Scuffle over dowry tarnished mosque’s image, says official

An official from the Masjid Jamek Al-Khadijiah in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur has decried last Sunday’s scuffle over dowry which took place at the house of worship, for tarnishing the image of the mosque as a religious institution, especially in the eyes of non-Muslims.

Mosque administrator Shahril Abd Samat said that the incident certainly left an impact and made Masjid Jamek Al-Khadijiah more well-known, though perhaps for the wrong reason.

“Its impact is extensive, it may adversely affect how non-Muslims view (the mosque), as it is not just a simple matter and not about the dowry, but that it took place at a mosque.

“In this matter, the important thing is manners, it does not matter in what event. Sometimes we put cultural norms before everything but in celebrating culture, manners are neglected. So the impact is extensive. Indeed those that never know about this mosque now knows about it,” said Shahril, who regrets the matter.

“No one will be angry if the event (is properly) held at the mosque. But if they forget proper manners and morals even at home people will be angry, let alone if it is at the house of Allah, the congregation will be angry. And as mosque administrator I am not keen to see a thing like this here,” he said.

Shahril urged all parties to be more sensitive when it comes to how they act in mosques.

“This is a first for me, and in this situation the elders should play their part and act grown up and mature, not like children. Only kids engage in fights and fisticuffs but mature-minded elders should know proper manners, what more in the house of Allah.

“If they think they cannot show good manners they might as well not come to the mosque at all,” he stressed.

In the scuffle which took place at 3pm last Sunday, things got heated up after the groom’s side was several thousand ringgit short of the reportedly RM15,000 dowry requested by the bride’s side.

Malaysiakini understood the groom only managed to put together RM11,000, leading to the reported commotion.

Shahril, who was present at the time, said that he was on the mosque grounds when he heard the commotion inside and then rushed to see what was the matter.

“It was difficult to say what started the fight, because I was not directly involved, my involvement was mainly to help calm things down as I do not want the fight to go on here.

‘Auspicious event turned sour’

“What was supposed to be an auspicious event turned out sour,” Shahril lamented.

Eyewitness Nurfarahim Mohd Sa’ri, 26 said that she was inside the mosque office when she heard the commotion, rushing to the site, she said she saw two men fighting, which resulted in damage to several cements seats located on mosque grounds.

However, she personally cannot confirm if the altercation was about the dowry.

Fifty-five-year old Hussien Jaabar, who operates a cafe on the mosque grounds, said that he believes the persons involved probably lack religious knowledge and common sense.

“To me the people involved seem like they lack religious grounding. What happened (with the dowry) was not unusual, but because they know that this is mosque grounds, they should be more circumspect as they can talk it out.

“As it were, they can pay the rest (of the dowry) at a later time and this can be discussed by both parties,” said Hussien.

While he conceded that the groom’s failure to bring the full amount may be seen by some as an insult, it was not the proper way to handle it as they must think of the couple who are supposed to tie the knot.

“But this is all fated, maybe there is a lesson in this which we cannot yet see,” added Hussien.

Attempts to contact the groom and his family over the matter were unsuccessful, the only reply given at the number believed to be their contact was “wrong number”.

However, it is understood that both the groom’s and the bride’s parties have lodged separate police reports over the matter at the Pantai Police Station. Brickfields police chief Assistant Commissioner Shahrul Othman Mansur has confirmed the receipt of the police reports.

Malaysiakini understood that the scheduled wedding celebration on the bride’s side went ahead at the Kampung Limau Public Housing Project as a thanksgiving feast. -Mkini