KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Malaysian Muslim leaders should refrain from further agitating followers of the religion, former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim advised in the aftermath of global terror attacks by militants in the name of Islam, including last month’s grenade strike in Puchong, Selangor.
The former Kota Baru MP said the country was in need of “clever” leaders who will not claim that Islam is under attack or that its enemies are everywhere but push young Muslims towards science and performing good deeds to counter the violence perpetrated.
“If our leaders want to save this country, and they have not forgotten their responsibilities, they must not pour oil into the Muslim rage, running wild against the world,” he said in a blog post yesterday.
“They must tell these young warriors to cool down, that the world is busy doing its own thing, and not necessarily attacking Islam, just because Islam forbids and disproves some of the things they like doing,” he added.
He noted that some top officials, including state Islamic clerics, have stirred anxiety by claiming there were enemies of Islam at large but stopped short of identifying the religious foes.
“If we ask them to name who are the enemies of Islam; they just shut up although I guess, they are dying to name the following: Jews, Wall Street Journal, Hindus, Christians, Donald Trump, Coca Cola, music, movies, Pokemon games, card games, gambling and hundreds of other worldly stuff,” Zaid said.
He added that in order for the world to live in peace, Muslim leaders and the religious leaders should remind Muslim that the Crusade against the West ended 700 ago and to urge the youths to become scientists and philanthropists instead.
“Do something useful instead of waging a new Crusade,” he said.
Zaid also said that if Muslims are unable to separate criticism against individual from the faith and the faith itself, then Islam is “under attack from Muslims”.
This was following a recent warning by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak that action will be taken against news portal Malaysiakini for linking preacher Dr Zakir Naik to terrorism.
“Since when is an individual, be it Zakir Naik or Hadi Awang, synonymous with Islam? If you can’t tell the difference then Islam is definitely under attack, but by Muslims themselves,” Zaid said.
Dr Zakir, the Mumbai based preacher who earlier this year had a much publicised talk in Malaysia, has been reported by Bangladeshi and Indian media as inspiring the terrorists who carried out attacks in Dhaka recently.
But Malaysian NGOs and Islamic groups had defended Zaik, with Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin accusing Malaysiakini of being enemies of both Dr Zakir and Islam.
Zaid also asked local leaders to examine how young Muslims who performed suicide bombings are being influenced into carrying out their actions.
“Could it be that their willingness to blow themselves up was forged and encouraged by their religious and political leaders? Look at the right wing Islamist groups in the country; if you do not say nice things about Zakir Naik, then you are anti Islam,” he said.
Days before the attack, Pahang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman caused a furore after labelling DAP as “kafir harbi” for opposing PAS’s Shariah court empowerment bill in Parliament.
“Kafir harbi” is an archaic term used to describe non-Muslims that can be slain for waging war against Islam.
In the days leading up to the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, terrorists, mostly affiliated to the Islamic State, carried out attacks on Istanbul, Baghdad, Dhaka and also the holy city of Medina, killing hundreds.
Police confirmed the global terror group carried out its first successful attack in Malaysia on June 28, with a grenade attack against the Movida bar in Puchong, injuring eight patrons.
