Zaid: Malaysia’s Islam just as violent as IS beheadings

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s brand of Islam is just as violent as that propagated by the Islamic State (IS) militant movement, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today, claiming that while the latter beheads dissenters, the authorities here punish unconventional Muslims.

In Malaysia, the former de facto law minister pointed out in his blog, so-called “deviant” Muslims are jailed, abandoned babies are automatically classified as Muslims if they remain unclaimed after several weeks, and Muslim children born out of wedlock are prohibited from using their father’s names.

These policies, Zaid said, are just as violent, if not more so, than chopping someone’s head off.

“Cutting someone’s head off may be unacceptable but isn’t it fair to ask how Malaysia is any different?” Zaid wrote in the blog post today titled “The story of Muslim leaders”.

“IS leaders say those who don’t accept their decisions violate religious tenets and commit the offence of insulting the religion, which means their position is no different from religious leaders in Malaysia,” he added.

The outspoken former politician said prohibiting one from practising their religious beliefs is the “worst” kind of violence, citing the case of Kamariah Ali, the Ayah Pin sect follower who was sent to jail.

“Kamariah Ali’s ‘crime’ was in wanting the freedom to believe in Islam as she understood it, and not in the way that had been determined by the government.

“But the Islamic state of Malaysia saw this as ‘deviant conduct’ and imprisoned her,” said Zaid.

He also criticised the policy of classifying abandoned babies as Muslims, pointing out that this would disqualify non-Muslims from adopting them, while Muslims on the other hand are generally reluctant to adopt children born out of wedlock.

“It looks to me that the Islamic state of Malaysia is just as violent, if not more so, than IS if it’s not even willing to defend a child’s integrity and safety,” said Zaid.

The former de facto law minister during the Abdullah administration also noted that Muslims born out of wedlock would be subject to stigma as they are only allowed to take on “bin Abdullah” as their surname, not their father’s name.

“This brands them as bastards in the eyes of the world,” said Zaid.

“The resulting stigma can injure them in many ways, for it can influence their employment prospects and even their search for a marital partner. Isn’t shaming an innocent for the entirety of their lives violent conduct?” he added.

Zaid said he could not see sufficient signs of compassion and justice to distinguish Malaysia’s brand of “Islamic state” from the IS movement.

“I am merely questioning the understanding of these laws. If we cannot question them, then our clerics are no different from IS clerics, who just need to declare that God’s laws are perfect and kill all their opponents,” he said.

Zaid urged both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to look at the plight of Malaysian Muslims before condemning IS.

“If they truly want to showcase the true and peaceful Islam, they need to engage local Muslims on substantive issues regarding their faith.

“These two leaders must be prepared to talk about things that matter to the country, even if it means losing some votes in the process,” he said.

MalayMail