Police reports filed over 'enemy of Allah' statement

comments     Selvam Arjunan     Published     Updated

Two police reports were lodged against the Anti-Interfaith Commission Body (known by its Malay acronym Badai) over a press statement allegedly laced with intimidations and threats towards the Article 11 coalition.

In the statement dated May 16 and circulated via email, Badai chairperson Mohd Hafiz Nordin had called the coalition an 'enemy of Allah' and warned it of 'bigger risks' in the future.

The police reports were lodged by human rights group Suaram representative Yap Swee Seng and National Human Rights Society (Hakam) secretary-general Elizabeth Wong at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters.

Both Suaram and Hakam and members of the Article 11 coalition of 14 NGOs.

Wong said Mohd Hafiz's comments had wide-ranging implications.

"Badai described us as ' musuh Allah ' (enemy of Allah) in the e-mail, so in the Islamic context, they are mentioning us as the enemy of the God and that indicates that they are able to do anything to us," she added.

Hold discussion

On May 14, a jointly held forum by Article 11 and Aliran on freedom of religion was stopped by police after a mob, said to be led by Badai, had protested outside the venue.

Badai's actions drew widespread criticism, including from the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

"The way they (Badai) disrupted the forum was ridiculous, they don't have any rights to stop us. It is important to stress that police should safeguard freedom of expression," said Suaram's Yap.

He said Badai should instead engage the coalition in a healthy debate over religious issues.

Among other matters, the Badai statement also called on Nazri to 'bertaubat' (repent) and not lend support to the Article 11 coalition which purportedly gave room for apostasy among Muslims.

In a related development, Wong announced that Article 11 is planning another forum in Penang as a replacement soon, while similar forums in Sarawak and Johor are also on the cards due to public demand.



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