The Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM) has issued a forceful condemnation of the destruction of a mosque in Golbazar, Siraha, Nepal, following escalating communal tensions in the region. The incident, which resulted in the burning of the building and destruction of religious texts including the Quran and hadith materials, prompted YADIM president Datuk Dr Hasan Bahrom to call for swift and decisive action from Nepalese authorities. Speaking from Putrajaya, Hasan characterised the acts as fundamentally incompatible with the principles that should underpin any civilised society.
The destruction of houses of worship and sacred religious texts represents a serious breach of fundamental human rights and religious freedom, according to the YADIM statement. Hasan emphasised that the deliberate desecration of mosques and burning of the Quran contradicts core values of humanity, peaceful coexistence and communal harmony that transcend religious boundaries. The foundation argued that religious freedom, while a cornerstone of democratic societies, cannot and should not be weaponised as justification for attacking the faith traditions or sacred spaces of others. This framing places the incident within a broader discourse about the responsibilities that accompany the exercise of religious liberty in pluralistic societies.
Critically, YADIM has advocated for a measured and constructive response to the inter-communal tensions that precipitated the violence. Rather than endorsing retaliatory measures or escalatory cycles, the foundation has called for disputes between communities to be addressed through structured dialogue and established legal frameworks. This position reflects a recognition that cycles of provocation and counter-provocation, particularly when framed in religious terminology, tend to deepen divisions rather than resolve underlying grievances. By emphasising the importance of institutional channels and dialogue mechanisms, YADIM is positioning itself as an advocate for conflict de-escalation in a region where religious tensions periodically flare into violence.
The foundation has specifically urged Nepalese authorities to undertake a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the incident. YADIM has called for appropriate legal consequences for those determined to have participated in or orchestrated the destruction, signalling that justice through established legal processes should supersede vigilante or communal responses. This demand reflects international norms regarding accountability for incidents of religious vandalism and hate crimes, while implicitly suggesting that Nepal's institutional mechanisms should be strengthened and trusted to deliver fair outcomes.
Beyond the specific incident in Golbazar, Hasan used the occasion to address a broader concern about public discourse surrounding Nepal's recent natural disasters. The YADIM president specifically cautioned Malaysians against celebrating or mocking the suffering of those affected by flooding in Nepal, framing such conduct as incompatible with shared human values. This intervention extends the foundation's messaging beyond purely religious concerns to encompass humanitarian principles, suggesting that compassion and empathy should transcend religious, national and cultural boundaries. By linking the condemnation of religious vandalism with compassion for flood victims, YADIM is presenting a holistic moral framework that privileges human dignity and collective welfare.
The foundation has framed its advocacy within Malaysia's policy framework of MADANI and MADANI Membantu—initiatives led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan. These programmes are explicitly designed to advance societal cohesion through principles of empathy, compassion and shared humanity. By anchoring its condemnation of the Nepal incident to these national policy initiatives, YADIM is reinforcing the government's positioning of interfaith harmony and humanitarian action as central pillars of Malaysian foreign policy and domestic governance.
The invocation of MADANI principles also signals how Malaysian religious organisations are integrating national policy narratives into international advocacy. Rather than framing the Nepal incident purely through a lens of religious injury or communal victimhood, YADIM is connecting it to broader themes of societal cohesion and institutional responsibility. This approach differs from more confrontational stances that might emphasise religious grievance or demand immediate retaliation, instead positioning Malaysia as a voice advocating for institutional accountability, dialogue-based conflict resolution and humanitarian concern.
The incident itself reflects ongoing communal tensions in Nepal, where relations between Hindu and Muslim populations have periodically deteriorated into violence. The destruction of the mosque in Siraha district represents a serious escalation that threatens to further polarise these communities. YADIM's intervention places Malaysian Islamic organisations within a transnational advocacy network concerned with protecting Muslim-majority spaces and religious freedoms across Asia. For Malaysian readers, the statement underscores both the vulnerability of Muslim minorities in certain Southeast Asian contexts and the potential role that well-established religious organisations can play in promoting constructive responses to religious violence.
Hasan's appeal for prayers and protection for all victims and affected communities in Nepal reflects a humanitarian emphasis that extends beyond religious or ethnic boundaries. By framing the prayer for Nepal's peace and stability as applicable to all communities regardless of background, YADIM is advancing a universalist approach to religious compassion. This positioning distinguishes between condemning specific acts of vandalism and violence while simultaneously advocating for the welfare of all people affected by broader crises—in this case, both the religious violence and the natural disasters that have impacted Nepal's population.
The timing of YADIM's statement reflects international attention to the escalating communal tensions in Nepal, which have drawn concern from various Muslim-majority nations and Islamic organisations. Malaysia's prominent Islamic foundation using its platform to advocate for dialogue, legal accountability and humanitarian concern demonstrates how religious organisations can influence regional responses to religious violence. For Malaysian policymakers and civil society, the statement serves as a case study in balancing principled condemnation of religious violence with practical advocacy for institutional reform and conflict prevention.
Moving forward, the statement suggests that Malaysia will likely continue to use diplomatic and civil society channels to encourage Nepal's authorities to address communal tensions through institutional reform and dialogue mechanisms. The emphasis on transparency and fair investigation signals Malaysian expectations that international scrutiny should accompany Nepal's handling of religious violence. This approach reflects growing regional consensus that protecting religious freedom and preventing communal violence requires sustained engagement from both national governments and transnational advocacy networks, with Malaysian organisations like YADIM positioned as important voices within these networks.
