Asri: Shi’a arrests proof of Talibanisation
By The Malaysian Insider
The arrest of Shi’a Muslims by religious authorities in Gombak earlier this week is proof Malaysia is heading towards “an era of Talibanisation”, says a former Perlis mufti.
“Malaysia is trying to become a country a la Taliban that only allows one school of thought,” Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said in a press statement today.
“Even though I personally don’t agree with Shi’a teachings and even frequently criticise and debate with them, I cannot accept the approach of the allegedly democratic Malaysian government in denying the people’s right to practice their faith, so long as it does not endanger public safety.”
The Islamic scholar criticised the government for allowing a trend of “non-openness”, saying that if the trend continues, there will be greater tension in the country that may lead to violence.
“[Violence] usually explodes in countries where the right to speak is constantly denied. Perhaps the government has its own agenda in this matter?” he said.
Discourse must always come before use of force when it comes to the people’s rights in today’s globalised world, Asri stressed.
“Arguments are countered by arguments, not by power,” he said.
Some 200 local and foreign followers of the Hauzah Ar Ridha Alaihissalam group were arrested at a shophouse in Taman Sri Gombak, Batu Caves on Wednesday by authorities concerned that their activities constituted a security threat.
The group, led by two men including an Iranian national, had been operating in the four-storey shophouse for up to two years.
Followers included locals, Indonesians, Myanmars, a Pakistani, an Iranian, some of whom were lecturers and students in institutions of higher learning, lawyers and civil servants. Several children were also found at the location.
Those arrested were brought before the Gombak Barat Lower Syariah Court by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) last night and subsequently freed on bail.
Hauzah Ar Ridha Alaihissalam reportedly permits the killing of Muslims who follow other schools of thought, whom it considers kafir (unbelievers).
