PAS' support for the Bersih movement for clean and fair elections stems plainly from the Islamic notion of amar makruf nahi mungkar (to encourage good deeds and to stop bad deeds), its president Abdul Hadi Awang said today.

As if responding to critics who have slammed PAS for backing a 'non-Muslim-led' movement, Hadi said amar makruf nahi mungkar binds PAS to Bersih, even though the coalition consists of those of different faiths and ideological beliefs.

NONE"The Prophet Muhammad accepted all positive acts, even from non-Muslims, so much so that he appreciated Hatim al-Toei, a tribal leader who is helpful and good to his guests...

"Bersih is an NGO with people of different faiths and political ideologies who organised a peaceful rally to protest elections that sully Malaysian democracy.

"Many of them do not even participate directly in elections but as humans, they naturally hate oppression, cheating, etc," he said.

Even the prophet was clear in calling on his followers to abandon leaders who acted like they were "ultra pure like God", Hadi added in a lengthy and strongly-worded press statement released today.

Even the prophet called on his followers to support him only if he was doing good.

'Our scholars cannot be turned into mute devils'

He also said that PAS was "compelled" to stop "the worst of deeds from happening" and the prophet, too, said that the best of jihad was the one against an oppressive government.

"PAS will not allow its scholars to become mute devils who keep quiet when faced with an obligation to defend the truth and stop something wrong from happening.

"PAS will not allow its scholars to become parrots who only follow what their masters say without being able to judge for themselves," he said.

NONEHe said modern democracy was born partly from the study of Islamic governance by Orientalists, but Umno/BN's way of practising democracy has "ruined the image of Islam".

Hadi added: "Islam teaches the politics of trust, which was practised by the prophets. But instead of sustaining these good values, (the leadership) is smeared with the humiliation of abuse of power and oppression.

'Allah listens to the oppressed'

"People's trust is used to rake in riches and positions... the riches and power are used to threaten the rakyat - acting like the after-Christ in the end of times. Those who support them gain comfort, those who don't are victimised."

He also countered the fatwa against demonstrations, saying that the first caliph, Umar al Khattab, had also led a peaceful demonstration against an oppressive government in Mecca.

The "chaos" that ensued during the Bersih 3.0 is the fault of an "oppressive government" that "arrested people after they dispersed and tortured and abused those arrested".

"It is written in the Quran and hadith that Allah listens to the prayers of those who are oppressed, including non-Muslims," Hadi added.

Read the full press statement here.

Fear and intimidation no longer work