PAS Youth: Sisters in Islam ‘insolent’, ‘extremists’ for contesting fatwa

By admin-s On Oct 31, 2014

(MMO) – PAS Youth castigated Sisters in Islam (SIS) today for plans to challenge in the courts a fatwa, or religious edict, against liberalism and religious pluralism, labelling the Muslim women’s group as “insolent” and “extremist”.

Defending Selangor’s Fatwa Council, the Islamist party’s wing also accused SIS of challenging the monarchy and the Federal Constitution, which it said puts Islam as the religion of the federation.

“SIS’ insolence in challenging the National Fatwa Council’s prohibition against it for professing liberalism and religious pluralism is proof that the group is driving a deviating agenda against Islamic teachings in this country,” said a statement by the wing’s deputy chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi.

The edict was issued by the Selangor Fatwa Council.

Khalil also accused SIS of spearheading a distorted teaching that is not based on “true sources” of Islamic laws: the holy book of Quran; the collective sayings of Prophet Muhammad, the hadith; the consensus of scholars; and derivation from previous religious laws.

SIS’s challenge is expected to be filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court today together with several individuals who have been labelled “liberals” before, including prominent feminist Zainah Anwar and former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

The fatwa by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais), gazetted on July 31, 2014, singled out SIS by name, in addition to “any individuals, organisations or institutions”.

It also deemed any publications with elements of liberalism and religious pluralism as haram, or prohibited, and can be seized by religious authorities.