Asri on love for the Prophet and those against demonstrating

Why is it that when Muslims exercise their democratic right to express anger over the insults on their faith, there are voices preaching otherwise by saying that demonstrations are futile?

The question is posed by former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin in response to the tweet by Perak DAP chief Ngeh Khoo Ham, who has since apologised for suggesting that Muslims might be wasting their time and energy by going to the streets against the US-made blasphemous film which has sparked worldwide Muslim anger. Protests have been going on in Middle East countries such as Egypt, Iran, Tunisia, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Yemen, as well as in Western capitals and South Asian subcontinent.

According to Asri, such a view, that demonstration is futile, could be compared to the stand taken by UMNO's so-called Young Ulama who claimed that any type of protests was forbidden in Islam.

"I am not sure why the DAP MP made the statement when PR had been campaigning for the people to take to the streets to air their grievances on many things. One did not see any leader from DAP, which is part of PR, telling citizens not to waste time and or to use a different approach," said Asri, who not long ago clashed with the group of Islamic studies graduates alligned to UMNO after the latter urged Muslims to stay away from demonstrations organised by Bersih 2.0.

Asri reminded that nothing in the life of a Muslim was more valuable than the love for Prophet Muhammad.

"A true Muslim loves the Prophet. One's love for the Prophet is strong even if sometimes one's conduct may not be perfect," he added.

As such, he welcomed efforts by the Youth wings from PAS and UMNO to organise a peaceful demonstration tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier, PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hasan urged Muslims to ignore their differences and join the rally outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur. However, UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin said today his movement would instead gather at the Kampung Baru mosque.

Asri said he agreed that demonstration was not the only way to show one's feeling, adding that there were other ways to counter attacks on Islam such as through writing and online campaigns.

"But not everyone can use that approach, especially so when the Prophet is loved by Muslims of all backgrounds. Not only those who could read and write, but also those who cannot, and those who are not highly educated. Not only the youngsters who are Internet-savvy, but also the elderly who could only write on paper.

"A peaceful demonstration can bring them together, to share their feelings in the open.

"Even the West, despite having succeeded in stamping out illiteracy and having wide Internet usage, still resort to peaceful demonstration," Asri said, but quickly added that any violent acts during a demonstration, as shown in the attack in Libya which killed several Americans, were against the values taught by the Prophet himself.

-Harakahdaily