AS EXPECTED, PRO-NAJIB JAKIM TELLS MUSLIMS STREET PROTESTS ARE UN-ISLAMIC & INVITES FOREIGN INTERVENTION AHEAD OF BERSIH RALLY

KUALA LUMPUR― Religious authorities told Muslims today ahead of the Bersih 5 rally tomorrow that staging demonstrations would invite foreign intervention and runs contrary to Islamic laws.

In this week’s Friday sermon prepared for mosques nationwide, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) noted that there has been drastic changes in thinking and actions as time goes on and amid rapid progress.

“Recently, for some people, it seems whatever that causes dissatisfaction can be shown through demonstrations or protests as a way to carry out change and to change a government with something better.

“When actually without us realising it, it will only invite intervention from foreign powers in the administration and laws of the country and also incite chaos and create various issues and speculation that can hurt the country’s image in the eyes of the global community,” it said in its sermon text available online.

In the same sermon, Jakim instead highlighted the Islamic way of changing leaders’ faults through advice, prayers and assisting leaders in virtuous matters.

It cited a hadith or teaching attributed to Prophet Muhammad, which stated that those wishing to advise rulers were told to do it privately instead of openly and would be considered to have discharged their responsibilities, regardless of whether the advice was accepted.

“This method cannot be changed at all with ways that go against Islamic law such as demonstrations, marching, protesting, public meeting, and voicing mass objections to leaders openly in public assemblies,” it said.

The sermon claimed that those who chose to go ahead with demonstrations expose their own weaknesses due to their alleged inability to advise rulers using the correct method.

“Furthermore, street demonstrations will cause much destruction such as damage to public property, causing divisive sentiments, inciting tension and becoming the seeds of disunity of the people,” the sermon said.

The Bersih 5 rally’s organisers, Bersih 2.0, have said the Saturday event will be a peaceful assembly with five demands, namely clean elections, a clean government, strengthening parliamentary democracy, the right to dissent, and the empowering of Sabah and Sarawak.

The anti-Bersih Red Shirts movement led by Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos has pledged to carry out its own rally on the same day.

MALAY MAIL