How did the Selangor Fatwa Council get this idea in modern, moderate Malaysia? How did Muslim clerics who have dedicated their lives to studying Islam and understanding it properly, and who are now in a position to issue religious rulings, get the crazy idea that “liberalism and pluralism in religion is against the teachings of Islam”?
“Selangor Fatwa Council asks MCMC to check on liberalism, pluralism in Islam,” by Nuradilla, New Straits Times, October 14, 2014 (thanks to Twostellas):
SHAH ALAM: Liberalism and pluralism in religion is against the teachings of Islam, according to a fatwa issued by the Selangor Fatwa Council dated July 31.
It also said that any publication that promotes the ideas should be made illegal and prohibited.
The department’s Islamic affairs deputy director Azezul Azery Zulazmi said materials promoting suchideas [sic] are liable to be confiscated by the state as well.
“We also urge the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block websites or attempts in social media to go against the teachings of Islam and Hukum Syarak.
“Any Muslim with such ideas should repent and come back to the true teachings of Islam,” he said in a statement earlier today.
The statement was released as a reaction to a growing controversy regarding the Home Ministry’s decision to ban an Indonesian liberal scholar from entering the country and participate in a forum on religion this week.
The scholar, Ulil Abshar Abdalla is one of the founding members and leaders of the controversial network of Muslim organisations, Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL) in Indonesia.
Jay Boo says
When Obama visits predominantly Muslim countries like Malaysia and tells them how incredibly wonderful they are the Muslims smile as they show off their sharia butcher knives and flex their muscles in delight.
Obama prances out unconcerned about who is to pay the price.
delgato says
At one time, a lot of Muslim majority countries were in the doldrums. Now Malaysia will soon join that list. From 1969, Malaysia has been languishing while Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and even Thailand has outstripped Malaysia in performance. What else can best portray Malaysia? (Unless we compare to Somalia and Pakistan)
PAthena says
The Mohammedans of Malaysia clearly cannot survive any critical scrutiny of their religion. They cannot endure John Stuart Mill’s essay On Liberty. And they surely could not endure Socrates, who decided that the Oracle at Delphi, which had said that none were wiser than him, after he had tried to find someone wiser than himself – the politicians (like those in Malaysia), the poets, the craftsmen – found that they all thought that they were wiser than they were – so he decided that the Oracle meant to point them Socrates as an example, who was wiser than they were, because they were ignorant but did not know this, while he, Socrates, was ignorant and knew that he was ignorant.
shosh7154 says
The Truth has a way of leaving a permanent impression. His Name is Yeshua (Jesus) about Whom it is written:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.
Arnold Jago says
“How did Muslim clerics who have dedicated their lives to studying Islam…get the crazy idea that ‘liberalism and pluralism in religion is against the teachings of Islam’?”
A reasonable question, but — whatever the answer — we Westerners probably can’t do much about it.
What we could instead try to address is the notion in some professing-Christian circles that liberalism and pluralism is against the teachings of Jesus.
Namely the Calvinist element and perhaps others — their ideal for the world being some kind of a Christian caliphate.
Otherwise, aren’t we like somebody blinded by a foreign body in his eye trying to fix somebody else’s eye problem?
John Spielman says
Well Selangor “fatwa council”, I will see your fatwa and raise you one fatwa. My fatwa says ; muhammed pbuh( perpetual banishment unto hell) was a demon possessed pedophile, mass murderer, thief liar and misogynist, and Allah is Satan. I completely ban it from Malaysia!
susan says
My sentiments exactly John! Well said!
Lookmann says
Modern, moderate Malaysia!
Most know the ‘Allah/Jesus’ issue. An islamist politician recently called for a ‘Bible-burning’ compaign. Not to speak of the demolition of Hindu temples of British colonial era, citing lack of modern-day permits. To cap it all, an islamic scholar of Indonesia banned for his anti-jihad views.
What a way to be ‘modern’.
.
Hairry del Gato says
All the while, we in Malaysia thought the target was to be “more than” (Like “more holy than thou …) but modern?
Hey, our fashion sense is on tudung and soon, the Burqa. One of the Malaysian fashion statement is to dress like Arabs; and yet, we decry following foreign ideals – like being Arabic is local?
Jen says
All ‘moderate’ Islamic countries are at risk of tipping in the other direction at some point in the future. ‘Moderate’ Muslims are interspersed with devout Muslims in all these places. Since when have devout Muslims cared about the death or oppression of its own people in it’s quest to achieve it’s objectives? The familiarity and acceptance of Islamic culture are already present so that’s one less obstacle to overcome. The ties of Muslim brother/sister hood shouldn’t be underestimated. None of these countries can be trusted completely. They are all potential wolves wearing sheep’s clothing.
Salah says
“Any Muslim with such ideas should repent and come back to the true teachings of Islam,” he said in a statement earlier today.
Islam is falling apart, that’s why they are scared to death.
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.ca/2014/01/egyptian-muslims-tear-up-quran.html