Grow up, Zaid tells ‘protectors of Islam’
Religious authorities must not be afraid to speak for transparency, justice, integrity and truth, says the former law minister.
Free Malaysia Today
Political commentator Zaid Ibrahim today chastised “staunch protectors of Islam” in Malaysia for their preoccupation with petty issues and lack of attention to higher obligations.
In a blog entry congratulating the Court of Appeal for recognising the rights of the transgender community, the former law minister noted that many Muslim politicians and their supporters had voiced their opposition to the decision, which he hailed as “historic”.
Addressing the three judges of the Appeal Court, he said: “You have done the judiciary proud by interpreting the law without fear of any fundamentalist group. They will call you names and label you in the unkindest ways, but that’s because they don’t know how else to hide their ignorance and prejudice.”
He called on religious authorities to “grow up”, to break their “bad habit” of persecuting “small groups of helpless people like the transgender community” and instead concern themselves with ensuring responsible governance.
