Jamil Khir says can seize any book that threatens Islam

Manji’s books have now been banned by the Home Ministry. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) today said it does not need any court order to seize the book “Allah Liberty & Love – Courage To Reconcile Faith & Freedom” by controversial writer Irshad Manji, as its contents infringed Islamic laws.

According to Jawi senior enforcement assistant principal director Wan Jaafar Wan Ahmad, the seizure was carried out in the last two days according to the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act on offences relating to the sanctity of Islam and its institutions including publications against IslamIic laws.

“No need for court order. We are not searching. Before coming to seize, we had already obtained intelligence on finding the book.

“If a person is accused and needs to be present in court, only then we need a court order,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He was commenting on the statement by ZI Publications, the publisher of the book, saying that the company was considering legal action against Jawi for the carrying out the seizure at a book shop in the city.

The statement was issued in news portal Malaysiakini yesterday, which, among others, said the owner and director of the company, Ezra Zaid, wanted to sue Jawi.

According to the portal, Ezra said the confiscation required a specific order by the courts, something that was never produced in yesterday’s raid. He also noted there was no official ban issued by the Home Ministry or details of what religious laws, if any, were breached.

When asked of the possible legal action against Jawi, Wan Jaafar said it was up to the company and added it should not be a problem.

“[We] are ready,” he said.

Yesterday, the Home Ministry banned the publication of the book on the grounds that it misled the people and violated syariah laws.

Deputy Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said the prohibition order was made according to Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 as the book’s content could shock the people and harm public security and order.

The book was banned after the ministry received complaints and comments from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).

Irshad, a Ugandan-born Canadian citizen who is reported to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement, created a controversy with her visit to Malaysia to launch the book.

Meanwhile, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said Jawi had the power to seize any books or articles that threaten the faith of Muslims in the country.

He said every religious agency and organisation recognised by the government had the right to seize any written work that could harm the faith of Muslims in the country.

“Jakim, State Islamic Religious Departments (Jain) and Jawi have the right to seize any book in which the contents touch on the sensitivities of Muslims without prior permission from the Home Ministry,” he told Bernama when met at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque in Putrajaya today. — Bernama