Nik Aziz is now the voice of moderation while the UMNO/BN & MAIS apparatus are the voice of extremism.

Nik Aziz stands by Serdang MP again in mosque row

December 31, 2010

KOTA BHARU, Dec 31 – Islam does not prohibit any exercise activities including aerobics in the vicinity of a mosque, as long as it is not against the syariah, PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said today.

The Kelantan Mentri Besar (picture) said it was also not a problem to have activities outside or in the mosque with Muslims or non-Muslims.

“It is not wrong in Islam if certain quarters want to host activities in an Islamic worship place, because during Prophet Muhammad’s time, there are non-believers who entered the mosque (area) because it became a centre for activities including political ones,” he told reporters after his Friday lecture on Dataran Ilmu, here today.

Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching from the DAP stoked controversy this week after Umno’s Utusan Malaysia reported that she took part in an aerobics exercise session at Masjid Taman Cheras Jaya in her constituency recently.

Teo admitted that although her act may cost her party Malay votes, she said she would continue engaging Muslim voters through community functions.

Utusan Malaysia published a front-page story yesterday with the headline “Teo Nie Ching makes trouble again” along with a picture of her exercising with men and women in the mosque compound during a recent Maal Hijrah carnival.

The newspaper also accused her of wearing tight-fitting clothes. She is pictured wearing a white T-shirt and track pants, as were the other Muslim participants.

In August, the first-term MP was criticised by Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians and conservative Muslim groups over her controversial surau visit, after Utusan Malaysia published a front-page picture of her addressing those who were praying at the Al-Huda Surau in Kajang Sentral.

Awang Selamat, a pseudonym used by Utusan Malaysia editors, in a column today, insisted that Teo’s attire was offensive, after she responded through Facebook and her blog that she had done nothing wrong.

According to Nik Aziz, there are two things that should be rectified on whether the parliamentarian was not properly dressed, or if she did not cover her aurat.

“For sure we need to tell them about things forbidden by the religion when you are in a mosque... have to tell ways and the taboos from the Islam perspective before you enter a mosque,” he said.

The MB had also defended the DAP lawmaker’s visit to the Al-Huda surau in Kajang Sentral in August, that was deemed not proper by some, sparking a major controversy.

Nik Aziz had said that her actions did not contravene Islamic law and was the best way to get to know Muslims better.

He added that the people of Kelantan, including non-Muslims, had contributed material like iron and cement to build the Bara’ah mosque in Pasar Siti Khadijah.