Quelling criticism by calling it an insult to Islam

The French gunmen who slaughtered 12 people, including four cartoonists and two policemen, in the Charlie Hebdo attack last week said they were doing it to avenge those who insulted Islam and to avenge Prophet Muhammad.

They couldn't trade ink with ink, relying on spraying bullets to end criticism.

This trend of being heavy-handed in handling critics, albeit without gunfire, has been going on for some time in Malaysia where criticism and dissent are being labelled as insults to Islam.

Even a Muslim touching a dog is considered an insult to Islam.

Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen is now the latest person being accused of insulting Islam for his tweet that said Malaysia's Islamic Development Department had been promoting extremism through Friday sermons.

Paulsen is now facing a barrage of criticism for his tweet and has received death threats apart from being investigated under the Sedition Act 1948. He lodged a police report today over the death threats.

Paulsen will have to explain what he meant by Jakim promoting extremism as the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, said over the weekend that Friday sermons had never encouraged extremism or violence as alleged.

On the contrary, he said, the sermon was a requirement in the Friday prayers which was delivered orally and carried educational elements to give advice on religion, to give inspiration and create consciousness.

"It also conveys the national policies and current issues among the Muslims. Can the reminders among the Muslims be construed as extreme?" he said, adding that the allegation linking Jakim with extremism was an irresponsible act which should be viewed seriously.

The minister is right, of course.

Yet, there is no need to immediately call for a sedition probe when a Malaysian speaks his mind. There is also no need to label every criticism of a person or a government department as an insult to Islam just because it is linked to the religion.

What is required is dialogue and debate over perceptions of whether such sermons are extreme or moderate.

Because, if we want others to understand Islam and Muslims, we have to teach them, not threaten them.

And certainly, there is no need for death threats. If Paulsen is ignorant, teach him. Threatening to harm him is no better than the French gunmen who killed 12 people last week.

Comment by  Jahabar Sadio, Editor (Msian Insider)