"The irrational cross protest could be inspired by Jakim's overzealous view of Islam"

KUALA LUMPUR - The protest and forced removal of a church cross in Taman Medan is a sign of growing intolerance among Muslims driven by the “overzealous interpretation” of Islam by local religious authorities, a pro-moderation group said today.

Centre For A Better Tomorrow (CENBET) co-president Gan Ping Sieu said religious authorities like the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) have increasingly become more conservative and this has caused ordinary Muslims here to veer towards a similar direction of “radicalism and orthodoxy.”

“The irrational protest against a cross outside a church in Taman Medan could be rooted in religious authorities' overzealous interpretation of Islam, which has a knock-on effect on ordinary Muslims.

“The protest in Taman Medan was wholly unnecessary and was yet another sign of growing intolerance sowed by religious dogma,” Gan said in a statement here.

A sure sign of Jakim's allegedly regressive views, said Gan, was its latest entertainment guidelines, which included gender segregation, the banning of symbols that go against Islamic teachings and forbidding excessive laughter.

“If the church in Taman Medan had flouted some by-laws, then the local authorities should act swiftly.

“Otherwise, Jakim and the respective state religious authorities nationwide should spend their resources on educating the public about values like compassion, peace and moderation that form the cornerstones of Islam,” Gan added.

Yesterday, Umno branch leader Datuk Abdullah Abu Bakar confirmed that the Muslims who staged the cross protest on Sunday want to contest the legality of the church that had put it up.

The Muslims, who are said to be residents of Muslim-majority Taman Medan in Petaling Jaya, had staged a demonstration outside the church building on Sunday morning, claiming its display of the cross is a challenge to Muslims and could influence the young.

Their action sparked public outrage and several opposition lawmakers immediately demanded that the police take action against the protestors.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday, however, that the protestors had not violated any law by staging the demonstration.

He was later contradicted by Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who said the protest was seditious and warrants a probe.

The  Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has now confirmed that the church in Taman Media has been operating illegally as a place of worship and does not have any permit to hang a cross on its facade.