PAS Youth has called Sisters In Islam (SIS) "biadap" (insolent) for mounting a legal challenge against a religious edict that bans the group for allegedly promoting religious liberalism and pluralism.

PAS Youth deputy chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi in a fiery statement last night said the vocal women's NGO move was also a challenge to the royalty and the constitution.

"SIS' action challenges the institution of the Malay royalty that is the umbrella that protects Islam in this country, and as well the federal constitution that places Islam as the religion of the federation," he said.

Khalil was responding to news reports that SIS is filing a judicial review at Kuala Lumpur High Court today against the fatwa that bans those "professing religious liberalism or  pluralism".

Khalil, who is the son of PAS chief Abdul Hadi Awang, said PAS "stands firm to reject liberalism and pluralism", recalling a motion adopted in its 2009 muktamar to call on the national fatwa council to ban SIS.

He also believes that the' action of SIS only proved that it is a movement which "spreads teachings in the name of Islam but is actually deviated without referring to Quranic sources, as well as the hadith (sayings, teachings and deeds of the prophet), ijmak (consensus) and qiyas (deductive analogy)".

Stressing that PAS Youth is firmly behind the national fatwa council, he added that instead of filing a judicial review against the fatwa, SIS should instead repent and discuss with the authorities to "correct their errors".

Adding that such "religious extremism" must be handled by the government, Khalil cited the Indonesian ulama council which issued a fatwa banning the Jaringan Islam Liberal.

However, SIS responded that it was not opposing any law but was instead using the "rights" as Muslims and Malaysians.

Its founder Zainah Anwar (right) said at a in a press conference today: "I don’t think it is 'biadap'. We have a right to file a judicial review.

"It is only insolence if we are doing something against the law.

"(And) we are not doing anything that is against the law."

'Don't question dress code law'

Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia reported that the Kelantan government has also attacked SIS for questioning the Kota Bharu Municipal Council's (MPKB) 'Operasi Gempur Aurat', which is to ensure that all traders in the city observe the Muslim dress code.

State local government, health, housing and environment committee chairperson Abdul Fattah Mahmood said that the ruling had been enforced since 1990.

Commenting on the SIS call for women to be given the freedom to observe the Muslim dress code or otherwise, Abdul Fattah said SIS should first understand the basic teachings of Islam.

"Before we make any statement related to religion, we must first understand what is expected of us by our religion," he said.


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