The Malaysian Muslim Scholars Association (PUM) has been asked to establish in detail the allegations it levelled against several writers and lecturers who were said to have disparaged Islam.

PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said PUM should list down the allegations as the accusation against those writers were very general and serious.

He also queried how many of those who had signed the letter of complaint addressed to the Rulers Conference, had actually gone through the writings concerned.

I am referring especially to the writings of Dr Patricia Martinez. I wonder in her case if judgment is made against an article which had disparaged her and not one she had written herself, he told malaysiakini .

An article entitled Why Malaysia is already a Christian state, purportedly written by Martinez, was circulated on the Internet last month. Martinez, a Universiti Malaya lecturer, denied writing it and lodged a police report against the impostor.

On Tuesday, PUM and several other Islamic organisations submitted a letter to the Keeper of the Royal Seal, attacking Sisters in Islam executive director Zainah Anwar, malaysiakini and New Straits Times columnist Dr Farish A Noor, Martinez, Sun columnist Akbar Ali, Malay intellectual Kassim Ahmad and Martinez.

Open gates to ijtihad

As for statements on religious matters, Syed Husin said one had to be clear whether the statements were just political ones or questioning the principles of Islam.

He said if it was the first, then one must allow the democratic rights of the writers to be expressed, even if one does not agree with the opinion.

Others have the right to attack or support them in return but it must be done in a kind of polemic, said Syed Husin.

It is a different matter if there are those who truly disparage the basic principles of Islam such as questioning whether there is truly one God, or disparage the Prophet Muhammad or God himself, which none of those accused have really done, he added.

He said in Kassims case, all the political analyst and past PRM president did was ask for a return to the Quran.

Kassim did not even completely reject the Hadith, added Syed Husin.

As for Farish challenging the ulama , Syed Husin said currently there are all sorts of people who claim to be ulama but may not be as knowledgeable as they should be.

Its a bit too much to say that you cannot question the ulama . In the course of history, ulama have had differences of opinions but they come to an understanding through healthy discussions and dialogues, he said.

We must not close the gates to ijtihad (discussion), he added.

Establish truth

PAS president Fadzil Noor agreed with Syed Husin that the PUM has to firstly establish if the writings and statements made by those accused were truly against Islam.

If it is true, then we agree that some action should be called for or some kind of monitoring done on the issue. Otherwise, they would result in confusing and destroying the peoples belief in Islam, said the parliamentary opposition leader.

Fadzil said PAS encouraged discussions on Islam but as in any other issue, those who intended to incite, provoke and confuse others should not be encouraged.

Fadzil contended that action should also be taken against politicians who attempted to confuse the public with the teachings of Islam.

Many Umno politicians are guilty of this. We urge PUM to list down all the politicians who are responsible for such acts and recommend action against them, he said.

However, Fadzil said, PUM would have to decide on the authority which will be responsible for carrying out the action.

Fundamental democratic principles

Meanwhile, social reform movement Aliran said PUM and its co-petitioners have every right to object to, criticise or rebut the writings, statements and interpretations, relating to Islam.

However, Aliran said they have no right to resort to any form of action that has the express objective of preventing people from exercising their right to freedom of expression, or of punishing them for exercising their right.

We regard any such pre-emptive, preventive or punitive action as a violation of the fundamental principles and practices of democracy, the Penang-based NGO said.

Aliran also said the people in this country have seen enough of the use of the Sedition Act to restrict, stifle and silence public debate and intellectual endeavour.

We have seen enough of the use of libel suits by corporate figures to punish and intimidate public commentary on economic and corporate developments.

We are also dismayed to note that too many individuals or parties with vested interests have become too fond of charging people who dont agree with their views with insulting, ridiculing, humiliating or inciting particular ethnic groups, religions or offices, Aliran said.

Meanwhile, Martinez said in a statement that the extract attributed to her in the Muslim groups letter of complaint clearly shows she was not criticising Islam.

She said she was making it clear that there is no discrimination in Islam and by pointing out to some who use the religion to differentiate students in national exams, she was on the same side as the ulama in protecting Islam.

She added that she had not said anything different from Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who has often said that Islam does not have any notions of ethnic or national discrimination.