‘Peeping Toms’ forbidden in Islam, says head of think tank

 

Last week, the Terengganu shariah high court ordered that Affendi Awang be caned four times and fined RM3,000 for “khalwat” with a woman in her 30s. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The director of an Islamic think tank said spying on people engaging in sinful activities is forbidden in the Quran, after a construction worker became the first person in Terengganu to be sentenced to be caned for khalwat.

Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa said several verses in the Quran forbid spying on one another, while it was also reported that Prophet Muhammad had said not to “go out and search for the fault of others”.

Farouk also recalled the stance taken by Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the religious minister in the Pakatan Harapan government in 2018. Mujahid was very clear that what Muslims did behind closed doors was none of the government’s business, he said.

Farouk added that such a take was in line with Mujahid’s philosophy of “rahmatan lil ālamin”, or Islam-is-compassionate-for-all.

“But sadly, it’s business as usual with midnight raids and what not. There are no more boundaries (separating) personal sins committed behind closed doors from any criminal offence,” he told FMT.

Last Monday the Terengganu shariah high court ordered that Affendi Awang be caned four times and fined RM3,000 under a state enactment which came into force on Jan 1.

The sentence was meted out after Affendi pleaded guilty to being with a woman in her 30s who is not “mahram” (a family member), between 1.10am and 2.15am on Jan 25, at a site that was undergoing renovation in the Kemaman district.

The case led to former law minister Zaid Ibrahim calling for a more “precise definition” of the ingredients which must be proven to establish a case of khalwat.

Commenting on Zaid’s statement, Farouk said the problem arises due to the broad terminology used in the Federal Constitution to define the jurisdiction of states when it comes to enacting shariah laws.

The State List empowers each state legislative assembly to create and punish offences against the precepts of Islam by persons professing the religion.

That definition would encompass khalwat laws, Farouk said.

“And no matter how un-Islamic it is, the conservative religious authorities seem hyped up on adrenaline every time there is such an issue.” - FMT