PAS leader backs Jais, warns of 'love threat'
A PAS leader has defended the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department’s (Jais) intervention at a Hindu wedding ceremony at a temple in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, after discovering that the bride was a Muslim.
Sounding the alarm, party central committee member Ridhuan Mohd Nor (left) warned of how love and weddings have become tools to undermine the Muslim faith.
A PAS leader has defended the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department’s (Jais) intervention at a Hindu wedding ceremony at a temple in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, after discovering that the bride was a Muslim.
Sounding the alarm, party central committee member Ridhuan Mohd Nor warned of how love and weddings have become tools to undermine the Muslim faith.
Ridhuan ( right ) said Jais had merely rescued the bride who blinded by love, could not see that she was plunging into a "valley of severe destruction."
He added that the union between a Muslim and a non-Muslim was a major sin, an invalid act and can never be allowed to happen.
"This is a serious test case of society's faltering faith and morality. Ignorance is the main factor why a woman is willing to forego her religion to celebrate ‘true love’ with her partner.
"Faith and testimony of a Muslim cannot be bought and sold through marriage and love affairs. Is it such a trivial matter that it can be put aside for the sake of longings and human needs alone?" he asked in a press statement.
Ridhuan argued that even though PAS was not involved, it had to issue a response as the action had drawn a slew of responses, with some condemning Jais for not respecting the rights of those who profess other faiths.
Yesterday, Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) urged parliamentarians to amend the laws to stop "overzealous" Jais officials from overstepping their boundaries.
Passion leads to sin
For Muslims, Ridhuan said Jais' action was warranted because it helped save a Muslim from crossing over the lines of Islam.
Yesterday, Sinar Harian reported Jais sources saying that it used a 1988 law, to prevent Muslims converting out of the faith, to justify its actions for taking the bride away on her wedding day to its Shah Alam HQ for questioning.
It was later revealed that the 32-year old bride had grown up with Hinduism, even though her identity card marked her and her siblings as Muslims.
Her father, who had allegedly abandoned her since young, had registered her as a Muslim and she has tried to correct her MyKad twice since 2007 without success.
However, Ridhuan blamed passion for leading the Muslim bride into sin.
Not only Jais, he said, but all state Islamic affairs department, families and society have a duty to ensure that individual Muslims don't fall victim to "wayward love affairs."
"We need to do a new study and survey to identify how far such affairs can become a threat to draw Muslims away and wither their faith.
"We worry that love affairs and marriage can be the potent weapon that loosens the faith of a Muslim," he added.
Jais deputy director-general Ahmad Zaki Arshad ( left ) meanwhile was reported as saying by Sinar Harian that they were only doing procedural investigations, following complaints from the public.
They took a statement from the bride to ascertain her religious status.
He urged the public not to jump to conclusion as Jais was still investigating the matter.
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