Former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has proposed that a syariah panel be set-up by inviting religious scholars who are open and flexible, to ensure any Islamic fashion show follows the proper religious requirements.

NONE Asri ( left ) also warned that the country's leaders will be affected if their wives try to be at the forefront of such initiatives without thinking of the repercussions of their actions.

“Such actions would certainly tarnish Malaysia's image, a country which is majority Muslim,” he said.

The progressive Perlis ex-mufti was commenting on the Islamic fashion festival in Monte Carlo to which Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor was patron, that had PAS Youth up in arms for allegedly humiliating the religion.

Asri, who is presently in Doha, Qatar, said that based on what he had seen from the photographs, the show is degrading to Islam and is not Islamic.

“The organisers were wrong to think the clothing represented Islamic design and fashion, especially in the questionable characters shown in one of the fashion (designs). This shows they simply do not understand the ethics or the syariah laws.”

NONE “The fashion show can give a wrong impression on Islamic wear and represented the minds of the designers may have been distorted. Islam does not prohibit fashion, but the manner it was done clearly shows they do not understand the principles and ethics of Islamic syariah,” he said.

Asri said those responsible for the show should apologise to Muslims and declare that the show was not Islamic.

He said the wives of the leaders involved in this event would send a wrong message about Islam.

Meanwhile, the nationwide protest plotted by PAS Youth did not materialise, taking place only in the state mosques of Penang, Terengganu and Pahang.

In Kuala Lumpur, the planned protest at Kampung Baru mosque was replaced with a scheduled meeting with the Islamic Advancement Department.