KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — The human rights idealised by Western countries would render people incapable of differentiating right from wrong and no different from animals, the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI) said in today’s’ sermon reading.
In its weekly sermon available on its web site, it also said Islam was the first religion to recognise and sanctify the concept of human rights during pre-Islamic Arabia, when women and female children had been brutalised and killed, but “Islam came and changed it all by uplifting a woman’s status in the society”.
“The concept of ‘human rights’ and ‘freedom’ as championed by the west, is akin to putting mankind on the same level as animals.
“Just look at animals which are without reason, for they do not know rules and laws and cannot differentiate between halal and haram. They would do whatever they want, based on their nature of existence,” the sermon read.
JAWI also contested claims that Muslims’ conduct in their own privacy was not the business of religious authorities, in apparent response to the pro-moderation G25 group’s plans to review unconstitutional state Shariah enactments and laws that violate personal privacy, such as khalwat laws, and to recommend repeal or amendment.
The Islamic authority said that such calls were interference with Muslims’ constitutional right to practise their religion as they saw fit.
“It is therefore very clear that they are going against the Shariat of Islam, especially when Shariah criminal laws are already applied in this country.
“Remember, fellow members of congregation, that the laws of the country, including Shariah criminal laws, must be protected, followed and respected by all citizens,” it said.
Muslims both here and abroad view portions of human rights demanded by secular nations as incompatible with Islam, primarily the freedom of apostasy or atheism; In Islam, apostasy is punishable by death and the sentence is carried out in some Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia.
Muslims also reject demands for equal treatment of individual with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender orientations, which the religion regards as sinful and which is also punishable by death in some Muslim countries.
These differences are the main obstacles that have prevented Malaysia and other Muslim nations from ratifying the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that calls for, among others, the recognition of same-sex unions.
Islamic authorities here regularly reject ideologies considered liberal and attack these as attempts to lead Muslims astray and undermine the religion.
