Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today expressed hope that Muslims in general and especially those in Malaysia will take the opportunity of Aidilfitri to forgive one another and foster peace and unity as prescribed by Prophet Muhammad.

Najib said that if Muslims were negligent and chose to practise politics of hate, it would be no surprise that relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia would worsen.

"Victory for Muslims begins only when they forgive each other for the sake of unity, and it is also encouraged that the spirit of forgiveness is practised among all humans, irrespective of their beliefs and ideologies," he said in a post on his blog, NajibRazak.com.

Reflecting on the current situation of Muslims, with conflicts occurring all around the world, Najib pointed out that it was very difficult to state that they were winning.

"This situation is exacerbated by the perception of some outsiders who regard Islam as the source of hatred and violence, despite the fact that the 1,400-year-old religion has always advocated peace and unity as the best solution to conflict resolution," he said.

Najib said that only those with big hearts could forgive, and Muslims, who were big-hearted, should choose the path of understanding and not one of contradiction for the sake of self-benefit.

-- Bernama