Perak Mufti a double faced racists

Khalid Samad threatens to sue Perak Mufti

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Khalid Samad said today he will take legal action against Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria if the latter does not retract his statement that the Shah Alam MP had “no faith” for saying non-Muslims could use the term “Allah.”

The statement by the Perak Mufti was published in Selangor Kita, an unlicensed tabloid.

Khalid (right) said that Harussani will be given one week to retract his statement.

“It (Selangor Kita) has been out since February so this is the second edition and is distributed in the MPs’ lounge for free so that MPs could read. It would be distributed in Hulu Selangor. If he does deny or retract his statement after seven days, then I will take legal action against him,” he told reporters in Parliament.

Khalid was also surprised by the accusation, as he said the Mufti had never contacted him.

“He has never contacted or wrote to me and it suddenly came out with the statement. I find it really weird. I do not know how he makes Islamic rulings (fatwa).

“He said Khalid Samad has no faith when I suggested that the… word of Allah [was allowed to] be used by non-Muslims, therefore [implying] I am a person who doesn’t have faith in Islam,” said Khalid.

Khalid went on to explain what he meant when he suggested that Selangor’s Islamic Religious Administration Enactment should be amended to reflect the direction of the current state government.

“What I said was that the enactment for Islam was drafted under Umno’s administration. Since it is administrative law, it is definitely going to be influenced by the mentality and approach of methodology by the people in power.

“Under the BN, it is very defensive. The Muslims and Islam have a very defensive attitude, a siege mentality where everything that non-Muslims do, they look at it [as] spreading their religion amongst the Muslims,” he said.

Khalid stressed that Pakatan Rakyat did not practise this “siege mentality” and was more open towards engaging different religious groups.

“Under the leadership of Pakatan Rakyat, we are more confident and open to engage. So the enactment should be re-studied in the light of the new administration and our new approach in which we do not have this kind of siege mentality. On that basis, I do not think anybody has the right to question my faith, and the least of all the Mufti,” he said.

Khalid also criticised Harussani for his objection to the inter-faith committee.

“For a Mufti, he should prioritise religion before race and if we want to create a better understanding of Islam, then we [must] have dialogue on religion, unless your struggle is about race. That is not attitude of a Mufti,” he said.

Mi
15/04/10

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