Yes, it’s right for cops to do ‘religious’ policing

By admin-s On Dec 23, 2014

Whether it is good law or bad is debatable but not the point at hand, and until it is voided by the courts or annulled by constitutional supremacy, it stands as a law of the land.

Hazlan Zakaria, The Ant Daily

Whatever else you want to consider, the use of the police to enforce the state law banning non-Muslims from misusing or misrepresenting the word “Allah” or other specific Islamic terms to mislead Muslims and tempt them into converting to other faiths is only right and proper.

I am neither a law expert nor a lawyer, but as someone who has been observing the matter and partaking of the expertise of lawmakers and legal minds who have commented before, this is my view on the matter.

I am not here to condone the recent police actions and investigations into cases of alleged proselytisation activities against Muslims which have been labelled as religious policing by certain quarters, but just to note that it is proper under the law.

It is not religious policing but unfortunately or not, it is just regular policing and them doing their job. So, those crying wolf should perhaps check their guns at the entrance first prior to their entry to the gallery of public opinion.

I am not here to justify the actions either, I leave that to the state actors and their agents who are the active party, but I can see why it is right and proper for police to be the enforcing authority.

To put it quite simply, if my understanding of legal opinions are correct, it is nothing but proper for the state law prohibiting the use of certain words used specifically to the phraseology of Islamic faith to be enforced and investigated by the police as while the content of the law may be related to Islam, it is for all intents and purposes, a law passed by the legislature like any other law.

I am not here to debate the veracity of such a law either, but what is obvious is that it is the law of the land and all those who claim to respect and obey the law should recognise that it is valid and enforceable.

As has been pointed out before, whether it is good law or bad is debatable but not the point at hand, and until it is voided by the courts or annulled by constitutional supremacy, it stands as a law of the land.

What was wrong was when state religious authorities tried to enforce it, especially when it involves non-Muslims over which they have no authority over.

Correctly, critics have questioned the authority of the state religious authorities who tried to enforce the law beforehand, but they should acknowledge that the cops do have purview I believe.

The law is civil law passed by the duly elected civil government and is of course enforceable by the duly appointed enforcement agency of the civil government, which is of course the police.

The law criminalises the use of the word Allah and other terms used locally by Muslims in the specifics of the Muslim faith from being used by non-Muslims to propagate other faiths to Muslims.

And as such, it is proper for the police to initiate criminal investigations or proceedings against those who may have flaunted the law which is a valid law, for now.

The only problem I see here, is as always when laws good or bad are used or perhaps misused or abused for nefarious purposes.