Aborted forum: PKR deputy lambasts own MP

PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali ticked off his fellow party member Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin for leading the protest which derailed the controversial Bar Council’s ‘Conversion to Islam’ forum on Saturday.

"We regret that unfortunately the ‘fiercest’ among them was someone known to be a lawyer and member of parliament who pretentiously claimed himself to be representing all Muslims,” said Syed Husin in referring to Zulkifli (right).

The former academic was clearly unwilling to make any concessions to Zulkifli - who said he was representing Muslim lawyers group Pembela - and it will be interesting to see how PKR deals with the Kedah MP in the aftermath of Saturday event.

“We take seriously the rough action by a small band of the demonstrators who shouted rude and uncivilised language against some of the organisers and participants of the seminar,” said Syed Husin.

He also criticised the failure of the police force in controlling the situation but instead appeared to be collaborating with some of the demonstrators who were planning to force their way into the hall to stop the forum.

However, Syed Husin (left) stated that PKR agreed with de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s view that the dialogue session should have been organised behind closed doors “in view of the sensitive reactions and wrong perception among a section of the Malay-Muslim population”.

“We are in full support of holding inter-religious dialogues that promote understanding rather than unilateral events that could create ethnic and religious dissension.

“It (Bar Council) should have acted wisely and speedily to announce that the seminar would be held behind closed door to avoid any unhealthy consequence on inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations in this country,” he concluded.

Other Pakatan Rakyat leaders and NGOs have expressed similar sentiments regarding the forum at the Bar Council headquarters.

Sisters in Islam (SIS)

The behaviour of the protestors was ‘terrorist-like’ and gave a bad image to Muslims and Malaysians. The police should have anticipated Saturday’s actions, and should have taken measures to ensure the event would have continued uninterrupted.

It is curious that there was a dialogue between Allied Coordination Committee of Islamic NGOs (Accin) and the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism as reported by the media, discussing the very same things - and it was not targeted by these protestors.

Further, the Muslim NGOs and political parties involved should realise that there are many Muslim lawyers and Muslim participants, who do not find the forum an affront to Islam.

Added to that, various Muslim councils and departments were informed of the forum, and the majority of the scheduled speakers were Muslims. SIS is in the opinion that all Malaysians have the right to discuss policies and laws which affect citizen’s rights and interests.

Malay NGO Teras

It appears that the issue of questioning justice in syariah laws continues to be raised by quarters who not only lack an understanding of these laws, but there are also some among them who intend to challenge the implementation of such laws in this country.

Conversion, divorce, custody, property and inheritance are issues linked to syariah laws. It is only appropriate that all questions concerning Islamic laws are tried and judged in a syariah court.

Teras also feels that there are certain questions which must be addressed by the Islamic agencies involved in the enforcing of these laws. The views and complaints about injustice could happen. But this does not mean that there is no room in the syariah court for these people to seek justice via the legal process. There is a provision to allow non-Muslims to be called to the syariah courts to state their complaints.

So why is there the need for certain quarters to hold an open debate to question this jurisdiction. This is bound to make Muslims suspicious. It will be seen by the Muslims as an attempt to criticise Islamic laws and allow civil laws to dominate Islamic laws. This is why Teras has always suggested the setting-up of a special channel for all quarters to channel their complaints and viewpoints regarding this matter.

Lim Guan Eng, Penang chief minister

The rowdy and hooligan behaviour by sections of the crowd, which included Umno and some Pakatan Rakyat MPs, that broke up the forum and used racial epithets and slurs is deplorable.

DAP condemns such near-violent behaviour and welcomes the disciplinary action taken by the respective Pakatan Rakyat parties as announced, to prevent Pakatan’s image from being tarnished and dragged down to the same level as Umno.

Matters relating to religion cannot be reduced or defined by mere declarations of principles or intent alone. As real people and human sufferings are involved, understanding and compassion is necessary.

We should understand the pain and suffering of a Malay Muslim family if their child whom they had so lovingly brought up as a Muslim, suddenly converts out of Islam and becomes a non-Muslim, as they say, "like cutting out one's own flesh".

Similarly we should also see the pain and suffering of a non-Malay family "of cutting one's own flesh" when their child converts to Islam against their wishes to marry a Muslim. And when he or she wants to revert back to his or her old religion after the marriage breaks down to marry again, is prevented from doing so.

There should be compassion to such human sufferings by both Muslim and non-Muslims alike. Just as we understand why Malay Muslims are so emotional when Malay Muslim convert out of Islam; we should also understand the same feelings of non-Muslims when non-Malay non-Muslims who convert to Islam are prevented from reverting back to their original religion.

If we can see through such sufferings of Muslims and non-Muslims through the prism of dialogues and compassion instead of absolute laws, religious edicts and moral certitude, by lessening their sufferings we would have made Malaysia a more cohesive and harmonious society.

Lim Kit Siang, Ipoh Barat MP and DAP adviser

Malaysia has failed a major test in nation-building to demonstrate that we are shaping up to be a more civil society where sensitive issues of interfaith problems can be discussed in a mature and responsible manner to promote national unity and religious harmony in the country.

As the Bar Council has made it clear that the forum on religious conversion is not to question the provisions of Article 121(1A) of the Constitution which conferred syariah jurisdiction over Muslims but to address the conflicts of laws facing families caught between the separate jurisdictions of civil and syariah laws - greater understanding, tolerance and sensitivity should have been shown by all Malaysians concerned.

Such understanding, tolerance and sensitivity would undoubtedly have been present in the first four decades of Malaysian nationhood and I have no doubt that if such a forum had been organised 10 years ago, there would not have been the insensitive, intolerant and deplorable reaction evident today.

Youth for Change

At a time when different communities of Malaysian society are attempting to patch the many holes in its social fabric, the immature actions and irresponsible statements expressed by the protest organisers is indeed regrettable.

Whilst the Malaysian public have (as seen in the March 8 elections) expressed desire and confidence in a more democratic and multicultural future for the nation, we feel the latest “outcry” led by political opinion leaders across the divide does not represent the true aspirations of Malaysians who voted for a better Malaysia.

It is especially discouraging for the Malaysia’s democratic movement in this context because politicians have again proven themselves to be selfish in terms of gaining popular support, and have again resorted to dividing the Malaysian public instead of rationally, civilly or democratically, work towards greater understanding and tolerance

Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)

Once again, at the connivance of the state, a group demonstrating thuggish behaviour have blocked repressed views - in this case on the right to religious freedom, particularly Islam, from being openly expressed.

While the protesters are entitled to the right to disagree, the state should take proactive and reassuring measures to dismantle the perception that an open discussion on Islamic laws is tantamount to attacking the religion.

We call on the government to stop discouraging open discussion on the subject of Islamic laws in a democratic and multi-religious country that needs such openings for true understanding of and respect for each other's faiths.

The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG)

In a multiracial democratic nation such as Malaysia, the government and civil society must at all times encourage open dialogue instead of feeding into fear and intolerance.

Open dialogue and discussion in a peaceful, informative and sincere manner will aid in establishing deeper understanding amongst the rakyat.

JAG urges all parties to allow such dialogues of this nature to continue to help resolve the problems especially for those families who have been burdened by these matters for a long time. JAG expects the government to take a firm stand to allow citizens to have democratic spaces for open dialogue and to act against mob rule.