YOURSAY ‘Moving house is khalwat? Soon nobody is going to stay back in office...’

In screw-up, house-shifters held for 'khalwat'

Pemerhati: While the non-Muslims continue to suffer massive discrimination in areas of public service employment, education, purchase of houses, etc, they are fortunate in at least in one area when compared to the Malays.

The non-Muslims do not get harassed and prosecuted when they do not follow or break their religious rules. If there is to be any punishment for them, it is supposed to be meted out according to their religious scriptures.

But the Malays not only get harassed by the crooked religious enforcement officers as seems to be the case here, they also get punished for breaking the religious rules.

Now the main question here is, is it fair for the religious police to punish people for religious offences for which punishment is also prescribed in the afterlife?

It would appear that Malays living in the West are much luckier as they are not harassed by anyone when they break the religious rules and they are likely to be punished only once - when they go to the next world.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Where is Mais (Selangor Islamic Council) and Jais (Selangor Islamic Affairs Department) when royalty, ministers, business magnates and their wives and kids party like crazy at society events where there is a free flow of booze, smoking of cigars and cigarillos, cheek-to-cheek dancing and 90 percent of women not covering their ‘aurat’ despite being Muslims?

Just look at the press photographs and glossy magazines. Islam is all about justice and fairness and not about injustice and victimisation.

Mais and Jais have gone beyond control and the sooner the state government reins them in the better for Muslims and non-Muslims alike in Selangor. Do not judge people by their status, wealth and power.

Turvy: More from within the Muslim community must speak out and stand up against these moral crusaders whose blatant crimes are committed under protection of the law.

If this is not done and done soon, civil rights will be so eroded that we will lose all claims of being a civilised nation. Their acts shame the community and cast aspersions on a great religion.

Unless something is done, we will allow these mobs to rule the country and not before ruining it forever.

Ablastine: Indeed, Muslims should really get themselves organised and come out in force to shut Jais down because this organisation is getting out of hand and encroaching on the rights of individual Muslim.

If allowed to continue, I am afraid they will intimidate and impose on Muslims more with their silly beliefs. If Muslims themselves do nothing, they will see their individual freedom being slowly curtailed by these fanatics.

SteveOh: When is this neo- fascist group going to get its wings clipped and beak broken? It has been allowed to run riot too often and causing innocent people to suffer.

If these people can't tell the difference between khalwat and innocent people going about their business, they should not be allowed loose on the public.

A big apology is owed their victims and the government should not allow this sort of thing to recur. The public will be behind them if they go ahead and sue the culprits.

It is very disgraceful and un-Islamic to wrongly accuse those who have not done anything wrong.

Malaccan: It’s good if such matters are raised and tested in court, although I don't know if the Syariah Court has the power, interest or will power to address the behaviour (or misbehaviour) of Jais.

For sure, the civil court at the moment will not interfere in this matter, even if an injustice is seen to be perpetrated. Hence, any wonder if the people feel lost and have nowhere to go to find justice?

Of course, the greater injustice is when the Federal Court refused leave to hear The Herald case where it could have clarified the overlapping jurisdictions of the syariah and civil courts along with other issues, formerly known and accepted but now questioned and challenged, such as religious liberty and constitutional supremacy.

I hope the four individuals - one man and three women - will regain their dignity and have matters set aright.

Swipenter: See how repressive and abusive can these moral police get? Do you remember some years ago the incident where a Muslim woman who got rounded up for allegedly engaging in vice and was forced to ease herself in the truck and was photographed?

This kind of abuse is going to escalate if we don’t take action to stop the moral police from abusing their powers and authority.

Anon1: So which rights of the four individuals had been violated? Their Muslim rights or civil rights? Just sue Jais in the civil courts for abuse of authority and/or malicious prosecution.

Moving house is khalwat? In time to come, nobody is going to stay back in office to finish work for fear of Jais and its misguided definition of ‘khalwat’.

EvenSteven: I am wheelchair-bound and live alone in a condo unit. A tudung-clad Indonesian girl mops my floor three times a week. Is she committing khalwat?

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