Opposition leaders reacted with outrage at news of the arrest of a Muslim woman for purportedly insulting Islam after You Tube clip showed her washing her dog in a manner that mimicked Muslim ablutions with the Eid prayers and a Hari Raya song in the background.
"This is outrageous. BN and Umno are responsible for stoking this ill-feeling and tension. Maznah has been denied her access to lawyers and I am still waiting to see when they will release her. This hysteria has to stop," Latheefa Koya, Head of Legal and Human Rights Bureau at Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
Latheefa was referring to the media lynching led by Umno newspaper Utusan and the strident promises by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to take swift action against those who "insulted Islam".
Muhyiddin had also warned that there would be "tensions" in the country if Islam was insulted, prompting another storm of protest from non-Muslims, who demanded if the DPM was suggesting that other religions could be insulted with impunity.
I love my religion
The Muslim woman in the tape is 38-year-old dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof, who has denied any intention to insult Islam. The tape, which was made 3 years ago was re-posted on Tuesday. It has since been taken down.
"I love my religion. I think these people should learn about their religion first, and not misinterpret my video, which was made three years ago," Malaysiakini reported Maznah as saying.
"As a religious leader, doesn't he know about Islamic laws? As far as I am concerned, my religion does not forbid me from keeping dogs or caring for them," she added, referring to the cleric in her neighborhood mosque who had condemned the clip.
Alvivi, Maznah - pawns trapped in Umno's religious and racial politicking?
Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Syed Ismail Syed Azizan confirmed Maznah's arrest.
"This video was made three years ago, why make an issue about it now? I believe this is related to the case of bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee... because initially, those who viewed the video mistook me for a Chinese," said Maznah.
She was referring to bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee who created an uproar with their Ramadan greeting on Facebook that showed them having bak-kut-teh ( a herbal soup made usually with pork but can be vegetarian or even halal (kosher) if made with suitable meats).
The bloggers were unfairly jailed and forced to stay more than a week prison. They were also slapped with 3 types of charges including the draconian Sedition Act.
To many Malaysians, it appears Alvivi and now Maznah are being used by unscrupulous politicians wanting to stir up Islamic righteousness to portray a holier-than-thou image and win political favor from their party members and supporters.
MORE TO COME
Malaysia Chronicle
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