'Moderate' Malaysia's steadfast refusal to establish diplomatic relations with Israel is fairly well known. What's not nearly as well known is the fact that Malaysia has also refused to establish relations with the Vatican. The Vatican does not control any territory that can be remotely described as 'occupied', nor has the Vatican's Swiss Guard been accused of committing any sort of war crime.  So why, after more than 53 years of independence, is Malaysia only now (possibly) getting around to it? "[Malaysian Prime Minister] [1] Najib to meet Pope, eyes ties with Vatican", from Free Malaysia Today, 5 July 2011.

KUALA LUMPUR:  Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is due to meet Pope Benedict XVI mid-July as Malaysia embarks on a plan to establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican, a top official said today.

“The meeting with Pope Benedict XVI is set for July 18. The meeting with the pope is to show that Malaysia respects all religions,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

If Malaysia's Muslim government really 'respects all religions', then [2] it has a funny way of showing it. Of course, Malaysia truly respects but one religion only -- no points for guessing which one.

Last month Najib met with Malaysian church leaders in a bid to ease religious tensions stirred by a report that alleged Christians wanted to replace Islam as the official religion.

The row is one of a string of religious disputes in recent years that have raised fears among minorities that the country is being “Islamised” and that their rights are being eroded.

Religion and language are sensitive issues in multi-racial Malaysia...

Religious tensions. Religious disputes. Reports alleging Christians are up to no good. Fears among minorities, meaning non Muslims. This is precisely the sort of typical, disingenuous Malaysian media doublespeak which attempts to conceal if not absolve the guilty parties, who are of course never identified; nor are their motives examined in any meaningful way. 'Religious tensions', or when non Muslims are fearful and afraid they will not be allowed to practice their belief systems, are caused by who exactly? Who is causing these 'religious disputes', like [3] bulldozing and [4] attacking churches? Why is religion such a 'sensitive' topic? Who exactly is forbidding others from talking about religion? If you have the temerity to answer such questions, let alone ask, no doubt this makes you a harmony-destroying racist, or worse, an Islamophobe.

Last year there was a spate of attacks on churches after the High Court decided to lift a government ban on non-Muslims using “Allah” as a translation for “God”.

The government has strongly criticised the attacks, but has been accused of stoking Malay nationalism so as to protect its voter base after the opposition gains.

At last, here's a hint of who's really responsible for the aforementioned 'religious tensions', even though the article fails yet again to mention who's responsible for all the mayhem. As for the term 'Malay nationalism', it is a codeword for "Islamic supremacy", which is beyond question and must be defended at all costs.

The planned meeting with the pope comes as Najib ponders calling a snap election in the next few months.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is struggling to regain support from ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities who swung towards the opposition in landmark 2008 general election.

Now we get to Najib's real motivation for making his Roman pilgrimage, so to speak. His government's taqiyya towards the dhimmis is slipping a bit, and he's got to appear to make amends. Rest assured, the second class treatment of Christians et al, the disguised jizya and everything else on the Islamic supremacy agenda is not going to change one iota, but by gosh, Najib will get his photo op with His Holiness. And with a little (bad) luck, this latest tour of taqiyya courtesy of its Muslim practitioners will fool the infidels both here and abroad once again.