KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today questioned whether a gathering by Muslims in the city on Saturday was to defend the sanctity of Islam and the Constitution or to draw support for certain political parties.
“I welcome gatherings by Muslims aimed at defending the sanctity of Islam and the Constitution, I fully support these noble aims.
“But I am wondering whether these were the real objectives or aimed at getting support for certain political parties,” he said in his latest posting on his blog chedet.cc titled Mendaulatkan Islam last night.
Dr Mahathir said the gathering was reported by the media as one to remind the government on the status of Islam but the leaders who spoke at it were from Umno and PAS.
“If it was to defend Islam, by right it should not have been limited to certain political parties only. The alliance of these parties does not reflect Islamic solidarity. In fact, it divides Muslims in Malaysia,” he said.
Dr Mahathir said PAS had earlier claimed Umno members were (kafir) infidels for cooperating with infidels and that ‘this allegation is still not retracted’.
“Even the Amanat Hadi, which claimed that the Umno government (then) was a kafir and those who opposed the Umno government, if they die are martyrs,” he said, adding that this claim by PAS split the Malays for the first time.
He said the Malays were all Muslims and were including the Sunni (Sunnah Wal Jamaah) sect led by Imam Shafie.
“There was no difference of opinion or understanding on Islam (by Malays) since ancient times. They profoundly split only when PAS was formed and claimed that Umno members were kafir for cooperating with the infidels,” he said.
He said so obsessed was PAS with this some much so some deemed even if their parents join Umno they were kafir and claimed Umno people’s marriages were not valid and they should remarry and that even cattle or poultry slaughtered by Umno members was not halal and cannot be eaten by PAS members and many other such allegations.
The prime minister said until today PAS had never retracted the Amanat Hadi that labelled Umno members as infidels.
‘’For PAS, a person who does not join PAS is an infidel. According to PAS, only PAS members are Muslims. Indeed, Muslims seeking asylum in non-Muslim countries have become infidels,’’ he said.
Dr Mahathir also questioned how PAS with Umno had the right to claim that their gathering pictured the solidarity of Muslims for the sovereignty of Islam.
"There are people with posts, who are silent on the allegations by PAS and Amanat Hadi," he said.
He said there were Muslims who purportedly wanted to practice Islamic teachings but their focus was on small matters which had elements of politics and "on the other hand the strict prohibitions of Islam does not get reprimands from them."
“Now we find Malaysian Muslims joining wars among other Muslims. They are willing to kill other Muslims, something that is prohibited by Islam. There is no movement by Muslims who want to uphold Islam who have talked about the sins of killing, especially killing Muslims,” he said.
‘What’s worse is shouting the name of Allah during the gathering to strengthen the party’s divide and rule politics. Allah's name is used to justify the rejection of Islamic teachings that denounce other Muslims without any apparent reason. Committing sin by doing things prohibited by religion should not be done in the name of Allah," he said.
Dr Mahathir said Islam prohibits theft, but PAS negotiated and cooperated with the previous administration which is known to the world as a government of thieves.
“Now PAS continues to work with the people rejected by society for stealing,” he said. — Bernama
