Faced with intense scrutiny for what turned out to be an unpopular act that they had probably figured on carrying out with impunity, the Jais, or Selangor Islamic Religious Department, continues to split semantic hairs on exactly what its police force did at Damansara Utama Methodist Church.
Never mind the earlier reported words defending the raid: “We found evidence of proselytisation towards Muslims … We carried out the raid after receiving information that there were Muslims who attended a breaking-of-fast event at the church.”
Now that it’s unpopular, it’s not a raid. “It Was An Inspection, Not Raid, Says Jais,” from Bernama, August 11 (thanks to Twostellas):
SHAH ALAM, Aug 11 (Bernama) — The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) today clarified that its enforcement officers with members of the police force were merely carrying out an inspection and not a raid on Dream Centre owned by the Damansara Utama Methodist Church on Aug 3.
Jais director, Marzuki Hussin said the inspection was carried out under the Syariah Criminal Enactment (Selangor) 1995 based information that a breaking-of-fast function would be held with a Thanksgiving Dinner in a church.
He said acting on the information, an inspection operation was carried out with the police at about 9.45pm.
“In the operation, Jais consulted the event organiser outside the hall and this proves that allegations that Jais raided the premises in a high-handed manner are unfounded” he said in a statement Thursday.
One may be reminded of the “Here’s what really happened!” cartoons of Family Circus‘ “Billy.”
Marzuki said:”In fact Jais had requested for permission to enter and was only allowed into the hall for inspection after the event was over at 11pm.
Marzuki said 12 Muslims were found present in the event and Jais only took down details and requested them to attend a guidance and counseling session in Jais.
And if they don’t?
He also stressed that there was no rough handling by members of Jais enforcement officers that night.
He said Jais was very disappointed when many quarters said Jais enforcement inspection was done unethically.
Awww.
“It was only after the event, which was attended by about 100 people ended that the inspection began in the hall which took about 10 minutes by Jais enforcement team while police were directed to stay outside the hall by the organiser,” he said.
While the action of the organiser appears to dispute the authority of Jais and the police in enforcing laws on Muslims did not use their powers to arrest, he added.