SEBERANG PERAI, April 12 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said mosques serve as places to nurture piety and uphold noble values, which are essential for maintaining community harmony.

He said the intention behind building mosques must be sincere and not driven by the desire to show off.

“Noble values must be upheld to maintain community harmony and to nurture piety but if the intention is not correct, it will not be the true practice of Islam,” he said in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the rebuilding of Masjid Jamek Cherok Tokun at the mosque compound here today.

He said humans have the potential to be as good as angels or more evil than animals, even Satan.

“Do we choose to be good, respectful and polite humans? Or do we choose to be worse than animals?” he asked.

Anwar said some people in power aim to create chaos and disorder, with some becoming prime ministers or ministers purely to amass wealth.

He said they may take one million, RM10 million, RM100 million, or even RM1 billion, but their greed is insatiable.

“This situation arises because there is no true understanding of Islam,” he said.

He compared human greed to that of a python.

He said once a python has fed, it remains still for several days, but some people are never satisfied and constantly want more.

He added that only a true understanding of Islam and its teachings — especially those centred on community contribution — can bring change.

He said mosques and Islamic teachings play a crucial role in ensuring Muslims stay on the right path.

“We must show the greatness of Islam through exemplary behaviour,” he said.

He stressed that this includes not insulting non-Muslims or inciting hatred against others.

“We can show the greatness of Islam by maintaining the cleanliness of our mosques, by making our mosque the best in cultivating discipline and nurturing piety and noble intentions,” he said.

He added that Islam is not arrogant, but generous — and that generosity inspires respect.