Jakarta – Muslim scholars stressed at the weekend that the propagation of Islamic teachings was actually a call to discuss the teachings of Islam.

It was an invitation to the message and discourse about Islam and did not involve conversion, said the scholars who were speaking at the end of a two-day seminar. The event was jointly organised by the International Centre for Islam and Pluralism and the European Union.

Dr Imtiyaz Yusuf of Bangkok's Assumption University said that in the midst of religious militancy tending to alienate and anger people from other religious beliefs, the time was right to remind Muslims that the Quran teaches religious and cultural pluralism.

"Through the Quran, God plans to build a peaceful coexistence between societies. There should be no coercion with regard to a religious conversion," he said at the seminar.

Islamic militancy has come under the spotlight following a series of terrorist attacks worldwide, including Indonesia, blamed largely on Muslim groups.

Dr Yusuf said that cross-cultural Islamic missionary activities aim to present the message of Islam to humanity in a comprehensive manner, and should not be restricted to mere politics.

"Its cross-cultural dimension also requires contemporary Muslims to expose themselves to learn about other religions and cultures they encounter each day," he said.

Fellow Islamic scholar Maarof Salleh of the Institute of South-east Asian Studies in Singapore said that propagation of Islamic teachings should be conducted "democratically". "Muslim scholars should not have the view that Islam is superior to other religions," he said.

The Muslim scholars said that respect of other religions could start with educating students about the different religious beliefs in the world. Recommendations from the seminar would be relayed to more than 2,000 Islamic schools across Indonesia.