Much ado about nothing!

Does acknowledging that Islam allows divorce amount to encouraging Muslim couples to divorce?

Does acknowledging that Islam allows its adherents, in certain circumstances, to defer fasting, amount to encouraging Muslims to not fast?

What did Nurul Izzah say?

  “When you ask me, there is no compulsion in religion… how can anyone say sorry, this (religious freedom) only applies to non-Malays, it has to apply equally”, reports Malaysiakini.

A most encouraging, statement, I thought, until I read her statement that followed the one above.

“I am, of course, tied to the prevailing views.”

Which, to my mind, rendered her earlier statement quite meaningless, if you understand the prevailing view, which presently hangs on the majority decision of the Federal Court in Lina Joy.

What does the Holy Qur’an say?

  “There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing” – Surah 2 verse 256.

That’s what Nurul said.

No compulsion.

I agree with her.

Yes, I know, some read and interpret this as a ‘Hotel California’ verse.

You can check into the faith but once you do, you cannot check out.

So those of you who read it that way, accept that others do not share your interpretation.

And accept that merely because there are those, like myself, who do not share your interpretation, that does not make us agitators or counselors of apostasy.

- The People's Parliament