Why so afraid of pluralism?
Zurairi AR, The Malay Mail
There seems to be a state-backed manoeuvre to demonise “liberalism” and “religious pluralism”. Back in May, both the prime minister and his deputy delivered separate warnings against the concepts, leading to the former’s baffling “human rights-ism” accusation.
It came as no surprise that the Selangor religious authorities had quietly decreed against the two concepts in July, labelling those who “subscribe” to them as “deviants”, while the nation’s foremost authority Jakim had just last month delivered a Friday sermon to Muslims nationwide knocking them.
What probably caught many by surprise, however, was that somebody had the moral courage to challenge the Selangor fatwa — none other than Muslim women’s group Sisters in Islam (SIS), and two persons who had been labelled “liberals” before: prominent feminist Zainah Anwar and former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
Granted, challenging the fatwa seems like the only reasonable option, considering that letting it go means that SIS would face considerable legal action and harassment in years to come. But to actually mount a legal challenge in civil court knowing the amount of brickbats it would eventually face, that took some guts.
In the days since, the usual suspects have crept out of the woodwork to slam SIS for daring to stand up for its rights: both the Selangor chapters of Malay supremacist group Perkasa and Islamist party PAS; a PAS Youth leader looking to bolster his credentials with the hardliners; and the Selangor religious authorities themselves.
Zaid at the Sisters in Islam press conference in Kuala Lumpur, on Oct 31. — Picture by Choo Choy May
This backlash has several dimensions to it, and all of them have to do with only one reason: control.
Firstly, one cannot deny the female element: it must have been galling to them having a bunch of empowered women standing up to their authority, and refusing to bow down to the men that have traditionally monopolised the narrative of Islam.
Secondly, there is the element of fear in things unknown, and therefore uncontrollable. In its fatwa, Selangor’s religious authorities failed to spell out what exactly are “liberalism” and “religious pluralism”, and how exactly they go against Islamic teachings.
But thirdly, and above all, they fear being equals.
For all of Islam’s talk about all humans being equal under the eyes of God, for them this only applies to Muslims. Well, perhaps not even all Muslims… after all the priest caste, I mean, the clergy class stands above the rest so you cannot even question them.
