Former deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah has slammed the goverment for using the excuse of "defending Islam" to let Perkasa off the hook for its Bible-burning call last year.

"The government should not come up with this kind of argument, that is, on the way to defend Islam, because it may lead to a misconception of Islam.

"The fact that Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution states that 'Islam is the religion of the Federation', does not mean that in defending Islam, one can make such statements against other religions.

"This is because the same article guarantees that 'other religions may be practised in peace and harmony',” Saifuddin said in a statement today.

Saifuddin, who is the chief executive officer of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF), was responding to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri's parliamentary reply yesterday on the government's inaction against Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali.

She said the government will not act against his call last January to burn the Malay language Bible containing the word 'Allah' because he was merely "defending Islam".

Not reflecting true Islamic way

Saifuddin said the minister's excuse of "defending Islam" clearly does not reflect Islamic teachings.

Quoting verses from the Quran on the practices of "true Muslims", he reminded Nancy that, among others, there should not be "compulsion" in Islam and that one should not "insult those they invoke other than Allah".

"The Prophet, in his relations with the Christians, guarantees that their Church and religious affairs would not be intruded," he added.

"Based on the above-mentioned verses of the Quran and the tradition of the Prophet, it is clear that the minister’s argument does not reflect the true teachings of Islam and cannot be used to justify such a statement from Ibrahim," said Saifuddin, a former Umno supreme council member.

Instead of creating acrimony among religions, he said, the government should be "promoting inter-religious harmony, for example, through dialogue".

Such dialogue, he added, should be done "in a good manner as proposed in the Quran".

"I can understand some Muslims are offended or hurt by statements made by certain groups. But again, in defending Islam, Muslims shall respond accordingly, as expressed in the Quran," Saifuddin reminded.

This, he said, was that one should behave justly and "not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just".

Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran described Nancy’s parliamentary reply as “most shocking”, as now Malaysians are not only angry over the double standards applied by the authorities but also the ridiculous excuse used to practice it.

“How could police inaction against Ibrahim be explained or justified with ‘he was merely defending Islam’,” he asked.

“This is a most dangerous statement as in future; more provocative statements and actions by extremist groups will be made with such an excuse,” he warned.

He also inquired why Penang assemblyperson RSN Rayer was charged with sedition for allegedly making a derogatory remarks on the ruling political party, as the assemblyperson only responded to a protest by some Umno leaders.

Kulasegaran said Nancy’s answer has only further confirmed what Malaysians already know - that the government practices double standards in using the draconian Sedition Act.

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