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Malaysian Muslim Scholars Slam Local Media for "Insulting Islam"
By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South Asia correspondent
JAKARTA,
March 22 (IslamOnline) - The Malaysian Muslim Scholars Association
(PUM) slammed Friday ‘Western-oriented’ mass media and
individuals for insulting Islamic institutions and misrepresenting
Islam.
The
association condemned the current trend in the local press of
insulting Islam and its teachings in the West and in secular Islamic
countries. It also criticized the press for its treatment of the
Ulama (Islamic scholars).
“The
differences of opinion among the Ulama have often been made as an
excuse by the media and Western oriented writers to insult the fatwa
institution, Ulama and sacred Islamic texts,” said the group in a
press statement.
In
the recent past, the local press in Malaysia has been on the attack
against Muslim scholars, publishing letters from readers and
observers who ridicule Islamic scholars.
Several
of those writers were women who, though professing to Islam, were in
disagreement with the Ulama on several issues.
The
PUM scholars, who are fighting for a better representation of the
Ulama in the press, said they were of the opinion that struggles
based on Islamic principles are mandatory for all Muslims.
“It
is something good and perfect, something for which one receives
heavenly blessing and reward from Allah,” they said.
They
also urged political organizations to refrain from using their
debates as opportunity to smear Islamic teachings and the Ulama
institution “simply for narrow and temporary party interests”.
Malaysian
politics is divided between what is called secular and
fundamentalist Muslims. The opposition Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS)
proposes Islam as the constitution of Malaysia, a multi-racial
society with 65 percent Muslims.
On
the other hand, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the
largest Muslim based party in the country which is leading the
coalition government in power, rejects any extreme views about
Islam.
Both
parties have support from different groups of Ulama, which tends to
create a rather disorderly situation, confusing the masses on which
Ulama are right and which are wrong.
The
PUM called on the relevant authorities such as the Rulers’
Conference to defend the sacredness and integrity of Islam, and to
use their mandated powers to stop the offensive media.
The
group also asked mainstream and private media to play its role in
defending Islam against attacks by Western media that depicts Islam
as ancient, violent, anti-civilization, anti-development and
anti-democracy.
It
further asked the non-Muslim communities in Malaysia to respect
Islam and understand issues relating to Islam based on the religion
itself than on their own interpretations and beliefs.
PUM
said it was willing to work with all other Islamic non-governmental
organizations to formulate and standardize ideas on the Islamic
faith while increasing links with other Islamic organizations
internationally.
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