Persatuan Ulama Malaysia's (PUM) attempt to use the law to make differences of opinion in Islam a crime is a dangerous effort to monopolise the meaning and content of the religion and will affect all Malaysians, civil society groups said today.

National Human Rights Society (Hakam) chairperson Raja Aziz Addruse, who spoke on behalf of the groups, said PUM's recent attack on six writers who supposedly "disparaged" Islam has far reaching consequences for all spheres of Malaysian public life.

"In a situation where Islam has become such a pervasive force, it is inherently contradictory to suggest that only those with certain credentials and subscribing to one view have the legitimate right to speak on Islam," said Raja Aziz .

He was speaking at a press conference held at Hakam's office in Kuala Lumpur which was attended by several women's groups and individuals, including social academic Dr Chandra Muzaffar

"For Islam to be relevant and better understood by Malaysians, all must participate in defining what Islam means to us as citizens in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society," he added.

Freedom of expression

A joint statement on the right to freedom of expression endorsed by 52 Malaysian non-governmental organisations and prominent individuals was issued at today's press conference

Human Rights Commission chairperson Musa Hitam; Khairy Jamaluddin, special assistant to deputy premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi; Param Coomaraswamy, United Nations special rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers; DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang; and PRM vice-president R Sivarasa are among the individuals who endorsed the one-page statement.

Earlier this month, PUM and seven other Islamic organisations submitted a letter to the Council of Malay Rulers claiming that Sisters in Islam executive director Zainah Anwar, malaysiakini and New Straits Times columnist Dr Farish A Noor, The Sun columnist Akbar Ali, academic Kassim Ahmad, lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and University Malaya lecturer Dr Patricia Martinez had "disparaged" Islam in their writings.

The civil society groups and individuals said in their statement today that all citizens, Muslims and non-Muslim alike, had the right to engage in a dialogue on issues of national importance that affected their lives, be it a religious, economic, political, education, cultural or social issue.

"Within the framework of a democratic society, we call for an open, responsible, rational and respectful dialogue on Islam and its impact on our lives, both private and public," the group said.

Dr Chandra, who is former Keadilan deputy president, said the group is united to defend the basic principles of human rights.

Above party politics

Asked if the matter was politically motivated, Dr Chandra said that the issue transcended party politics as "human rights are not confined to any political party".

"Whether the matter is politically motivated or not is not our concern," he said.

He also said that those who endorsed the statement are well-known scholars who studied and researched deeply into Islamic jurisprudence such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's professor Dr Osman Bakar and International Islamic University professors Dr Shad Faruq and Dr Muhammad Hashim Kamali.

"Freedom of expression is important in Islam. By endorsing this statement, we state that this is a principle that should be translated into reality," he said, adding that inter-religious exchanges and discussions could strengthen unity in a multi-racial society.

Suaram executive director Cynthia Gabriel said that the punitive recourse proposed by PUM over the six writers was a matter of concern for all.

She said the proposal appears to have the intention of creating fear and to exclude certain groups from debate on matters affecting society.

"We hope PUM will be able to rise to the challenge of differences of opinions and uphold the basic principles of freedom of expression," she added.

Ivy Josiah, who spoke on behalf of women NGOs, said that the matter concerned was not only a human rights issue but a Malaysian and women's issue as well.

"We are very good in recognising institutions, traditions and culture that want to impose only one way at looking at the world. We are aware that religions have given rights to women yet women is the first group to be affected by these matters," she said.

However, Josiah said the joint statement was not merely targeted at PUM alone but a challenge to all civil societies groups in the country.