Folks, you may have heard/read the latest dramatics regarding the arrest of Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin, former Mufti Perlis.
Last night he called me to say that as he was speaking to a group of people at a friend's house in Ampang, a group from JAIS came and wanted to arrest him. They brought along the police but none of them had warrants. The people in the house which included some MPs and lawyers tried to negotiate with the police but eventually around midnight or so, he was taken to the Ulu Kelang Police Station.
But at the station, nothing much was done because it seemed that nobody really knew what the offence was. Eventually they released him 'dengan jaminan' and gave him a document (sorry I don't know the exact terminology) which said that he was being charged under Section 119 of the Selangor Religious Enactment which basically says you can't teach Islam without being certified. He had to appear at the Mahkamah Syariah Gombak this morning at 9am. At the top of the document, the police had hand-written 'Arahan JAIS'.
This morning Dr Asri, two syariah lawyers and various supporters were at the court promptly at 9am. But nobody seemed to know what he is to be charged with. The DPP from Shah Alam was supposed to come but up til about 12.30pm, he still had not showed up and Dr Asri had not been charged.
In fact the original police document was amended to say that he was to come in for investigation. But the syariah lawyer pointed out that the case had not even been registered yet so technically it did not exist in the court and so the court had no authority to amend the document. So currently he is released on police bond, while they figure out what to do with him. As his lawyer said, it was 'penantian sia-sia' where we were all made to wait all morning with no information on anything at all. Some of the women in attendance were muttering 'saman diaorang!' for wasting our time.
Zainah Anwar, Board member of SIS, conferring with Dr. Asri in the court while waiting for them to summon him to charge him. Behind her is YB Zuraidah from PAS, who was at his talk the night before, as were many of the people who turned up at the court today.
To say that it's embarassing for JAIS is one thing. But it clearly shows that there is a move out to silence anyone who gives an alternative viewpoint on Islam other than the establishment one. The establishment one needless to say is not only conservative but getting increasingly backward by the day.
Walski has an interesting theory on this and in fact he wrote this before the whole Asri thing happened. But this has certainly lent it more credence.
Last week Sisters in Islam received phone calls from the police pertaining to the 50 or so police reports that have been lodged against it in the past few weeks. The people who lodged them are the same as the ones who issued a memo against Dr Asri. (Then there are also the unthinking lot at Wanita and Pemuda UMNO Johor.) The police want SIS to go and make statements at the police station but we still don't know exactly what are in those police reports.
It is all happening now, folks, and many theories abound about it. But suffice to say that the space for any alternative view on Islam, especially one that stresses equality, justice, reason and compassion, is narrowing sharply. If we don't wake up now and say something, we will be silenced forever.
Below is the video of Dr Asri's pc on Saturday night, when he responded to the memorandum the Persatuan Peguam Syarie and others sent to the Agong and before he was arrested.
As YB Ismadi (Balik Pulau) who also turned up at the court late morning said this is a persecution of ideas.
Which is not what Islam is about. Except in the wrong hands.
25 comments:
Sigh.....And so begin the era of the One Inquisition....well, it's true then, what the Quran says:
[Shakir 6:116] And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allah's way; they follow but conjecture and they only lie.
[Yusufali 6:116] Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead thee away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but lie.
[Pickthal 6:116] If thou obeyedst most of those on earth they would mislead thee far from Allah's way. They follow naught but an opinion, and they do but guess.
Geee.... I wonder who are the majority...
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wong said...
hassan ali bin ali hassan is the head of selangor religious and jais, without his instruction i doubt any officiers will act..it seemed that with the pas top leaders now investigating his role n revaluating his contribution, it would not be surprised that hassan ali is telling the pas, FLY KITES.
THIS IS A CLEAR MESSAGE, after all, it make him hero ,
now the prime minister kick another goal back to pas..this is yr boy, u sort it out!
“I don’t know what is the motive of the arrest. It was done by the state religious agency. It has nothing to do with the Federal Government,” Najib told reporters!
