The prominent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal Nadvi, Director and Imam of Al-Falah Islamic Center, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, states: 1. There is difference between tolerance with people of different faiths and preaching a religion. While Islam teaches tolerance towards people of different faiths and forbids any act of transgression against them or their holy places, it does not consider those faith based on truth. To allow them to preach their faith is to contradict your faith, but teaching their faith to their fellows and in their places of worship is allowed since this is part of tolerance.
2. The prohibition of building churches in the haramain area, or the two holy enshrines, is based on the fact that this area has been exceptionally excluded because it is considered to be the sanctuary for Islam, the same way the Vatican is considered to be the sanctuary for Christendom. Therefore, it is not allowed to build churches in this area.