‘I am #26’ online petition gathers momentum

The online petition supports "the stand taken by the Group of 25, by standing together as #26".

“I am #26″ , an online petition, is gathering momentum in support of the Group of 25 Eminent Malays whose recent Open Letter on moderation, i.e. an end to extremism and intelligent discourse on Islam, has gone viral and drawn bouquets and brickbats alike from admirers and critics. By mid-noon, the petition was well on its way to the 2,000 mark.

The online petition, directed at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, supports “the stand taken by the Group of 25, by standing together as #26″. The petition was started by a L. Khairuddin in Kuala Lumpur.

The petition, in English and Malay, going over the points in the Open Letter, urged Najib to display firm “personal leadership to send a clear signal that rational and informed debate on Islamic laws” and their application “are not regarded an insult to Islam or to the religious authorities”.

The petition calls on Najib to assert his personal leadership as well as appoint key leaders who will, in all fairness, champion open and coherent debate and discourse on the administration of Islamic laws in this country to ensure that justice is done.

The Petition also calls for the Review of the Syariah Criminal Offences (SCO) laws of Malaysia; increased awareness of elected members of parliament and the public on the legal jurisdiction and substantive limits of the powers of the religious authorities and administration of Islamic laws in Malaysia.

It wants meaningful consultation from the civil society on ways Islam was used as a source of public law and policy in this country; and the promotion of awareness of the rich diversity of interpretive texts and juristic opinions in the Islamic tradition.

It took a stand on personal morality, saying that it should not be legislated and come under the oversight of the state, stressed that the dual legal system in practice has led to much conflict, and called for a review of the Syariah laws in the country.

“Sins are sins, between the iman (faith) of any Muslim with God. They should not be viewed as crimes as it distorts the public image of Islam,” the petition read.

Legislators, the petition reiterated, should be more aware on the legal jurisdiction and limits of religious authorities.

It added that fatwas (Islamic decrees) were bound by constitutional limits and open to judicial review, and civil society should be allowed to discuss Islam openly as the religion was a source of public law and policy in Malaysia.

Many of those who signed added their personal comments.

Noor Farida Ariffin, the former Ambassador to the Netherlands who led the Group 25 to sign the Open Letter, warned that Malaysia was at risk of degenerating into another Pakistan, a failed state, or Afghanistan where the Taliban was waging war to wrest political power through the sheer force of arms after having been ousted by an international coalition led by Washington.

She called the Open Letter as the beginning, the genesis of a movement of moderates.