I may not agree with everything Dr Asri says about political issues, but I think he deserves all the right to freedom of speech especialy in matters of faith in Islam. He should not have been humiliated this way if sanity prevails. He should be given a chance to defend himself against all the allegations made about his teachings. Let all those who dissent, be invited to openly engage in an intellectually rewarding discourse.
Is this the begining of a new phase of bigotry - ’Manufacturing Consent’ is taking a new twist and turn. What is their excuse now. I’m extremely disturbed. I remain to be corrected.
JAIS targets ex-Perlis mufti for unauthorised lecture
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Ex-Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin could face an Islamic court for ostensibly lecturing without a permit after he was briefly held at a religious lecture in Ampang last night but the maverick is claiming blatant persecution.
He has been ordered to turn up for further questioning at the Gombak district Islamic Affairs Department at 9am today after he was earlier freed at 1.10am on police bail.
He told reporters later the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) claimed he was giving lectures without a permit.
“I take this as selective persecution as they have always targeted me. This is a planned arrest as I am sure there are other religious lectures or gatherings like this elsewhere in Selangor,” said Asri, who recently returned from post-graduate studies in Britain.
Some 35 JAIS enforcement officials and 25 policemen detained him at the lecture in a businessman’s house in the posh Taman Sri Ukay area at about 9.30pm. More than 300 people including PKR Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin and Hulu Klang assemblyman Saari Sungib were at the lecture that began at 8pm.
“The JAIS action doesn’t make sense not because I want them to respect me but they should know that I am the former Perlis mufti,” he added.
A mufti is the highest-ranking religious official appointed to advise a state Ruler on Islamic laws, which is under royal purview. A mufti has wide powers that even the Selangor palace recently ticked off its religious executive councillor Datuk Dr Hasan Ali for interfering in the execution of Islamic laws.
But Asri, who is being courted by PAS to join the Islamist party, questioned the need for a permit for those lecturing in Selangor.
“I want to explain that even when I was the Perlis mufti, JAIS said that all muftis can lecture in Selangor except me.
“So imagine if they ask me why I didn’t apply for authorisation. They had already stopped me from speaking when I was holding the mufti post,” he added.
Always a controversial figure while even a mufti, Asri had recently slammed critics against his appointment as head of national Islamic missionary movement YADIM sponsored by the federal government.
He had also courted bad publicity in the past for allegedly following the puritanical Wahabbi Islam practised in Saudi Arabia.
“They didn’t arrest me for being a Wahabbi, just for not having a permit to lecture,” Asri clarified. Most Malaysian Muslims follow the Shafie school of jurisprudence, one of the four recognised schools in Sunni Islam.
Ampang district police chief ACP Abdul Jalil Hassan told Bernama that police only helped in the raid and he had no knowledge it was related to the ex-Perlis mufti.
Filed under: Artikel
Najis will be the white knight. Believe me.
Can’t agree more. Hope we could be proven wrong. that’s twist and turn. they are very smooth operators and the undiscerning many will be caught again.
just read between the lines,we can clearly see that the unseen demon hands,the umno’s smooth operators and of course Najib’s shadow are all over the place.a typical umno reverse psychological move.dr.asri either u realize or not u are being trapped and unfortunately used by umno to discredit selangor’s PR.yr appointment in yadim iteslf is part of that evil secular political game.to selangor govt. just have a quick check those in Jais,seems a lot wormy creatures inside to backstabbing u….it has nothing to do with dr.asri,to wahabism,to tauliah,to ulama,even to jais as an institution BUT ANOTHER PLAN by najib to get SELANGOR AT WHATEVER COSTS!!!
Dear YB
First of all, the raid is conducted by JAIS, a State Government agency, with the helping of Police. Why you didn’t take the initiative to call Datuk Hasan Ali or discuss with him what exactly has happened behind your Pakatan Rakyat backyard?? Hhmm….
Dear Mullah, Have tried but not getting any response from him as yet. be that as it may, all the more why the arrest shouldn’t have taken place as he is there in Jais.
Well I do not want to jump into any conclusion about his arrest but this is first time JAIS arresting people for giving speech…..I dare not think who’s behind Jais action…but isn’t JAIS is under the UMNO secret agent Hassan Ali???
Beside that being non muslim myself, I really admired Datuk Asri because most of the time when he talk about an issue…he talk with common sense….
Arrested for giving a religious (islamic) talk without “tauliah” from JAIS? Did Bilal Philips, Raheem Green, Zakir Naik, late Ahmad Deedat and host of others including those from KAGAT possess the appropriate “tauliah” when they lectured here in the past? Can we have a sane (and not to forget logical) answer from JAIS?
s’thing is definetely not right somewhere. So Dr. Hassan Ali, Selangor state exco in-charge of Islamic Affairs, where are you now? It seems everyone wanna get rid off you….right from PAS people to JAIS officials.
Hmmm! Najib is denying any knowledge of the event!…PAS should follow the the trail of authority who ordered the surveilance operation and the approved the arrest. The JAIS officers on the ground are just following order of some higher up, this can be guessed form the slip shod paperwork after the arrest was made…smells very very fishy, typical of people rushing to do something without really knowing why they are doing it.
Makes the police look even more stupid that they already appear to be as well…. assisting an arrest when they do not know for what reason the person is being arrested…really “keystone cops”..Ha Ha.. kelakar betul, inilah kaliber IGP kita punya orang.
What do you expect? He is only a Mufti who is appopinted by the ruler. JAIS people are appointed by UMNO – a much higher authority..
An insidious plot just popped into my mind. Given Hassan ali’s association with umno(aka puppet) and given Najib’s denial of involvement as he said that the action was a STATE GOVERNMENT’S responsibility is it inconceivable that a plot was hatched to alienate Dr.Asri from PAS ?
Najib even threw in his suspicion that the arrest was a result of some unmentioned ulterior motive.
Saudara, Inilah peristiwa yang amat memalukan. Dulu masa Khir Toyo jadi MB, TG Nik Aziz dilarang. Kini sama sahaja. Malu saya. Malu dengan pemimpin saya yang tak peka dengan keadaan.
Bersihkan JAIS.
Dr. Dzul,
I do not understand what Dr. Asri’s stands are on Islam and political matters.
Can you tell me on what issues you do not agree with him please, so that I can judge and weigh both sides of the issue properly in my mind?
Thank you!