So there you go! Firstly pass the buck to the State. Now who in the State is in charge of JAIS? The Selangor State government. Never mind if The PA guy, Hasan ali might have something to do with it. But whetehr he was responsible or not, its nice to hang him up with this one. But wait, weren't the MPs showing up in support of Dr Asri include MPs from PAS as well?
But hey, JAIS might come under the rule of the PAS guys in Selangor, but have they not been dancing to the tune that UMNO plays?
Funny how these guys may or may not have heard Dr Asri, and yet they accuse him of promoting Wahabiism. And that is what the Saudi Kingdom practices. And assuming Dr Asri was indeed preaching Wahabiism, by detaining him or at least threatening to charge him are we not telling the Saudi's, who are supposed to be our friends that we don't particularly support their own believes and practices? Nice thing to be saying to "friends"!
Now, why all this is happening is because those complaining have long been left alone to do their thing without question. That is the way they want it. Preaching something that they accuse of disuniting the Muslims we got to ask, why it is a united Muslim community that is supposedly not at war is something to be sought after so much. The Muslims in Malaysia are not at war the last time I checked. So what disunity to the Muslim community is Dr Asri's preaching supposed to cause? To begin with why do you need unity anyway? Instead of just Muslim unity cannot we all aspire for something higher than that? Like Unity of all Malaysians?
Is talking about Islam in a private gathering tantamount to "teaching Islam without an appropriate licence? from JAIS"?
Then, are Muslim & non-Muslim lecturers who discuss Islam with students during comparative religious study courses in local Unis, guilty of an offence?
I'm no expert, so I jais put this question to those who know.
dpp
We are all of 1 race, the Human Race
Dr. Asri is the only mufti (or ustaz, or imam, or whatever) I respected in Malaysia. Many of my friends admire him too. Again I'd say, muslims are not supposed to think or to question anything about their religion. Just follow instructions.
If Dr. Asri is deemed 'unqualified' to speak even though he has so many degrees, his books are used as textbooks in Jordanian universities AND he was a state mufti, then what about the rest of us? This means that that whole excuse about 'qualifications' ridiculous.
Joseph, is it ever at all possible fr you to make an intelligent non-generalised statement??? Please read Pah Nur's quote from the Quran above and be so kind as to give me the equivalent in the Bible. If you don't understand what 6:116 says, it means you must think for yourself, not blindly follow people. The Quran, by the way, speaks to all humankind, not just Muslims.
mm, the way I see it, those quotes would be interpreted as 'don't follow those of indecent views, cultures from non-believers' by your learnt scholars. As long as your majority keep on intimidating and silencing minority, it's meaningless whatever has been said in your holy book. After all, I don't expect a religion that allows a man to marry four wives to be anything but just =.=
Joseph, firstly, obviously you agree with the conservatives' assertion that THEIR view is the majority. Which I don't. (No wonder you often sound as dogmatic as them!).
Secondly, whenever I ask you to quote relevant verses from the Bible you never do. Please quote me verses that talk about being good to others even from other faiths.
You're not one of these fundy ulamaks in disguise, are you?
Joseph,
The fact that we MUSLIMS are talking against the ridiculous arrests points out that we are not merely blind followers like you claimed. But being the racist/religionist (can't find any suitable word to describe you), I can't blame you from seeing that.
Kak Marina,
It is indeed sad that religion is being politicised nowadays. Anyway, I'm all behind Dr. Asri! :)
hi mm, here they are:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.. Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37~40
On one occasion an expert in the Law stood up to test Jesus: "Teacher, who is my neighbour?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite (a 'holy' person), when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan ( a non-believer/gentile), as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied: "the one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "go and do likewise." Luke 10:25~37
And so Joseph, by your constant insults to Muslims in this country and around the world, would you say you are being a good neighbour then?
