Sisters in Islam is holding a press conference this morning in response to a fatwa declaring the group as subscribing to “liberalism” and “religious pluralism” and therefore allegedly deviating from the teachings of Islam.

The fatwa allows for any of its publications promoting such thinking to be seized and calls for any form of social media promoting such thinking to be restricted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. Sitting on the panel of the Sis press conference at a hotel in Petaling Jaya this morning are Sis executive director Ratna Osman, Marina Mahathir, Zainah Anwar and Zaid Ibrahim.

Zaid Ibrahim was forthright. “This is not only a legal problem. It’s politics,” he maintained. “The government must explain who has the power to make laws. Otherwise, there is no need for Parliament and State Assemblies.”

Sis was apparently not aware until a few days ago of the fatwa titled “Pemikiran Liberalisme dan Pluralisme Agama”, which was gazetted in Selangor. It was apparently given three months to respond with the deadline expiring today.

The group is filing a judicial review today.

What has happened to Najib’s moderate Malaysia?

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27 COMMENTS

  1. Malays are told to boycott AmBank over its alleged support for LGBT? Ha Ha, AmBank became new target after McDonald’s?

    Wonder why the community can have tolerance for corruption and wastage which should be more serious than LGBT, right?

  3. Many people – including relatives – are never satisfied with the power/control they have. Like the case of the “emperor’s new clothes”, everyone know that all these are anti-democratic or worse, but few will say it: (a) opposing liberalism and pluralism (b) “sedition” and “libel” (c) general goverment secrecy except in very specific matters of security (d) denying justice through delay (e) wealth earned through corruption (e) refusal to repay debt despite wealth.

  4. The Court of Appeal ruled that it was unconstitutional for Islamic law to forbid men from wearing women’s attire or posing as women, The two legal systems practiced in Malaysia is flawed and should be done away with. The Police must obey the courts and respect it as the paramount law in the land because it is formed by parliament. Any other court decisions by any other court like the shariah court that clashes with it is ultra-vires the court findings and should be disregarded. As a secular country there should be separation of government and religion.

  5. Most of the fatwas and edicts that come out seem to protect the interest of the few… – over the majority in order to stop the majority from thinking for themselves(?)

  7. The fatwa was gazetted on July 31 this year, under Section 111 of the Islamic Administration Enactment (Selangor) 2003.

    Supporting DAP and PKR would bring out the worst of PAS, hudud and an Islamic state. DAP would be too impotent to do anything except to twist to the people. I am not against hudud but against its implementation.

  8. Everything is being blamed on to BN, UMNO, Gerakan, MCA etc and Najib from Bible seizure to Allah banning when its the Selangor Pakatan govt under DAP, PKR and PAS that is the cause of all this.

    Now we have Azmin supporting this and DAP, PKR and all Pakatan supporter so quiet :
    Azmin: Respect fatwa on SIS
    http://www.malaysia-today.net/azmin-respect-fatwa-on-sis/

  10. Apple boss Tim Cooke has confessed to be a Gay. So the conservatives in Malaysia would start to boycott iPhones 6 ? If so, Ahmad Maslan better hide his iphone 6 and not to show off to the conservatives ?

  11. Those who subscribe to religion fundamentalism are very often of the opinion that liberalism is synonymous to low morality and deviationism. But then, on what bases do they think or feel that their own interpretation and practice of religion are more accurate or morally superior than those of others? Why has corruption, which is a blatant act of dishonesty driven by pure greed for worldly material gratification, always been overlooked or relegated to a status of non-issue by these proclaimed religion and moral guardians? (Has there been) a ‘fatwa’ against corruption(?) …

    And by the way, the world liberal is mentioned within one of the aspirations of the Rukunnegara which reads “Menjamin satu cara liberal terhadap tradisi-tradisi kebudayaannya yang kaya dan berbagai corak”.

    • The fatwa suggested that liberalism and pluralism were deviant to the teachings of Islam?

      A sad state of affairs … I am not sure if the writers of the fatwa really understand the meaning of the words liberalism and pluralism? No wonder Malaysia steps back into the stone age(?)

  12. this gilakan tan keng liang is full of … on twitter…really p… off this …. face…look very ugly … face…why gilakan can get this type of useless leader..

