Malaysia Tells Religious Police Not to Copy Taleban,” from Reuters, with thanks to Twostellas:
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 March 2005 – Malaysia clipped the wings of its religious police yesterday, warning that it did not want to be like Afghanistan under Taleban rule, and ordered national police supervision of their controversial raids.
The religious police stirred a storm of protest with heavy-handed behavior during a January raid on a nightclub in the Malaysian capital, and in another incident by detaining a transsexual person visiting the home of Muslim friends.
“This is a very serious matter, we do not want to see Malaysia turning into Afghanistan during the Taleban (rule),” said Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, the minister who announced the change. “If this is not stopped, it may happen,” he said.
Yes, and why might it happen? Because Islam asserts itself politically everywhere it exists. That is what it has done yesterday, is doing today, and will do tomorrow.