Acts of religious provocation must end, ex-mufti tells leaders

Former Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin urges DAP and Muslim rights groups to tone down their statements so as not to offend others. – The Malaysian Insider pic, June 30, 2014.

Acts of provocation against other religions are unacceptable and should be stopped, former Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said as he called on all Malaysian leaders, regardless of faith, to unite in condemning such acts and ending them.

“We have to stop; we cannot play with fire. This act is wrong, whether the government did it, or the DAP did it, or ordinary people did it,” he told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the dumping of a cow’s severed head at the doorstep of a DAP assemblyman’s home in Penang on Saturday.

“Regardless of who the culprit is, it is definitely against Islam. But at the same time, we cannot accuse the government of being behind it, as anyone could have done it. In politics, anything is possible.”

The renowned Islamic scholar said such finger-pointing was useless, and what the country needed was for all leaders to unite in condemning such actions.

“All leaders, especially during the fasting month, must find a peaceful solution,” he said.

“Both the government and the opposition must think about long-term politics that would bring benefit to the country.”

He also said that Malaysian leaders must educate the public that such provocation was unacceptable.

He said the Quran was clear on such acts, and cited chapter Al An’am, verse 108, which stated that Muslims must not insult those who worship other deities besides Allah.

Asri also urged the DAP as well as Malay rights groups to tone down their statements which might offend some quarters and trigger further provocation.

“Constructive criticism is very welcome in our society. But provocation that could lead to chaos and tension should be avoided.”

On Saturday morning, a severed cow’s head was dumped outside Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer’s house in Penang in the wake of the controversial “Umno celaka” remarks he had uttered at the state leglislative assembly last month.

Although MCA, MIC and Gerakan have condemned the incident, Umno vice-president and Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was the price Rayer had to pay for having a “big mouth”.

However, Rayer did not link the incident to his comments at the assembly.

Rayer's “Umno celaka” remark resulted in a group of Umno Youth members demanding an apology and called for action to be taken against him.

Rayer was to have been charged with sedition on June 19 over the remark, but the Attorney-General (A-G) ordered at the last minute for his case to be deferred.

Yesterday’s incident is not the first time a cow’s head had been used in protest against Hindus.

In 2009, a group of residents from Shah Alam brought a cow's head to the Selangor state secretariat building in protest against the state government's decision to relocate a 150-year-old Hindu temple from Section 19 to Section 23.

One person was subsequently sentenced to a week’s jail and fined RM3,000 over the incident while about 10 others who were with him were fined RM1,000 each for illegal assembly.

- TMI