‘Special’ Friday sermon labels Bersih as extremists

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — The Friday sermon in mosques throughout Kuala Lumpur today accused the Bersih rally organisers of being “extremists”, in what is seen as yet another attack against the election watchdog’s upcoming July 9 rally.

Federal Territories Islamic Department director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali confirmed the matter when contacted by The Malaysian Insider,saying that 150 mosques including those in Putrajaya were given the sermon text titled “Preserving the blessings of peace.”

“Yes, yes, we are using this special sermon because it is important to preserve the peace that we have obtained, we should not destroy it so easily,” he said.

The sermon text stated that preserving peace was a demand of all religions, and proceeded to attack the Bersih rally. According to the text, Islam rejected any movement which could threaten the country’s harmony, and this included “extremists.”

“We fear that this movement is being led by extremists who call themselves the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections… in essence this group fights for individuals or specific interests without a care for the sensitivities of the masses or public interest.

“To achieve its goal, these people will engage in street protests, illegal assemblies, they move to gather numbers to create violence, to destroy public property, break the country’s laws and are even willing to hurt the authorities assigned to maintain peace,” said the text.

The text added that history was replete with proof that violence and division in society only resulted in destruction, and provided an analogy of Prophet Ibrahim’s founding of Mecca, and how the prophet had prayed for it to be peaceful.

“The actions of these traitors are evil and it is forbidden for Muslims to take part (in the Bersih rally) because this can result in hardship, anxiety and destruction of society,” the text of the sermon said.

It stressed that the rally was a cover-up of efforts to “replicate” the unrest in other countries to overthrow the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

Activists under Bersih and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component parties are gearing up for the rally on July 9, the second such gathering calling for electoral reform.

The first rally, also organised by Bersih, was held in 2007 and saw some 50,000 people take to the capital’s streets.

The gathering was eventually dispersed when police deployed tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators.

The event has been partly credited for PR’s record gains in Election 2008 when the opposition pact was swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats. - Malaysian Insider