The Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) called on Putrajaya today to walk the talk on moderation by supporting the NGO's roundtable discussion on Islamic fundamentalism.

The talk features a prominent liberal Muslim leader and this has raised the ire of some religious groups that are pressuring the government to block the event.

"How can a government portray itself as a leader of the Global Movement of Moderates and at the same time, go against a movement for moderation.

"If you want to be a leading force for moderation, then you must walk the talk and encourage such discussions, rather than preventing them," IRF chairperson Farouk Musa ( left ) told Malaysiakini .

Farouk was responding to the call by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) for the roundtable discussion titled 'Religious fundamentalism threat in this century' to be scrapped .

Jakim took issue that Indonesian liberal Islamic speaker Ulil Abshar Abdalla is to be present, stating that any teachings that go against Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah (Sunni sect) should be stopped.

However, Farouk stressed that the discussion will not touch on theology but look at issues of extremism and terrorism.

'This is not a discussion on theology'

"This is not to be a discussion about theology, this will be a discussion on religious fundamentalism, including Islamic extremism and terrorism.

"So it will not touch on any percepts of Islamic theology at all," he said.

Meanwhile, Global Movement of Moderates chief executive officer Saifuddin Abdullah said that Jakim officers had visited the GMM office today over the matter.

However, he reiterated that GMM is not co-organiser.

He reiterated that IRF had earlier planned to host the roundtable at GMM's office, but this had to be changed as GMM had already booked it for a media workshop.

In a related matter, Farouk also dismissed former Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin's police report against the planned event, calling him a "half-past-six" politician.

Zulkifli ( left ) in his police report yesterday called for Ulil Abshar to be barred from entering the country and questioned IRF's source of funding.

Responding to this, Farouk said IRF is not spending any money to bring Ulil Abshar to Malaysia as he is to attend a human rights conference organised by the Southeast Asia Human Rights Studies Network (Seahrn) in Kuala Lumpur.

"Our effort is just an extension of his stay here. We are not forking out a single sen to bring him over," he said.

Despite the mounting pressure, Farouk said, he is optimistic that the roundtable discussion will go ahead.

Jakim wants roundtable on Islam stopped