Asri claims there is a conspiracy to bring him down

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider

Ex-Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin believes there is an attempt by certain quarters to “destroy” his reputation.

The recent allegation made by a known conservative Islamic scholar with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) that Asri forged his syariah qualification was, for Asri, proof to back his belief in a conspiracy.

Zamihan Mat Zain Al-Ghari, in an interview published in Utusan Malaysia, said the former Perlis mufti had no syariah qualification, that he had only studied syariah as a minor course when he was studying abroad.

The Jakim official’s accusation is serious as it suggests that Asri was never qualified to become a mufti which means that all his views as the second highest authority on Islamic matters in the state were questionable.

“There is definitely a conspiracy here. I don’t know who is behind this but there is definitely a conspiracy to discredit me,” Asri told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

“I am perplexed by this allegation as it is coming from someone in the religious department, someone who is supposed to have a high moral authority,” he added.

Asri had just finished giving a press conference in Penang where he showed documented proof of his syariah qualification when The Malaysian Insider called.

READ MORE HERE: http://www2.themalaysianinsider.com/