The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will scrutinise nine recommendations concerning Islamic affairs made by United Nations (UN) member countries at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session in Geneva, Switzerland on Oct 24.

Its director-general Othman Mustapha said Jakim was committed to give the recommendations fair consideration so long they did not contradict the Syariah and the federal constitution.

He said the parameter set by Jakim was in accordance with the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) and Malaysia’s stand on the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

“Among the recommendations are freedom of religion, Islamic family laws, including those concerning underage marriage and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) issues,” he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

Othman said Jakim deputy director-general (policy) Mohamad Nordin Ibrahim attended the UPR session, together with Nik Muhd Marzuki Muhd Nor from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department and representatives from the Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies.

“We (Jakim) would like to emphasise that the UPR, as the Human Rights Council mechanism, recognises the contribution from all civilisations towards human rights and ensuring success for the Universal Shared Values by taking into consideration the various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds so that the human rights review records will not be dominated by a dominant hegemony,” he added.

- Bernama