Isma vows to reveal all on Comango
INTERVIEW Islamic NGO Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) has vowed to reveal the hidden agenda of the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) in its demand for religious freedom, including apostasy, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) rights.
INTERVIEW Islamic NGO Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) has vowed to reveal the hidden agenda of the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) in its demand for religious freedom, including apostasy, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) rights.
Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman said they would proceed to do so even though the coalition of 54 NGOs has threatened to take his organisation to court.
Abdullah Zaik said the Comango agenda is imported from overseas, particularly the United States. According to him, its aim is to "conquer and destroy" the Muslim community.
"They (Comango) are unperturbed as people do not know what Comango is about. If the people knew that they are fighting for religious freedom, including apostasy and for LGBT rights, they would not be able to lift their faces.
"We will explain their struggle and expose them. If they want to bring us to court, that is their perogative," he said.
Speaking to Malaysiakini in an interview, Abdullah Zaik said Isma does not reject all forms of freedom so long as they are in line with Islam.
For example, the movement rejects dictatorship and supports the role of society in determining the country's policies.
Abdullah Zaik is of the view there is nothing beneficial in the Comango demands.
"I feel this cannot be done in Malaysia as Malaysians have strong feelings of patriotism, and believe in nationhood and obedience to the country and society," he said.
'We don't make up stories'
Asked to prove allegations that those behind the Comango demands include Malaysiakini chief executive officer Premesh Chandran, Abdullah Zaik said Isma did not make them up, adding that it came from a list Isma retrieved from the coalition of NGOs.
"Comango have the list. We did not add to it. Their struggle is based on that agenda," he said.
Abdullah Zaik also rejected the notion that the NGO he heads is the Islamic version of Perkasa and has close ties to Umno.
"What we bring is the truth and we are capable of proving it through evidence and argument. In the end, the people would understand us as what we preach is something that is close to the people's hearts. Those who do not share this are considered our rivals," he stressed.
Comango has denied that its controversial report to the United Nations Human Rights Council was to undermine Islam and promote secularism in the country.
Yesterday: Isma slams Anwar's 'liberal' views
