Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak honored Iranian artists participating in the second International Islamic Arts and Cultural Festival (PIIACUF) in Putrajaya.
The 2014 PIIACUF was inaugurated Friday night and 20 Iranian artists are showcasing their works in diverse fields such as calligraphy, painting, miniature, music and Iranian cuisine, IRNA reported.
The festival’s opening ceremony was attended by a number of Malaysian officials, artists of Islamic countries as well as Iran’s cultural attaché in Malaysia, Ali Akbar Sabaei.
Prime Minister Razak in his speech stressed that Islam is a religion of peace and beauty.
“Unfortunately, terrorists and extremists misuse the religion which leads to Islamophobia. That is not Islam. Islam is a religion of light, peace and social justice,” he added.
He said the PIIACUF is being held in the federal administrative city of Putrajaya to present it as a center of Islamic arts.
The festival wraps up on November 2.
The PIIACUF aims at pioneering the values of Islam through the perspective of a moderate society where arts and culture take center stage in delivering the messages of Islam to the world.
