to such a film," he added.
The Information Minister said if Muslim parents feared that the movie could affect their children's faith, then it was their responsibility to prohibit them from watching it.
He said banning the film would not solve any problem because Malaysia is a multiracial society and has different religious beliefs.
"We live in a country with various races and religions, so we have to exercise more wisdom in facing issues relating to religion," he added.
Zainuddin said even if the film was to be banned, people could still watch it on online.
He said the people could also choose not to watch the movie since there were other films.
The film Evan Almighty has actor Morgan Freeman playing the role of "God" and he orders Evan Baxter (played by Steve Carell) to build an ark to avoid a big flood.
The film has been approved by the Malaysian Film Censorship Board and will be screened in cinemas starting on Aug 23. ? Bernama
