Friday sermon warns against joining 901 demo

Those attending Friday prayers in mosques in the Federal Territories today would have been warned against committing a “grave mistake” by attending street demonstrations.

According to the Friday sermon prepared by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), those “in cahoots” with organisers of street demonstrations are “committing a wrong against Muslims and the nation”.

The warning comes days before a planned gathering by supporters of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim at the Kuala Lumpur Court on the day of his sodomy trial verdict on Jan 9.

In a move previously employed ahead of large rallies like Bersih 2.0, the sermon published on the federal agency’s website said such “extreme actions go against the true teaching of Islam”.

“Today, irresponsible quarters are undermining Muslim unity and national peace through lies,cultural pollution and spreading poison through mass media and the cyber world, thus breaking the law.  

“They try to demolish the long held peace using all sorts of tricks including illegal assemblies and street demonstrations,” the sermon read.

It added that these quarters try to “goad the rakyat into discontent and hatred against leaders by chanting slogans which try to portray an uprising.”

These quarters “use masks of justice and transparency” and use “the people as their shield” to advance their personal agenda of showing the world that Malaysia is purportedly unstable.

Citing Islamic history, it stated that the prophet Muhammad too faced “threats from enemies of Islam who are spearheaded by hyprocrites and Jews who try to undermine unity and peace”.

It added that among the tactics used by the prophet's enemies, particularly in the Uhud war, was to hold demonstrations.

The police today granted permission to Anwar’s supporters to assemble at the court complex carpark on Jan 9, while Malay rights pressure group Perkasa are allowed to assemble at the Masjid Wilayah compound down the road.