Muslim scholars who appear to get easily 'hurt' by opinions and interpretations of Islam outside their own schools of thought have been told to be more realistic.

"My message to them is 'grow up'," said Dr Syed Farid Alatas, the prominent Malaysian professor who heads the Department of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore.

Alatas was responding to a question posed by a participant during a seminar yesterday on the growing threat of sectarianism among Muslims, organised by three local Islamic organisations.

Besides him, other speakers at the seminar, themed "Islam Without Sectarianism" and moderated by well-known writer and social critic Dr Farish Noor, were Prof Karim Crow from the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS), Dr Haidar Bagir from Indonesia's Paramadina University, and Dr Mohamad Hashim Kamali, chairman of IAIS who delivered the inaugural speech......... Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)