PKR Youth has defended Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek over a viral video where she appeared to reject the use of the word kafir (infidel) while speaking at an event.
Its education bureau said the PKR Women chief strongly adheres to Islamic principles as her father is a scholar and religious figure in the country.
“Since becoming education minister in 2022, she has implemented various initiatives to dignify and empower the teaching of Islam, which begins in schools,” it said in a statement today.
Yesterday, in her apology over the matter, Fadhlina (above) said the issue was a misunderstanding and video clips of her speech at the closed event were deliberately taken out of context.
In one of the edited videos, the minister was heard narrating a “personal nightmare” involving one of her six children who learnt to refer to non-Muslims as kafir while at school.
Specifically, the Pakatan Harapan lawmaker said she forbade the use of the word in her home. However, it was taught in a classroom setting with a negative connotation that a Muslim who works under a non-Muslim will not live a “blessed” life.
Efforts to empower Islam
PKR Youth’s education bureau listed examples of Fadhlina’s efforts to empower Islam in schools.
They include teaching the “Imam Al-Nawawi 40 Hadith” module to Muslim students in public schools and observing the Palestine Solidarity Week in schools.
The Education Ministry collected RM11.5 million during the Palestine Solidarity Week, which was channelled to Palestinians as a symbol of support and solidarity, the education bureau said.
“Although Fadhlina is often criticised and defamed by certain parties, she continues to be committed to carrying out her responsibilities as education minister.
“She successfully implemented policies the opposition failed to do when it was in the government,” it added.
It reaffirmed Fadhlina’s stance that the situation was taken out of context, adding that facts were distorted to cause defamation.
On Saturday, Fadhlina’s aide lodged a police report citing safety concerns following a surge in online attacks against the minister.
The Nibong Tebal MP shared a copy of the police report lodged in Kuching, Sarawak, on her Facebook, saying that evidence is being gathered and legal action will be taken.
According to the police report, Fadhlina’s political secretary Atiqah Syairah Shaharuddin said she received several photographs of the minister edited with the text: “…perkataan kafir pun saya haramkan di rumah. Saya tak ajar anak saya sebut kafir - anak Sidek.“ (The word infidel is banned from my home. I never taught my children to say it.)
Atiqah said the photographs were widely shared online, generating negative comments that sparked concerns for Fadhlina’s safety as it involved issues surrounding race, religion and royalty.
Better to use ‘muwatinun’
Fadhlina’s critics, including Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, took to social media and questioned her belief in the Quran and whether she chose to reject all verses that referred to non-Muslims as kafir.
They also accused her of compromising her faith in the interest of maintaining relations with non-Muslims, particularly for political gains.
In response, she clarified that she was not prohibiting words used in the Quran, but introducing the choice of appropriate words to use in daily life.
She said the word muwatinun (citizen) was a more appropriate term to refer to non-Muslim Malaysians. - Mkini
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