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Tuesday, November 05, 2002

Kedah to record all sermons in mosques

ALOR STAR: Anti-government preachings will be monitored at all mosques in Kedah following a decision by the state government to videotape and record all sermons delivered at the places of worship.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain said this was necessary to ensure that mosques were not misused by anyone with a political agenda.

He said the state Islamic Affairs Department had received complaints that some mosques were being used by the imam to preach anti-government sentiments.

Syed Razak said video cameras and tape recorders would be set up at all mosques so that the state government would have proof of what the imam had done.

“We want to be fair. We cannot simply take action against the imam without investigating the claims,” he told reporters after a meeting with about 50 imams from the Kuala Kedah parliamentary constituency yesterday.

“It could be that the imam was advising the congregation and used examples which some members of the congregation may misconstrue as condemning the government,’’ he said.

However, if the claims were proven, the state government would not hesitate to take the imam to court, he added.

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