PAS CHIEF BLASTS EXTREMIST ISLAMIC TEACHERS

Malaysia today

Religious beliefs cannot be imposed on others, says the Chief Minister of KelantanKELANTAN Chief Minister and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has hit out at Islamic missionaries and teachers who impose their religious beliefs on others.Launching the state's month-long missionary campaign on Sunday, he said: 'Islam must be embraced voluntarily and sincerely, especially among converts who come to the religion because of sheer belief or those who adopt the faith because of marriage. 'We cannot force people to enter Heaven. They must do it of their own will.' His comments came in the wake of a spate of recent inter-religious disputes in which Selangor's Islamic affairs department (known by its Malay acronym, Jais) has split mixed-religion families apart by taking Muslim family members away for religious rehabilitation. The actions have resulted in an outcry among minority religious groups - Hindus, Buddhists and Christians - who say their rights are being steamrollered by such Islamic dominance. Under syariah law, anyone who marries a Muslim must convert to Islam, and those born into Muslim families cannot convert. Meanwhile, Jais insisted on Sunday that it had acted within the law when its enforcement officers detained a Muslim woman for allegedly committing khalwat (being in close proximity) with her husband, a Hindu. The alleged offence took place in Klang on April 28. The department's director, Datuk Mohammad Khusrin Munawi, said: 'Certain media reports had made out the detention to be a case of Jais trying to break up families. That is not true.' He said Jais had received two complaints alleging that the Muslim woman was cohabitating with a man. Through lawyer Karpal Singh, who is also the chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, the husband asked the Shah Alam High Court to free his wife, who is now apparently in Jais' custody. But Datuk Mohammad Khusrin said: 'We detained the woman based on the complaints and also because she could not produce any relevant marriage documents when asked.' Last month, Jais separated another Hindu from his Muslim wife of 21 years and their six children. He won custody of the children, but the couple can no longer live together legally. In January, Islamic officials detained a Muslim woman living as a Hindu and sent her for rehabilitation, away from her Hindu husband. Their baby daughter was also taken from him and given to her. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, ASSOCIATED PRESS
comments
eco wrote:
There is a time to comment and a time not to. In this case, it is not necessary to do so, as i am sure the comments in the Times of London, WSJ in the great satan, and the Straits Times will be enough to drown out the JAIS / governments legality and moral standing arguments on the issue.
15/05 16:09:54
temanmu wrote:
Chinese were once afraid to vote PAS, but they are more reasonable now than UMNO.Hope the Chinese papers run this story too. -----------I am still baffled that JAIS can detain someone indefinitely ... they are more powerful than the police!
15/05 16:34:46
sree wrote:
My deepest respect to the Chief Minister of Kelantan.. for he speaks words of righteousness.If PAS continues making statements that benefit all the religions in Malaysia, they can put up their candidate anywhere in Malaysia and I am sure the non-Malays will support them.
15/05 17:37:04
FrenchFriedTacos wrote:
Yeah, yeah. But this Islamism nonsense is also due in a great part to PAS' politicking!No point crying Yeehaaw!! after the horse has bolted through the open barn doors.
15/05 19:29:04
suckthumbloh wrote:
Bloody wolf in sheep's skin
15/05 21:12:17
KarmannGhia wrote:
Well said Nik, you go show em
15/05 21:21:04
Beruk wrote:
nik aziz said we cant force ppl to enter heaven....nik aziz way to heaven is not one way....there r few other ways...u can still enter without religion but not without good attitude
16/05 11:12:58