Dear Farouk A. Peru,
I refer to your writing http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/farouk-a-peru/article/jakim-reform-or-disband
Your writing is erroneous and misguided lending credence to a false siege mindset on the practice of Islam in Malaysia.
Please be informed that Jakim does not have the power to “tangkap khalwat” and has no officer for the same. It does not have enforcement powers and has never prosecuted anyone for khalwat. Khalwat is a legal jurisdiction given to various state religious authorities and there is no law empowering Jakim to conduct and prosecute for khalwat. Your misrepresentation that their “favourite activity is tangkap khalwat” is not only erroneous but a false mischievous mala fide allegation. As an honorable person please withdraw your statement and rectify the article.
The basis of your many assertions in the article seems to stem from your well known continued angst against the religious authorities having jurisdictions over Muslims personal conduct to the point of you calling them islamofacists. Your criticism of their role on khalwat, Shiahism, liberal islam and Isis again bore fruit of your intent.
Please be informed that your assertion is diametrically opposed to the Islamic governance established by our constitution. It is an unfair misguided and erroneous understanding of our constitution. As you are aware, our constitution recognizes the pre existing Islamic governance practiced long before merdeka. Being a scholar you would have known that the state and the sultan have been regulating personal matters like Zina since Kanun Melaka of the fifteenth century. It’s a practice adopted in many other states since and even recognized by the British.
When the constitution was promulgated and enacted, this practice was seamlessly adopted and continued until today. Muslims in general have never had an issue with this manner of governance. In fact as you may already know many Muslims are clamouring for more Islamic governance with the demand of hudud. To claim therefore that our religious authorities are islamofacists because of their governance on personal matters are a blatant misrepresentation of the Islamic governance recognized by our constitution and the people. To be blunt it is you who are seeking a change of the constitution against the demands of the Muslims here.
Your other assertions on Shiah’ism, liberal Muslims and Isis are equally misguided and misrepresenting of what we are. Muslims here know how deadly and dangerous the Shiah Sunni schism can be and have no issue on the curtailment of the spread thereof holding firmly on the Sunni doctrines. On the “hostility of liberal Muslims” referred to in your article, you have failed to mention that it is them who have challenged many of the long held Islamic traditions and governance in courts and public forum including the Allah issue.
Your omission that these challenges have been held to be unconstitutional reflects very much the selective facts on this matter. And finally your assertion on ISIS is self contradictory with your Shiah Sunni earlier argument. ISIS arose out of the Sunni Shiah conflict in Syria and Iraq which Jakim themselves sought to curtail. You on the other hand want this division to thrive and not be contained. You know that the Shiah Sunni schism arose out of a political conflict and has been unresolved for thousands of years. To feign ignorance of this fact shows a total disregard on the well being and harmony of the Muslims here and pay scant regard to avoid ISIS scenario occurring here.
I trust you would rectify the erroneous mistake in your article and thank you in advance in rectifying the misconception.
Lukman Sheriff
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, and should not be attributed to, Isma or Ismaweb.
