Prince: Shallow to claim racism acceptable in Islam

Claims such that there is an acceptable form of racism in Islam is a symptom of how shallow Malaysia’s ideological discourse is, said Negri Sembilan prince Tunku Zain al-Abidin Tuanku Muhriz.

He said such rhetoric is only another of the government’s attempts to divide the people of Malaysia.

“If necessary, liberal ideas are branded as alien and heretical concepts, and new justifications are dreamt up to consolidate state-sponsored divisions.

“Indeed, in the aftermath of the Malaysia day red shirts rally, one politician from the governing party attempted to argue that there is an acceptable ‘Islamic’ form of racism.

“The adoption of such rhetoric, coupled with the vilification of liberalism highlights how malleable our political landscape is; how bereft it is of ideological conviction,” he told an audience in a keynote speech in Petaling Jaya today, officiating the Freedom Summit 2015.

Tunku Zain did not mention any names, but was apparently referring to Umno supreme council member Annuar Musa, who made the claim during a speech at the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu rally.