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Thursday November 5, 2009

Embattled Dr Asri to fight back

By ZIEMAN


THE arrest of former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has become a national issue and is still hotly debated.

Everyone, from the Prime Minister to celebrities, are questioning the motive behind the lynch-mob style detention orchestrated by 35 Jais officials and over 20 armed policemen in patrol cars at a bungalow in Taman Ukay last Sunday night.

What made the incident fishy is that the detention was committed without any permit. A press statement by Jais chairman Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi cleared the air. Dr Asri is accused of preaching Islam without a tauliah (licence) from Jais.

In the news: Dr Mohd Asri is thinking of suing a few people after what he claimed was a lynch-mob style detention by Jais officials.

But since when did a former mufti with a PhD in Islamic Studies need a licence to talk about Islam?

The fact remains that the arrest was on a former mufti, the highest religious officer of a state after the Sultan and the King.

After all the humiliation and embarassment, Dr Asri is seriously thinking of suing a few people.

Q: Did you forsee the arrest? Who do you think orchestrated this conspiracy?

A: I knew something like this would happen because I am a vocal mufti. In all my years as Perlis mufti, I have been getting a lot of attention. Not many people like my reform opinion of Islam.

You can argue with me. I don’t mind and I am open about it. But don’t accuse me of things I didn’t do because that is slanderous and detrimental to my image.

Of course I never expected it to happen in the way it did. They treated me like a criminal. Why bring 35 Jais officials and 20 policemen just to arrest a harmless man like me? I am not a terrorist.

I may not be a mufti now but I am still a member of the Majlis Agama Islam Perlis; at least show some respect.

Q: Do you think you were made a scapegoat? Or were they out to get you and shame you in public?

A: I do not want to speculate but I suspect some people are involved. First they arrested me, brought me to the police station and dragged me to court and Jais is still undecided whether to prosecute, interrogate or release me on bail.

Then yesterday Jakim (Department of Islamic Development) alleged that my certificate from the University of Jordan is false. That is a serious allegation and slanderous.

Q: Do you think this whole thing was triggered by the memorandum issued by the Syarie Lawyers’ Council?

A: The memorandum was a personal attack. What puzzled me was that the memorandum was removed the day I had a press conference where I answered all the accusations levelled against me.

Q: Why do you think certain quarters and NGOs are against your appointment as head of Yadim (Islamic Dakwah Foundation of Malaysia)?

A: I know the “hidden hands” behind the arrest. Perhaps I know too much and they do not want me to spill the beans. But these people who accused me cannot prove all their slanderous talks so they had to do something to shame me or bring me down. So, they issued the memorandum, arrested me and dragged me to court.

Q: Heard that you are seriously considering entering politics?

A: I have received offers from three political parties. I was not keen before but after what happened to me, who knows.

Q: Is it true you are practising Wahabi (a religious thought) and have a huge following?

A: I am not a Wahabi and I really don’t know what is their definition of Wahabi. I profess an open-minded school of Islam. A good Muslim should evaluate all opinions first, then only embrace the best.

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