Syariah court punishment is an insult to Islamic principles

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim accused the country’s Islamic judiciary system of being hypocritical.

The Permatang Pauh MP said that the syariah court was practising selective prosecution.

“The question is how to restore the confidence in this system. If it is the issue of drinking alcohol, there are big and popular figures who drink alcohol but only the small people are punished. People will of course question but this is not about questioning the Quran. There is a hypocrisy and inconsistency in this system.

"What is disputed is the implementation of the laws which help restore confidence in the syariah court’s integrity in the eyes of not only Muslims, but also non-Muslims and the world,” he in his supplementary question to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim in Parliament.

Anwar also asked why an Islamic scholar or a mufti needs a permit to preach.

Mashitah replied that it was not a question whether the person is an Islamic scholar or not but a person needs a permit to preach.

“Even if you can drive a car well on the road but you don’t have a licence, the police will still arrest you. The same can be applied here,” she said.

Anwar interrupted and asked why a person who can be a mufti needs a licence to preach to loud jeers from Barisan Nasional lawmakers.

Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin was charged in the Gombak Syariah Court today with teaching without a permit.

The controversial scholar was arrested by the Selangor Islamic authority Jais some two weeks ago while giving a private lecture at a friend’s residence in Ukay Heights.

Though Asri cried foul play over the arrest, which he claimed was “aggressively” executed, Jais said the apprehension was not due to the ongoing war of words between them but simply because he had broken the law by giving a sermon without a permit.

Various leaders from both sides of the political divide, including former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a known supporter of Asri's, have condemned the arrest.

Asri, who was a university lecturer until his appointment as Perlis mufti in 2006, is noted for his unconventional interpretation of Islamic principles which often contradict government-endorsed doctrines.

Earlier, Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamad Aziz stressed that the syariah court is important for Muslims, and non-Muslims should not interfere.

“We are disappointed when punishment handed out by the syariah court is disputed by certain parties that try to interfere and insult Islamic principles.

22/11/09

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