Because Islam has appropriate the prophets of Christianity and Judaism as its own, sharia restrictions have been placed upon pictures of them by Malaysian authorities -- even in Christian materials intended for a Christian audience.

Malaysian authorities confiscated Christian children's books, claiming the illustrations of prophets such as Moses and Abraham violate Islamic Shariah law.

The independent news agency Malaysakini reported the Internal Security Ministry confiscated the literature from bookstores in two cities and one small town in mid-December.

The Malaysian Embassy declined to comment on the news service's Jan. 11 report.

The Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Malaysian Council of Churches, confirmed the report and accused the government of persecuting Christians.

"The officials have offended the sensitivities of Christians because their publications and depictions of their Biblical personalities have now become targets of unscrupulous Muslim officials bent on curtailing religious freedom in the country," Mr. Shastri said.

"Immediate steps should be taken to amend administrative rules and regulations, especially in the Internal Security Ministry, that give a free hand to enforcement officials to act on their whim and fancies," he said.

Religious oppression of Christians and other religious minorities continues in Malaysia, and has been increasing in recent years. When will the world community get around to denouncing such violations of human rights by the Malaysian government? When will the rights of Christians receive even 10% of the concern that the rights of Muslims receive from international bodies?

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