Asri urges Muslims to ‘rally for survival’

PETALING JAYA: After openly calling for a crackdown on illegal places of worship in the wake of violent protests over the relocation plans of a Hindu temple in Selangor, Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today urged Muslims to unite.

Saying the temple protests in the last two days were proof that “good gestures are not always appreciated”, Asri called on Malay groups planning to hold a rally next month to oppose Malaysia’s joining of a global anti-discrimination treaty, to instead hold a rally for “Muslim survival”.

“In today’s climate, the ummah (Muslim community) needs a meeting and a direction to discuss on the appropriate future steps. Forget the differences among us.

“Let’s unite for the future of the community,” he wrote on Facebook.

The rally Asri referred to is called by Umno, PAS and several Malay groups who have opposed the government’s plan to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, or ICERD. Organisers have since said the rally would go ahead on Dec 8, with the aim of giving thanks for the government’s decision not to ratify ICERD.

Asri’s comments today come as government and opposition leaders urged for calm following violent protests over a planned relocation of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.

The temple had been slated for relocation on Nov 22 as part of an agreement involving One City, the Selangor state government and two claimants to the temple management, K Chellapa and M Nagaraju.

However, a rival faction of the temple led by Nagaraju insisted that the temple should remain at its present location instead of being relocated some 3km away.

Yesterday, Asri urged authorities to come down hard on illegal places of worship, saying they were a nuisance to the public.

He said the previous government had allowed illegal religious structures due to a fear of losing votes in the elections.

“So protective was the past government of its vote bank that it allowed too many places of worship to flout rules and to be built illegally,” said Asri, who has in the past publicly clashed with Hindu group Hindraf over issues of religious rights. -FMT