KUALA LUMPUR – About 600 people gathered at Batu Caves here this morning to perform a Hindu religious song as a response to recent cases of Muslims reciting Quranic verses at the landmark temple.
Participants not only came from Klang Valley, but also from as far away as Kedah, Johor and Singapore.
“It was done to show that prayers can be done in a peaceful manner without courting controversies,” said co-organiser Swashna Subramaniam.
“There must be mutual respect at all the places of worship as enshrined and protected under Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. Only then, we can live in peace and harmony,” said Global Human Rights Federation chairman S. Shashi Kumar who supported the event today.
Kanda Shasti Kavasam is a devotional song about Lord Muruga, which sings praises of the deity and asks for his blessings.
The event was also co-organised by Rajeswary Apahu and the Hindu Volunteers Movement.
The recitation issue made the headlines when Moroccan influencer Abdellatif Ouisa uploaded videos featuring him reciting Islamic verses on idolatry at the Batu Caves temple and in front of the Lord Muruga statue.
He also posted a video of himself reciting religious scripture in front of a statue at the Chin Swee Caves temple in Genting Highlands.
Abdellatif deleted the videos and issued an apology on TikTok but uploaded a longer video on YouTube days later.
In 2020, the Dutch publication Alien Mag reported several accusations of sexual misconduct against Abdellatif by multiple women in the Netherlands. – June 1, 2024