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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

WIKILEAKS: PROMINENT HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER FACES DEATH THREAT

Zainur Zakaria, former Bar Council President and current President of Lawyers in Defense of Islam (a new NGO created in July 2006), asked the approximately 10,000 audience members, "Are we willing to allow non-Muslims and those who are not well versed in Islam to interpret our religion for us?" The audience members replied "Never!" Clearly audible at that point is at least one audience member who shouted "Kill them!"

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Summary

1. (C) Prominent Muslim lawyer and human rights activist Malik Imtiaz has become the target of a death threat printed on a leaflet and distributed via email beginning in mid-August.

On August 24 Imtiaz privately told us he believes the death threat was orchestrated by several newly established Muslim NGOs that intend to silence him due to his leading role in the Lina Joy apostasy case (ref A) and his participation as a panel member at recent public fora meant to defend constitutional protection of non-Muslims' religious freedom.

Both Muslim and non-Muslim leaders have condemned the death threat against Imtiaz, even as opposition MPs lament the lack of a response by Malaysia's ruling coalition. The Prime Minister's policy of stopping public discussion of controversial religious freedom issues will not resolve matters. End Summary.

Religious Tensions Culminate in Death Threat

2. (SBU) The death threat against Imtiaz came to light after the Muslim Youth Movement (ABIM) exposed the threatening leaflet to the press on August 19. The President of ABIM, Muhammad Yusri, denounced the Malaysian language leaflet, saying, "Differing views on Islam must be resolved through Islamic morals and ethics and not by force." The leaflet contains the words "Wanted: Dead" in large typeface above a photograph of Imtiaz.

Beneath the photo and Imtiaz' full name, the leaflet text reads: "This is the face of the traitor lawyer against Islam who is supporting the apostasy case of Lina Joy. Spread this to our brothers so that they recognize this traitor. If he is found dead on the roadside, let him be. Do not help!"

3. (SBU) As a prominent human rights lawyer, President of the Human Rights Society of Malaysia (HAKAM), and protem Secretary of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Society, Imtiaz has long been at the forefront of defending human rights and religious freedom in Malaysia.

Most recently, he represented the Bar Council during Federal Court arguments in the Lina Joy apostasy case. Imtiaz supports Joy's efforts to legally apostatize from the Muslim faith. The Federal Court is expected to rule at any time in that case.

The case will likely determine the degree to which Shari'a courts have authority over apostasy applications (they have virtually always declined such applications), setting a clear precedent for future cases and symbolically hitting at the core constitutional issue of the definition of ethnic Malays as Muslims.

Imtiaz also served as a panel member at recent public forums organized by "Article 11," a group of 13 local NGOs that support enforcement of constitutional protections that guarantee religious freedom for non-Muslims.

4. (C) Imtiaz told us that he believes several newly established Muslim activist groups orchestrated the death threat, but he did not provide us with specific information to support his statements. He told us that he takes the threat seriously, but remained "undeterred" in his efforts related to religious freedom.

Mosques Used to "Defend Islam" Against Apostasy

5. (C) While Imtiaz has faced the opprobrium of many Muslims for his outspoken stances on religious freedom issues, recent criticism by some Muslim leaders has become much more pointed and personal.

We recently viewed video footage taken on July 23 at the Federal Territories Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. The video contains strong criticism of Imtiaz by several Muslim speakers who attacked Imtiaz' ethnicity (he is a child of Pakistani immigrants to Malaysia) and accused him and other Article 11 leaders of being ignorant on Islamic issues.

Zainur Zakaria, former Bar Council President and current President of Lawyers in Defense of Islam (a new NGO created in July 2006), asked the approximately 10,000 audience members, "Are we willing to allow non-Muslims and those who are not well versed in Islam to interpret our religion for us?" The audience members replied "Never!" Clearly audible at that point is at least one audience member who shouted "Kill them!"

Later at the event, well-known lawyer Kamar Ainah concluded her speech by saying, "I'm concerned about the current government. We cannot depend on them. We need to continue our struggle ourselves to protect and defend our religion." Imtiaz told us other mosques were also used during July and August to spread similar messages intended to motivate audience members to "defend Islam."

6. (C) At these mosque-based events in Kuala Lumpur, organizers handed out two pamphlets to tens of thousands of Muslim faithful that urged them to support their faith.

One pamphlet, entitled "Islam Humiliated; Muslims Challenged," claimed that the Bar Council supported apostasy among Muslims. It described Koranic and Hadith traditions that claim those who renounce Islam must be executed, and it urged all of Malaysia's Muslims to sign a petition in defense of Islamic values and principles.

As of August 22, according to PEMBELA (translated as "Defenders;" another recently created Muslim NGO), the pamphlet distributors had collected 500,050 signatures on the petition. The second pamphlet, entitled "Efforts to Bring Down the Dignity of Islam and Threaten the Identity of the (Malay) Race," focused on the potential impact of the Lina Joy case and called on all Muslims "to defend the honor of Islam."

Silence from the Governing Coalition

7. (C) While the death threat against Imtiaz was immediately criticized by many Muslim and non-Muslim leaders, we are not aware of senior public GOM condemnation of the threat and we do not know if the GOM has taken action behind the scenes. During debate in parliament, opposition leader Lim Kit Siang expressed his "grave disappointment" at the ruling National Front's silence on the issue. He described the situation as "most ominous for Malaysia."

Ivy Josiah, President of the Women's Action Organization and an organizer of Article 11 fora, in commenting on the GOM's silence concerning the death threat, described GOM officials as "cowards," and asked, "How can they remain silent on something like this?"

8. (C) Comment: The death threat against Imtiaz followed a series of emotional clashes in recent months that pitted self-described "defenders of Islam" against "defenders of the constitution." The two groups represent significant portions of Malaysia's population that have found little common ground on religious issues.

The PM's recent calls to stop public discussion of these issues may temporarily dampen tensions, but a policy of stifling debate will not make such fundamental differences go away.

With local observers pointing to widening gaps between the views of Malaysia's Muslim and non-Muslim populations, the Malaysian Government will need to exhibit stronger leadership in order to safeguard religious freedom and tolerance, and to reject clearly any calls for religiously-motivated violence such as the threats against Imtiaz.

SHEAR (August 2006)

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