Muslims must respect dignity of others, says minister

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Mohd Na'im Mokhtar advised Muslims to always respect a person's dignity and not simply throw accusations to humiliate anyone, more so to a leader of a country.

He said Islam attaches great importance to human dignity and this must be preserved even if it involves the enemy.

"That's why Islam is professional and reminds us to restrain our tongues, preserve our dignity so that Allah will cover up our shame, " he told the media after launching the 2023 Islamic Family Regional Conference in Putrajaya yesterday.

Na'im said this after he was asked to comment on the remark made by an MP accusing the country's top leader of being involved in immoral issues.

Elaborating, on whether the MP involved can be punished for committing qazaf (falsely accusing anyone of adultery and sodomy), he said this comes under the jurisdiction of the court, taking into account if a report was lodged.

"Just like other punishments or offences, whether under civil or Syariah law, a complaint must be lodged first. If a complaint or police report is lodged by a certain party, a person can be subjected to civil action.

"The same goes under Syariah law, if a complaint is submitted to the religious authorities an investigation will be carried out and after the arguments of both the prosecutor and defence are heard, the court will decide if qazaf was committed," he said.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Na'im said that the family institution should be protected, strengthened, enriched and empowered from time to time for the well-being of the ummah.

The two-day Islamic Family Regional Conference is the first to be held as a platform to share views and best practices on approaches and initiatives implemented by Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia in dealing with and managing family issues, in particular among Muslims, to achieve the well-being of the community.

- Bernama

Be responsible, don't make incendiary speeches - minister

Don't turn mosques, surau into political arena - minister

Harmony committee to be re-activated: Na'im