Fighting fire with petrol?

FMT - Can an extremist rehabilitate extremists, asks Perlis mufti (extracts):

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today questioned the ability of an extremist to rehabilitate other extremists, in an apparent reference to controversial preacher Zamihan Mat Zin.

In a Facebook post, Asri said it was surprising that some people who held religious titles still failed to understand that Islam taught goodwill and mercy towards all.

He said it was such people who would disagree with providing assistance to non-Muslims during disasters.

“However, it is more surprising that the authorities have all this while been using people like this to supposedly rehabilitate terrorists and extremists in jail,” he added.

“The question is, can ‘extremists’ rehabilitate extremists?

“This is not the first time he has expressed his extremist thinking.

“It is not enough to condemn fellow Muslims, even non-Muslims are dragged into his extremist thinking.”

Asri added that the authorities should seriously reassess the matter.

News recently broke that Zamihan was still involved in the home ministry’s rehabilitation and deradicalisation programme for Islamic State (IS) detainees.

Zamihan dislikes non-Muslims so much so he would like to see Muslim-only facilities for Muslims.

He had the impudence to question HM Johor's instructions to a Johor laundry to cease Muslim-only services as that was divisive and discriminating.

He was also dismissed from the Selangor Tauliah Committee by HRH Sultan Selangor for his extremist teachings.

He condemned the compassion of good-hearted Penang bilal Sapno who recently accommodated non-Muslim flood victims in his surau.

Thus Dr Asri asked: Can such an extremist rehabilitate other extremists?

I wonder what his standing within the government is for the DPM to praise his expertise in rehabilitating militant extremists?

I do not believe it's a case of fighting fire with fire, but rather fighting fire with petrol. The government is dicing with inflammatory matters. 

In short, Zamihan Mat Zin himself requires some rehabilitation to be less extreme.

Malaysiakini also reported that Academic Maszlee Malik has proposed that controversial preacher Zamihan Mat Zin's counter-terror credentials be evaluated by an independent party.

Maszlee, who is an assistant professor with the International Islamic University Malaysia's Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, reminded that the rehabilitation process is a matter of national security.

In other words, Zahid, don't play play.

Maszlee said the DPM dismissive statement in support of Zamihan minus any evidence and experts’ evaluation will only create a mistrust among the people towards the government in handling this issue. 

Maszlee said succintly: "(The) rakyat wouldn’t want those alleged IS-linked detainees to turn from extreme militants into racist-minded bigots once released from prison due to the sessions conducted by somebody who said openly that non-Muslims are infidels and unhygienic".