That sentiment, of course, goes for all unbelievers: the subjugation of non-Muslims under Islamic law includes the prohibition of outward manifestations of non-Islamic belief, including displaying crosses or ringing church bells. Malaysia is applying the same principle to what it sees as a heretical, inferior Islamic sect.
One wonders when or if Iran, for its part, will accuse Malaysia of being in league with the Zionists and the Great Satan on this. “Muslim-majority Malaysia is known for religious tolerance, but not when it comes to Shiites,” by Eileen Ng for the Associated Press, January 14 (thanks to Twostellas):
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — In this Muslim-majority country, it’s OK to be Christian, Buddhist or Hindu. But not Shiite.
Well, it’s not that OK to be any non-Muslim in Malaysia, and it’s getting less and less OK all the time. We have over 7 years of stories in our archives that amply demonstrate that.
Malaysian religious police raided a three-story shop-house last month and detained more than 100 Shiites who had gathered to mark the death of one of their most beloved saints, Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, who was killed in the year 680.
Whose prophet?
It was one of the largest such sweeps in years, sparking outrage and fear in the country’s small but growing Shiite community. Some religious scholars see it as a worrying sign that Islamic authorities are becoming more hard-line.
“Malaysia is trying to become a country a la Taliban that only allows one school of thought,” said prominent scholar Asri Zainul Abidin.
Despite its reputation for religious tolerance, Malaysia has been quietly discriminating against its own for years. The government recognizes only the Sunni branch of Islam and prohibits all others including Shiites, the world’s second largest Islamic group.
Shiites face discrimination elsewhere, but Malaysia appears to be the only place that actually outlaws them. […]
It’s not clear what prompted the recent raid in Malaysia, but Islamic officials defend the ban as crucial to prevent unrest among Muslims.
“Shia is an Iranian sect,” said leading cleric Harussani Zakaria, a member of the National Fatwa Council. “It has expanded secretly and now has many supporters who are starting to practice their faith in public. We don’t want any religious differences. They are a threat to Muslim unity in Malaysia.”…