Muslims are duty-bound to protect rights, freedom of others, says expert
Shad Saleem Faruqi says the overall situation of religious tolerance in Malaysia was exemplary until the late ’80s.
[when "someone" took over as PM]
PETALING JAYA: Muslims have a religious and constitutional duty to protect and restore the rights and freedoms of all communities in this country, a constitutional law professor said today.
Shad Saleem Faruqi said this was a must regardless of the atrocities against Muslims happening in other countries.
He added that on an individual level there is much harmony and friendship in Malaysia but at the group level there is undoubted tension.
“Some of these tensions are a reaction to geopolitical situations, such as massacres and genocides of people of the Muslim faith in some countries, as well as the rise of Islamophobia in the non-Muslim world,” he said.
He also pointed to how blasphemous cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad are defended by many governments as part of free speech.
“But the same governments see nothing wrong when Muslim girls in headscarves are victimised, or when mosques with minarets are not allowed because it would affect the skyline,” he said.
He believed that the ability to live together in peace and harmony is one of the marks of a great civilisation.
“Religious tolerance is the finest test of a tolerant and democratic society.”
Looking back at Malaysia’s recent history, Shad Saleem said when compared with many other Asian societies the overall situation of religious tolerance in Malaysia was exemplary until the late ’80s.
PETALING JAYA: Muslims have a religious and constitutional duty to protect and restore the rights and freedoms of all communities in this country, a constitutional law professor said today.
Shad Saleem Faruqi said this was a must regardless of the atrocities against Muslims happening in other countries.
He added that on an individual level there is much harmony and friendship in Malaysia but at the group level there is undoubted tension.
“Some of these tensions are a reaction to geopolitical situations, such as massacres and genocides of people of the Muslim faith in some countries, as well as the rise of Islamophobia in the non-Muslim world,” he said.
He also pointed to how blasphemous cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad are defended by many governments as part of free speech.
“But the same governments see nothing wrong when Muslim girls in headscarves are victimised, or when mosques with minarets are not allowed because it would affect the skyline,” he said.
He believed that the ability to live together in peace and harmony is one of the marks of a great civilisation.
“Religious tolerance is the finest test of a tolerant and democratic society.”
Looking back at Malaysia’s recent history, Shad Saleem said when compared with many other Asian societies the overall situation of religious tolerance in Malaysia was exemplary until the late ’80s.
“However, since then, the calm has been broken by a number of legal, political and moral dilemmas that defy easy solutions,” he added.
Another panellist, lawyer Rita Wong explained that in 1988, the Federal Constitution was amended to include Article 121(1A) where the civil courts shall have no jurisdiction over the shariah court, and explained the consequences of this amendment.
Another panellist, lawyer Rita Wong explained that in 1988, the Federal Constitution was amended to include Article 121(1A) where the civil courts shall have no jurisdiction over the shariah court, and explained the consequences of this amendment.
kt comments: Please read my Jan 2006 post
Article 121(1)(A) - What terrified the Civil Courts!
“Civil courts refused to act on conversion cases, custody of children was denied to non-Muslim parents and the civil courts refused to act in ‘body snatching’ cases,” she said.
She cited the case of Lina Joy as one of the sensational cases where the Federal Court said only the shariah court has the power to allow her to remove her religious designation of “Islam” from her identification card, following her conversion to Christianity.
The Taliban mentality is in ascendancy all over the Muslim world.
ReplyDeleteIn that sphere, Muslims are duty-bound to support the strict enforcement of Syariah law in the entire society -including non-Muslims.