Only those who are well-read in the Quran and Hadis should write about Islam, otherwise it will be similar to a non-economist writing about economy, said PAS deputy president Abdul Hadi Awang today.

"People who do not know about Islam should not be writing on the subject matter," he said in an interview with malaysiakini in Terengganu.

"Or else, it is like asking a non-economist to write about economy. This is unacceptable," he added.

Abdul Hadi, who is also Terengganu Menteri Besar, was commenting on the recent call by the Muslim Scholars Association of Malaysia (PUM) urging the Conference of Rulers to act against individuals alleged to have insulted and abused Islam and Prophet Muhammad in their writings.

PUM had said it was necessary to defend the universal values of Islam from being criticised by those not knowledgeable about the religion.

Monkeys and flowers

Abdul Hadi, when reminded that most of the writers taken to task by PUM happen to be Muslims, cited a Malay adage, Menyerah bunga kepada kera (Giving flowers to a monkey).

"...Monkeys do not know the use of flowers, just like those who do not read the Quran or do not command a good knowledge of it, how can they write about Islam?" he asked.

He added the arguments presented by those writers in their articles not only deviated from Islamic teachings but also led to the decline of the image of Islam in the eyes of the public.

Abdul Hadi, who holds a master's degree in Islamic studies from the Al-Azhar University in Egypt, also expressed disappointment with the government for not doing much about these writers.

Unfair situation

Asked what is the yardstick to determine whether a person is qualified to write about Islam, he replied, "We can tell by looking at where he studied, what he studied, and how he studied."

"Those who can write about Islam are people knowledgeable of the subject, such as ulama (Muslim scholars) who have studied Islam," he added.

The opposition leader said while it is accepted by the public that people who do not read the Bible should not write about Christianity, writers who do not read the Quran properly are often allowed to express their views about Islam.

"This is unfair," he lamented.

Last month, PUM. lodged a report with the National Fatwa Council against writer Dr Farish A Noor and The Edge business weekly.

PUM claimed Farish had belittled the prophet and the ulama in an interview published by the business weekly.

Following this, PUM lodged another report with the Council of Rulers against Farish, The Sun columnist Akbar Ali, University Malaya lecturer Dr Patricia Martinez, lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Sisters in Islam executive director and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner Zainah Anwar for their alleged controversial remarks regarding the religion.