KUALA LUMPUR: Any individual or NGO that has been defamed by the Malaysian Islamic Strategic Research Institute (Iksim) should consider lodging a police report or even suing it for defamation, said G25’s Noor Farida Ariffin.
She said civil society groups needed to come together to devise strategies to counter such existential threats.
She stated that Iksim had singled out Amanah, G25, Sisters in Islam (SIS) and Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) as liberals.
“I would recommend that any NGO or any individual defamed by Iksim or by Jakim (Malaysian Islamic Development Department) to lodge police reports or even take legal action.
“If they (Iksim) can lodge a police report against Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi, similarly I am in a very good position to make a police report against them and sue them for defamation.
“Many lawyers will only be too happy to take up the case,” she said in her keynote speech at the 6th Civil Rights Award Ceremony and dinner at the KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night.
The police report in question was lodged by Iksim against Shad Saleem, as well as The Star and Sin Chew Daily.
Iksim had claimed that all three had published a defamatory article meant to incite hatred among Malaysians against Iksim.
Iksim’s chief executive officer Mahamad Naser Disa had said the article, titled “Religious radicalism on the rise”, had stated that Iksim was anti-pluralism.
Iksim is said to be chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom.
Farida also stated in her speech that there were those who did not believe in Islamic discourse and intellectual discourse.
“You must just accept their interpretation of what Islam is — their narrow and despotic interpretation.
“Such people are a threat not just to non-Muslims, but Muslims as well.
“To them Islam should be like Hotel California; you can go in but you cannot come out.
“So what these people are doing is tarnishing the image of Islam, and creating so much fear and worry about Islam,” she said.
Civil Rights Award winners and nominees after the award presentation here at the KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall tonight.
Amanah MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa had previously cried foul over character assassination by Iksim, claiming that it had labelled him, and several others, as proponents of liberalism, pluralism and the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.
The inclusion was made in one of the programmes under the institute.
Iksim had stated that secularism, liberalism and cultural diversity are elements that will undermine the Islamic agenda and destroy the country’s sovereignty.
Iksim was established on Dec 9, 2014 after consent from the Conference of Rulers, with the objective of upholding Islam as the country’s official religion.
According to its official website, Iksim was established to fulfil the wishes of the country’s Muslim community to defend the Malay Rulers and uphold Islam as the official religion of the federation.
The formation of Iksim was endorsed by the National Council for Islamic Affairs (MKI), Jakim, the Federal Territory Islamic Council (Jawi) and various state religious councils.
The awards ceremony last night saw Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Kelantan (JKOAK), independent publisher Chong Ton Sin and Delineation Action Research Team (Dart & Beyond) winning RM5,000 each.
The aim of the awards is to recognise the work and contributions of any organisation or any individual towards building Malaysia as a progressive and democratic country. -FMT
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