Catholic lawyers today rejected the attorney-general's reasons for closing the case on the al-Islam journalists, saying that ignorance is not a defense.

abdul gani patail Attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail (left ) had issued a press statement late last evening saying that he decided to not pursue the case because it was an act of ignorance, and no offence was intended.

The statement was issued immediately after Archbishop Murphy Pakiam called a press conference to appeal that the AG give reasons for the ‘no further action' (NFA) decision.

The NFA was revealed in a Feb 12 letter sent by the Dang Wangi district police headquarters to complainant, K Sudhagaran Stanley, who lodged a police report against the journalists.

The journalists had entered two churches in Kuala Lumpur to investigate allegations of proselytisation of Malays, but found no evidence of such.

In the process, the duo had received Holy Communion, spat out the wafer and photographed it.

The photographed accompanied their story in the May 2009 edition of the monthly magazine, which is published by Utusan Karya Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Utusan Melayu Berhad.

According to the Catholic Lawyers' Society Kuala Lumpur president Mabel Sabastian, the attorney-general had oversimplified the matter by stating that the journalists had no intention to offend anyone.

"By failing to take action the AG has down played the significance and importance placed on this sacred specie by the Catholic community," she said.

‘ Journalists knew what they were doing'

She added that by not allowing the matter to be decided in court, Abdul Gani had overlooked the fact that the laws are put in place "as a deterrent to all from committing such like or similar incidents in the near future".

Mabel also lambasted the journalists for not recognising the boundaries of their profession, and for feigning ignorance of the significance of Holy Communion.

"Investigative journalism does not give (the journalists) carte-blanc to do as they wish... (They) ought to have known full well the significance in of the Holy Communion as they participated in a Bahasa Malaysia mass, in which the description of the white bread as the Body of Christ is repeated many times," she said.

K Sudhagaran Stanley the coordinator of Penang-based Islanders Tamil Youth Network The two journalists were investigated under Section 298A(1) of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion.

Despite Pakiam's disapproval, Sudhagaran ( right ) is rallying the Catholic community and other supporting NGOs to demonstrate in front of the AG's office on March 25.

They will also hand over a memorandum to the AG expressing their dissatisfaction.