Behold the Perkasa fatwa on indelible ink!

COMMENT UMNO's right-wing offshoot Perkasa never fails to live up to its image, providing yet another comic relief.

Last July, the group threatened to disrupt the huge Bersih rally for electoral reforms in the capital, only to admit that dozens, perhaps less than a dozen, of its members turned up to loiter around the Lake Gardens.

This time, the group is incensed by the decision of the Election Commission to implement the indelible ink rule on voters at the coming polls.

While not a single Muslim ulama, not even the bearded and "nur (light)-upon-thy-face"-type UMNO young ulama, had ever questioned the permissibility of the ink being applied on Muslim fingers, Perkasa has come up with what is perhaps the first 'fatwa' to suggest that the ink is not permitted under Islamic laws.

The Islamic background of its secretary general Syed Hasan Syed Ali is unclear, other than the fact that his name carries the title 'Syed' usually reserved for the Prophet's lineage, though one can never tell on which side of the Quraysh clan (to which the Prophet belonged) this particular gentleman hails from. After all, some of the Prophet's strongest adversaries had been his own blood relatives. That said, here in Malaysia there are many "Friday Syeds", you know, those born on a Friday and therefore a 'Syed'!

Mr Syed hints that the indelible ink is un-Islamic, despite it being used in populous Muslim democracies such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, or more recently in Tunisia, or even in the seat of Islamic learning, Egypt, where the first fairly transparent elections were recently held and saw the strong support of Islamist parties. Perhaps now, the halal-ness of the Islamists' victory is questionable.

Says Mr Syed: “It is a disgrace that a more advanced country than these developing countries wants to use indelible ink in the general election.

"We are not like Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia and other backward nations that do not have sophisticated identification, that only use handwritten papers as their identity documents. What a shame," fumes the 'First World' born Mr Syed.

Interestingly, Mr Syed makes this derogatory view of his Muslim brethren on the same day the Malaysian parliament passes a bill that restricts any attempt by citizens to gather peacefully, unlike their counterparts in the more advanced countries for which Mr Syed has taken pains to become a part of.

The latest fatwa by Perkasa, meanwhile, to be fair, is not a "do-what-I-command" type of edict. It shows that Perkasa's 'Shariah committee' (from which we presume this opinion by Mr Syed may have been based), is not made up of intolerant and self-righteous Islamic scholars out to impose their interpretation of Islam on others without trying to qualify their edicts with gentle exhortation as required by Islam.

According to Mr Syed, the indelible ink rule is a conspiracy to discourage Malay-Muslims from coming out to cast their ballots.

“There is a big possibility that I myself will not come out to vote if the indelible ink ruling is implemented," says Mr Syed, walking the talk and showing leadership by example. So far, his Islamicity remains as solid as the rock at Bukit Malawati.

“And there is a possibility that a big number of Perkasa members will not come out to vote. Who will be the loser when Perkasa and Malays refused to vote?" he asks.

Valid question. Let's see. Judging by Perkasa's own claim of its membership, that would either mean hundreds of thousands of pious Malay-Muslims out to defend their race and religion not lining up at polling centres, or a dozen or so prefering to spend polling day at the Lake Gardens.

Meanwhile, Perkasa has spoken.

The ulama of the Muslim world should now wake up from their slumber. From the universities of Madinah through the study halls of Qom to the ivory towers of Al-Azhar, it looks like Perkasa is set to be the talk among Islamic scholars, thinkers and intellectuals.

Lo and behold! The coming days and weeks will tell us whether the ulama of the Muslim world are ready to admit their mistakes, confess their sins, and seek forgiveness from the global Muslim Ummah for not questioning the indelible ink and for allowing millions of Muslim voters to have the devil's paint on their fingers.

-.harakahdaily