The media will no longer be allowed to publish articles penned by freelance writers concerning the principles of Islam or Prophet Muhammad, said the Religious Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr Abdul Hamid Othman.

According to him, Islam forbids these matters from being discussed in public but he did not specify whether the new ruling applied only to the mainstream media or others as well.

Their writings, he said, have become a subject of concern and have also caused confusion among Muslims.

Abdul Hamid cited one particular article which claimed that the Prophet had relations with nine women as an example.

Such statement can lead to misinterpretation and confusion, he was quoted as saying in a Berita Harian report today.

They also write that Prophet Muhammad was an ordinary person. Its true that he was an ordinary person but he is not like us. He is sinless, added Abdul Hamid.

However, he said these writers are permitted to write about other aspects of the religion.

They can still write on how the zakat (tithe) can be collected effectively or on how to improve the education system, he explained.

Disparaging Islam

Several freelance writers landed in a controversy following a report lodged against them by the Muslim Scholars Association of Malaysia (PUM) with the National Fatwa Council in February.

PUM claimed the writers — 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 Universiti Malaya lecturer Dr Patricia Martinez — had disparaged Islam in their works.

The religious body later submitted a memorandum to the Conference of Rulers urging them to take action against these writers.

The matter was then referred to the National Islamic Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The committee held a meeting on April 8 regarding the matter but has yet to decide whether to call up the concerned writers.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said that the committee needed to study the documents submitted by PUM as well as the writers response to the allegation which have appeared in the media.