AZMIN: RESPECT FATWA ON SIS

(The Sun Daily) - The move to gazette a fatwa made by the Selangor e-fatwa to declare Sisters in Islam (SIS), a Muslim women’s rights group, as deviating from Islam as they subscribe to “religious liberalism and pluralism” should be respected, said Selangor Mentri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali(pix).

“The decision has been made and I think it should be respected,” he said when met during University Putra Malaysia’s 38th convocation ceremony here today.

However, he declined to answer any further questions on the matter when probed.

The issue came to light yesterday when SIS said they had filed for a judicial review on a related fatwa saying that it does not explain what the terms “liberalism” and “pluralism” mean and what constitutes going against the “teachings of Islam and hukum Syarak”

SIS also claimed that they were not notified about the fatwa and came to know about it by chance while surfing JAKIM’s e-fatwa website recently.

The fatwa was gazetted on July 31 this year, under Section 111 of the Islamic Administration Enactment (Selangor) 2003.

The fatwa allows for any publication deemed “liberal and plural” to be banned and seized. In addition it calls for any form of social media that goes against the “ajaran Islam dan hukum Syarak” to be blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

“We view with grave concern the allegations made against us and question the basis for this fatwa,” the statement read.