  14. PAS Youth was also quick off the mark to defend the Selangor Fatwa Council.

    The Malay Mail reported:

    PAS Youth castigated Sisters in Islam (SIS) today for plans to challenge in the courts a fatwa, or religious edict, against liberalism and religious pluralism, labelling the Muslim women’s group as “insolent” and “extremist”.

    Defending Selangor’s Fatwa Council, the Islamist party’s wing also accused SIS of challenging the monarchy and the Federal Constitution, which it said puts Islam as the religion of the federation.

    “SIS’ insolence in challenging the National Fatwa Council’s prohibition against it for professing liberalism and religious pluralism is proof that the group is driving a deviating agenda against Islamic teachings in this country,” said a statement by the wing’s deputy chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi.

    Source:
    PAS Youth: Sisters in Islam ‘insolent’, ‘extremists’ for contesting fatwa
    http://m.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/pas-youth-sisters-in-islam-insolent-extremists-for-contesting-fatwa

    Muhd Khalil is certainly a chip off his daddy Hadi. Both apparently cannot understand what place liberalism and religious pluralism has in a modern society. Twisting SiS challenging the fatwa into “challenging the monarchy and the Federal Constitution”???

  15. One by one the overzealous ones are dictating your lifestyles, no wonder many of my Malay friends are also thinking migrating elsewhere ! Poor leadership at the top or is this part of 1M strategies?

    • As The Star reported on its front page yesterday, the overzealousness in Tutup Aurat is moving Malaysia towards Talibanisation.

      • They could also follow the steps of Boko Haram, as women are not treated on the same standing and men.

      • All Muslim women employees in supermarkets, food outlets and other business centres in a Malaysian state have been ordered to wear headscarves or face a fine, triggering yet another controversy in this multi- ethnic Muslim majority country, as reported on this Youtube clip:

      • Utusan today told MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun told not to interfere on how Muslims dress. So MCA better be careful not to hire malay ladies that never cover aurat from head to toes?

      • Cause of bible seizure and banning of Allah usage is in Pakatan led state of Selangor and Penang respectively. Now Pakatan Selangor has taken the lead on fatwa in liberalism and plularism with MB Azmin supporting it by asking the people not to question it. Again we have Pakatan PAS in Kelantan that has taken the lead in implementing the Tutup Aurat in Kelanatan with hudud soon.

        Be very afraid of Pakatan DAP & PKR. 57 years of BN does not see such extremism and implementation. PAS govern Kelantan for 20 years but is afraid to implement such extreme measure. Just 6 years with DAP and PKR have enable their boldness to implement such extreme measure on hudud, tutup aurat, bible seizure and banning of allah words by non muslim. Is DAP and PKR condoning PAS to do such act while on the outside sandiwara by shouting and opposition.

        Be very aware of DAP & PKR. They are hypocrite in the highest just interested only to be in power.

  16. Under Najib, we have going from a racially divided country to a religo-divided country. Its not by design, its by default because of who Najib is – prodigal undeserving inheritor of power.

    BUT what takes the cake is that IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE POLITICALLY FOR UMNO/BN AT ALL to have this trend. Malay majority makes sense to have race based divide and conquer politics, BUT religo-division means the Malay majority is split while the other races will back one side giving a losing proposition.

    The only reason they are doing it because they are frustrated with PAS holdout to join UMNO. Its predicated on the calculation that if only PAS joins UMNO, it will all work out and they can ignore everyone else – blind faith in their religion dominance which has never been proven in any Muslim country.

    • Najib’s approval rating is now at all time low of 48%!

      The people of Malaysia are simply fed up with his poor leadership and unfulfilled promises, that have led to religious tension, racial distrust and high cost of living (nation debt at RM568.9 billion!).

      I think moderate Muslims in Malaysia must now speak up or at least support SISters In Islam as the religious authority (appears to have allegedly) hijacked Islam to suit the agenda of Umno.

      • The different sects of Islam are now in conflict with one another.
        Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia has great influence here as many mosques are built with Saudi financing.
        When Muslims get disillusioned and cannot cope with modern living, they tend to blame others and abuse Jihad to turn into militants.
        That is why IS is gaining momentum as we seldom see Islam being preached as a peaceful religion to coexist with others.

      • Only 38% believes in the judiciary in the latest Merdeka Poll. Only ignorant rural folks are led into believing Najib and judiciary by Utusan and TV3.

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