'Wahabi' links: Uthman denies rejecting dialogue
Religious scholar Muhammad Uthman El Muhammady has denied he had rejected participating in a dialogue with Perlis religious figures those quarters accused of being linked to Wahabism, terrorists and purportedly recieving backing by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Religious scholar and preacher Muhammad Uthman El-Muhammady has denied he had rejected participating in a dialogue with Perlis religious figures those quarters accused of being linked to Wahabism, terrorists and purportedly recieving backing by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to Malay-language daily Sinar Harian, Muhammad (left) said he had only asked that any such dialogue be organised by the Home Ministry (KDN) behind closed doors along with the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) instead of being an open debate.
“I did not reject dialogue, I only wanted that the event be held by the Home Ministry,” Sinar Harian quoted the Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation lecturer as saying.
Uthman said this is because such an issue concerning national security should not be debated in an open forum, particularly as it may affect the good relations between the Saudi government and Malaysia.
“Such a dialogue should be behind closed doors and with the attendance of experts selected by KDN and Jakim,” he added.
Uthman raised the ire of Perlis religious scholars after sources claimed that in a closed door briefing with the National Security Council, he had allegedly linked several of them to puritanist Wahabi teachings.
Among those purportedly named in the briefing was former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin (above, wearing a songkok), who was alleged also to have connections with terrorists and financiers from Saudi Arabia.
Following the eruption of the controversy, current Perlis mufti Juanda Jaya said his invitation to Uthman to participate in a dialogue with those scholars he had allegedly implicated was turned down.
Dialogue is the better approach towards resolving disputes as opposed "stabs at the back", Juanda (left) said in a statement yesterday.
As an "academician", he added, Uthman should have nothing to fear in openly defending his views and ideas, which the former claimed have sown chaos in the country and shaken ties between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