By the way,
anybody knows what's JAIS' tauliah is? For goodness sake Dr. Asri has a PhD and he was a former mufti. What kind of "tauliah" these people are talking about? It seems JAIS has become a mini "ISA" army.
Joseph is not a Christian, he claims he's one but he ain't.
Joseph wrote "muslims are not supposed to think or to question anything about their religion. Just follow instructions." Well, Dr M & MM are just 2 e.g.'s of Muslims who don't just follow instructions. There are many others - unless you never mix with Muslims!
"Love your neighbor as yourself" - how come you don't follow what you preach? (by quoting verses in public, you are 'preaching')
"Jesus told him, "go and do likewise." but, Joseph, you are not obeying Jesus as you keep on insulting your neighbours- as the majority race in Malaysia, they constitute your most numerous neighbour.
Are you sure you are a Christian?
Joseph, you quote the bible but you don't LIVE it.
this is like the last before last regime used to do to him proponents
Ohhh I recognise Dr.Asri.....I first saw him in a youtube vid talking bout how islam respect lifes, including dogs, and how Malays today are very sensitive with dogs. I have my utmost respect for him. MM, i know u are part of the losing end mayb in this war ur currently in, but i hope u and many others forward thinking Muslim will make a change. Keep up the good work for the sake of all Malaysians!!!
MM, why did Dr. Asri call you? Are you a personal friend of his? Just curious.
It may be timely to quote the following poem by Martin Niemöller about the silence of the German people following the Nazi's rise to power:
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak out for me.
What the poem didn't talk about is why the German people were silent. Why are the majority of people silent in similar situations?
If what the regime is doing is so outrageous, why is there a deafening silence from the majority?
A) It is the "other" people who are in trouble, not us
B) They support the regime's action
C) They don't want to jeopardize their house and two cars. Only those who have nothing to lose, or are protected by another faction, dare speak out.
Dear sis MM,
(Matthew 7:21-23) “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness.
The point that I would like to share here is the works of prophesying, expel demons and many powerful works in Jesus name.
Surprisingly Jesus denied knowing any them instead bluntly says you workers of lawlessness. The questions now are where this people receive this kind of power to execute their works? Be on your guard of people consider themselves a Christian but hated their neighbour.
Kassim, he's a friend of mine and my family.
When mankind stands at the core of the mistakes and ignorant by denying spiritual values, what is the use of arguing about religion(s). Judgment on religious matters can only lead to more confusion and unnecessary hatred among one another. The change must come from us, and not from religion. The purpose of education to liberalize us from all ignorance, yet despite the intellectual attainment in almost all areas of life, we still succumb to our whimsical thoughts and desires...and cast words of irreverence to others. We are the change.
Salam,
This is indeed ridiculous. Dr Asri is one of the most respected ex-muftis in this country. Seriously, why would they want to arrest him because 'dia tak ada tauliah'? He's the former mufti. What more do you need?
I'd rather listen to his sensible words than that mufti from Perak ('Lets put those with Aids on a deserted island') and Johor (spends four minutes in his doa asking for blessings for the Sultan and his family) and only 1 minute for the state and its people.
And the actions of the Syarie lawyers and JAIS, and JAKIM only justifies one of Jesus's statements in the Bible:
"Woe unto you, lawyers. For you hold the keys to the door of knowledge, but you dare not enter it, and you prevent others from entering it." Luke, 11: 52
They have refused to share and explain their understanding of Islam to the masses, and prevent others from expressing their understanding of the faith.
Salam Marina.
So strange, when a former chief minister of Sarawak always give such talks to university students at his home. PAS people were also there. So why didn't JAIS and the police do the same. He wasn't a former mufti and definitely no permit. Large crowds of university students attend.
Previously he was so much against the government, now that his daughter is an ADUN, I guess he stopped abusing the government.
JAIS - double standard. b-tlbci
Ys, salam. Just to note that JAIS' jurisdiction is only in Selangor and does not apply in any other state. Unless those states' own Jabatan Agamas have similar enactments.
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