PM delinks terror from religion in Malaysia: to keep the radical right at bay

With Malaysia which is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual society as his stage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described terrorism as the “biggest threat” the world faces and, more specifically, that terror should be delinked from religion.The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the recent terror attacks in Paris and significantly Modi made his comments in a country inhabited by over 30 million people where more than 60 per cent of the population is Muslim.Globally, there has been a concerted attempt by world leaders to make this “delink terror from religion” narrative stronger so that the harmony and fabric of the society in countries across the globe are not torn asunder by right-wing groups.So, notwithstanding the political pressure to screen refugees on the basis of religion, US President Barack Obama has so far stood his ground and not yielded to his political rivals.Modi, in fact, praised Malaysian PM Najib Razak for his



leadership in combating extremism and radicalization, for rejecting any link between terrorism and religion, and in highlighting the real values of Islam.During his visit, the two countries agreed to intensify cooperation on security, make defense cooperation stronger, advance maritime security and to collaborate in cyber security. While security and defense dominated the agenda, the Indian side felt that trade and investment relations can also be scaled up significantly.
In this context, since Malaysian competence in infrastructure is well-known — it has completed several important projects, including in the road sector in India — Modi expressed his interest in increased Malaysian participation in the expansion and the upgradation of infrastructure, Make in India, and Smart Cities projects.The template for India-Malaysia relations is clear: fight against terror and radicalism and cooperate on trade and infrastructure. Now, it’s time to walk the talk.