Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) co-founder Eric Paulsen (left) says Malay right-wing groups like Pembina should understand that the rights of Muslims and non-Muslims are protected by the constitution. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Kamal Ariffin, March 27, 2015.
Accused of being anti-Islam, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) co-founder Eric Paulsen said he prefers to engage those who disagree with his views rather than lodging police reports or suing his critics for defamation.
The human rights and law reform group's executive director said mature Malaysians should be able to discuss and debate on matters of public interest, and it was unfortunate that Persatuan Belia Islam Malaysia (Pembina) had resorted to labelling and demonising him.
"Some of my views may be construed as controversial but having conflicting views and interests does not mean a person is anti-this or anti-that.
"I am willing to engage with them if they disagree with my views on issues," the lawyer and activist told The Malaysian Insider.
Pembina is a youth organisation formed by Muslim rights group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).
Its president, Ustaz Ibrahim Mohd Hasan Al-Hafiz, had in a report published on Isma's website labelled Paulsen as anti-Islam, citing incidents where the lawyer had allegedly insulted the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), criticised its Friday sermons and more recently questioned the implementation of hudud laws.
"So I conclude that he is anti-Islam," he said, while urging the government to act against Paulsen in order to prevent him from making any more statements deemed seditious.
Paulsen said he would not resort to lodging police reports or threatening to sue for defamation over the anti-Islam remarks.
He said as an activist, it was common to be subjected to such statements, like politicians.
"It comes with the job, if you are in the public eye. You will face detractors, who are out to attack your credibility and demonise you. I won't lodge a police report, unless it is over something criminal.”
Paulsen said at the end of the day, his work as a human rights lawyer, researcher and activist, which was public record, would speak for him.
Ibrahim had said Paulsen was consistently insulting the religion and meddling in Islamic affairs and if nothing was done, he would cause chaos and jeopardise racial harmony in the country.
Paulsen said Pembina should reflect on the origin of Malaysia and the Federal Constitution which protected the rights of all its citizens, regardless of their race and religion, such as their freedom of speech.
"Look back at how Malaysia was formed. The rights of Muslims and non-Muslims are protected by the constitution.
"We may disagree with each other on certain issues but, at the end of the day, as Malaysians we must all live together. We all have the equal right to make the best of our lives under the Malaysian sun.
"Malaysia should be a place for everyone, regardless of their race or their religion."
In January, Paulsen was arrested for allegedly accusing a federal Islamic authority of spreading extremism through Friday sermons. Last month, he was charged with sedition over his Jakim tweet.
Earlier this week, he was also nabbed by the police under the Sedition Act after he posted a series of tweets questioning the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, but a magistrate's court denied the police's application to remand him for investigations.
The PAS-led Kelantan government tabled and passed the hudud bill on March 19 to amend the Shariah Criminal Code II Enactment at the state legislative assembly.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is now planning to table a private member's bill in the current parliament sitting to push for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan.
- TMI
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