Sunday February 3, 2013

Tatoos taboo for Muslims, says assistant minister

KUCHING: Muslims are not supposed to have tattoos, said Assistant Islamic Affairs Minister Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman.

“We hope that, for people who are Muslim, that they should not go and get tattoos,” Daud told a press conference yesterday, when he was asked about Muslims and tattoos. “Maybe some do have them — maybe those are not permanent,” he added.

Asked by a reporter what authorities could do to Muslims with tattoos “on parts of their bodies that cannot be seen,” the minister laughed off the question, saying: “How can we know? Anyway, it’s haram (forbidden). They know. Sometimes, I suppose they follow trends. They see their favourite actors and actress getting tattoos, and they want them (tattoos). I’m just saying we hope Muslims would not be easily influenced.”

To more questions on whether the state government was giving enough emphasis to campaigns against social ills targeted at Muslim youths, the assistant minister said there were counselling programmes widely available.

“The thing is not all want to come to these programmes. For those who do, they are usually already very good Muslims. Anyway, the counselling programmes by the state Islamic Affairs Department are good. Any one can go,” he said.

News

Sunday February 3, 2013

Tatoos taboo for Muslims, says assistant minister