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Pengumuman Islam Does not Need Crutches
Pengumuman Islam Does not Need Crutches
Islam Does not Need Crutches
Aug 10: Muslim scholar Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said Islam was built upon
reason and sound argument, and as such did not need to prove its truth
through enforcement agencies.
In further remarks following the Selangor Islamic Religious Department's
presence at a church dinner function over complaints that there were
attempts at propagating Christianity to Muslim guests there, Asri told news
portal Malaysiakini that the truth of Islam can be shown using sound
arguments and not through preventive enforcement actions to stop Muslims
from being influenced by non-Muslims.
Saying Muslims in non-Muslim countries especially in the West were active in
propagating Islam, Asri drew a comparison.
"What if non-Muslim countries such as Thailand, United Kingdom, United
States and other European countries decide to take similar action against
mosques there?" Malaysiakini quoted him as saying.
"We know Muslims there are active in Islamic outreach to non-Muslims at
Islamic centres and mosques. Non-Muslims are invited to mosques and given
copies of the Qur'an and other Islamic literature.
"If they resort to laws such as ours, surely these mosques would be raided
and prosecuted," Asri commented.
'Rethink Islamic education'
According to Asri, in a Muslim country like Malaysia, there should not be a
situation in which Muslims can be easily swayed by arguments against the
religion.
On the other hand, Muslims should naturally be able to exert their influence
on adherents of other religions, he said.
"I'm not questioning JAIS, but we Muslims in Malaysia should think about it.
Until when should we depend on laws [to uphold Islam]?" said Asri, who was
arrested by JAIS officials in 2009 for giving a religious talk without its
permission.
"If that is the case, there is a need to re-think Islamic education and
propagation," he wrote in his SMS to Malaysiakini.
Earlier, the former Perlis mufti trained his gun on Islamic authorities in
the country for failing to achieve the objectives of zakat. This he said
resulted in desperate Muslims turning to help from churches. Saying zakat
offices were luxuriously furnished, Asri said Muslims should not be quick to
blame others for trying to win over Muslims when they had themselves failed
to help fellow Muslims.
reason and sound argument, and as such did not need to prove its truth
through enforcement agencies.
In further remarks following the Selangor Islamic Religious Department's
presence at a church dinner function over complaints that there were
attempts at propagating Christianity to Muslim guests there, Asri told news
portal Malaysiakini that the truth of Islam can be shown using sound
arguments and not through preventive enforcement actions to stop Muslims
from being influenced by non-Muslims.
Saying Muslims in non-Muslim countries especially in the West were active in
propagating Islam, Asri drew a comparison.
"What if non-Muslim countries such as Thailand, United Kingdom, United
States and other European countries decide to take similar action against
mosques there?" Malaysiakini quoted him as saying.
"We know Muslims there are active in Islamic outreach to non-Muslims at
Islamic centres and mosques. Non-Muslims are invited to mosques and given
copies of the Qur'an and other Islamic literature.
"If they resort to laws such as ours, surely these mosques would be raided
and prosecuted," Asri commented.
'Rethink Islamic education'
According to Asri, in a Muslim country like Malaysia, there should not be a
situation in which Muslims can be easily swayed by arguments against the
religion.
On the other hand, Muslims should naturally be able to exert their influence
on adherents of other religions, he said.
"I'm not questioning JAIS, but we Muslims in Malaysia should think about it.
Until when should we depend on laws [to uphold Islam]?" said Asri, who was
arrested by JAIS officials in 2009 for giving a religious talk without its
permission.
"If that is the case, there is a need to re-think Islamic education and
propagation," he wrote in his SMS to Malaysiakini.
Earlier, the former Perlis mufti trained his gun on Islamic authorities in
the country for failing to achieve the objectives of zakat. This he said
resulted in desperate Muslims turning to help from churches. Saying zakat
offices were luxuriously furnished, Asri said Muslims should not be quick to
blame others for trying to win over Muslims when they had themselves failed
to help fellow Muslims.
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