POLICE have arrested an associate of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik after several reports were lodged against him for allegedly insulting Hindu gods.
Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu, 35, was detained by Kangar police serious crimes unit (D9) last night.
Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohd confirmed the arrest, but declined to give more details.
Zamri is being investigated under the Section 298A of the Penal Code as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for disrupting harmony and transmitting offensive communications.
It is learnt he was previously investigated for three crimes, with two of them being serious offences.
He was detained under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape and 408 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust.
It was reported yesterday that 13 police reports were lodged to urge the authorities to take action against Zamri.
Zamri was pictured together with Zakir – who is also wanted by Indian authorities – on many occasions including at several religious events in Perlis. – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
Muslims attend church service in show of solidarity with Easter bombing victims
THEY were advised that “maybe it is not a good idea” to visit a church this weekend, one week after the Easter massacre in Sri Lanka, but that did not stop a Muslim group from visiting the St Joseph’s Church in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur this morning.
Global Unity Network, a Muslim group comprising professionals and students, attended the Sunday service followed by a dialogue with the parish priest, Reverend George Packiasamy.
Group president Shah Kirit Kakulal Govindji told The Malaysian Insight that he was touched when he heard the message from the pulpit about forgiveness, which included forgiving the perpetrators of the Sri Lanka bombings.
He said the group, which numbered about 30 today, had visited the church to show solidarity with Catholics after last week’s tragedy.
It was also to educate its Muslim members how people of other faiths worshipped and what they believed in, adding that it was good to be aware of the many similarities between faiths.
“A lot of our problems come about because of prejudice and presumption. But the best way (to tackle the issue) is to learn, not assume,” said Shah Kirit.
“Muslims frequently ask members of other faiths to understand them. But understanding must go both ways.”
The culprits of the Easter suicide bombings in Sri Lanka, which claimed more than 250 lives and injured 500 others, were believed to be Muslim extremists. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attacks on three churches and four hotels.
Most of the victims were said to be Catholics attending Easter Mass at three churches.
Churches in Kuala Lumpur were told to be on alert and to cooperate with the police ahead of this weekend’s mass services.
Advisories to step up security were issued as Malaysian church leaders sought to address unease among Christians, with circulars sent out to several ecclesial communities in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, notifying churchgoers of precautionary measures they should take.
St Joseph’s parish priest George said he welcomed efforts at inter-religious relations and reconciliation, and noted that this was not the first time his parish had been visited by groups of other faiths.
Yesterday, he met 40 students from the International Islamic University for two hours, and had spoke to them about the church’s functions and its ministries.
The Sentul parish has close to 7,000 parishioners. – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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