Wahhabism in Malaysia: But terror for whom?

Something is serously wrong in this country. Since the dawn of 2011 the BN federal government seems to be in a heightened state of alert. There seems to be no end to the slew of warnings from the government of some sort of security threat or other that could affect the peace and sovereignty of this nation.

It all started when Perkasa made a statement that the Chinese were going to take over the country. Perkasa went on to say that the Chinese had taken over the Malaysian economy, and were now eyeing the Malay-dominated political administration.

The UMNO-owned Utusan also accused the Christians of planning to take over the country and install a Christian Prime Minister, even though the Christians make up barely 10 per cent of the nation’s population. Islam accounts for close to 60 per cent, while Buddhism, Hinduism and other minor religions made up the rest.

Lately, there was talk of an external threat with foreign countries eyeing Malaysia’s weaknesses. Although no country was mentioned, there was speculation that it may possibly be India and China. There were even wild rumours that Singapore and Indonesia had intentions to invade Malaysia.

The arrest and detention of 6 Parti Sosialis Malaysia supporters under the Emergency Ordinance law has opened the eyes of Malaysians to an impending Communist threat.

Even the Bersih Rally was a national security threat.

It was followed closely by Utusan’s report of a Jewish Conspiracy to take over the administration of this country.

If all this bad news is not enough, the National Security Council has just warned that Wahhabism has again reared its ugly head. Seen as a puritanical form of Islam, it has been related to extremism and terrorism. Perhaps the most famous personality associated to Wahhabism is the late Osama bin Laden, by his ties to the powerful bin Laden families of Saudi Arabia.

Famous Wahhabis - Dr Asri, Hadi Awang, Shahidan Kassim

Not many people know of this but Osama was recruited by the CIA to counter the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. His ragtag band of merry freedom fighters inflicted so many Russian casualties in the Afghan war that Russia gave up the idea of occupying Afghanistan.

Victorious after Russia abandoned Afghanistan, with nothing left to fight for, they turned their eyes on building a puritanical state and together with the Taliban was responsible with enforcing an extreme form of Islamic rule that engulfed the mountainous regions right up to capital. Later the Americans invaded Afghanistan to dislodge the Talibans and the rest is history. Since then Osama has been known to be the world’s number one terrorist.

The NSC has put about 40 of the young Ulama (Muslim scholar) in the country with ties to Wahhabism under a terrorism watch-list. Critics have warned the government, that in doing so it may sustain a backlash from Saudi Arabia, the hotbed of Wahhabism practitioners residing in the cities of Mecca and Medinah. With about 26,000 Malaysian pilgrims each year expected to join the Haj Pilgrimage, it would be a major setback if ties were to worsen.

Muslims in the country are a little rattled at the new controversy. Although shunned, the small minority of Wahhabis and Shiite Muslims in the country are seldom an issue, and it is surprising that the NSC has suggested a possible terrorist threat from Wahhabi practitioners such as the influential former Perlis mufti Dr Asri Zainul Abidin, PAS president Hadi Awang, former Perlis mentri besar Shahidan Kassim and Perlis mufti Juanda Jaya.

However, it is understood that Hadi Awang and Shahidan Kassim have been excluded from the watch list. Two Umno lawmakers have also come to the defence of Dr Asri, insisting that the Najib administration has wrongly labelled the maverick mufti as a potential terrorist threat.

Scared of their own shadows

Both Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the NSC had overreacted over a difference of opinion by raising a terror alert over fears that Wahhabism was being revived.

It is quite startling that all these major issues reflecting a threat to national security are now being played up. Is Malaysia really in danger from internal and external threats and are there really enemies out there waiting in line for an opportunity to invade this country?

Or is there someone out there with a bad case of inferiority complex, crying “Wolf” again?

- Malaysia Chronicle