(Malaysian Mirror) - The recent arrest of Dr Asri Zainul Abidin continues to draw flak and confusion as the issue boils down to just a single question: is he qualified to preach?
Not in Selangor, said the state Islamic Affairs department (JAIS).
“He does not have the tauliah (official recognition) and will be prosecuted after our investigations are over,” said JAIS director Mohammed Khusrin Munawi.
It is understood Asri will be brought to court on Monday to answer the charge of spreading religious teachings without the state’s sanction under the Selangor Islamic administration enactment.
If found guilty Asri is liable to be fined up to RM3,000 or jailed up to two years or both.
JAKIM questions credentials
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Islamic Advancement Department (JAKIM), which had not voiced its view over the former mufti’s arrest, now says his credentials are questionable.
JAKIM alleged that Asri did not major in Syariah law, but in Arabic Studies, and that there was no dual elective from the University of Jordan previously attended by the former mufti.
Asri refuted the allegations by faxing a certificate of his dual major qualification to mStar Online, the Malay news portalof The Star, which carries a regular column on his thoughts.
“The claim by JAKIM’s Islamic training institute deputy director Zamihan Mat Zain is disgusting and insulting,” he told the portal on Tuesday, questioning the motive behind JAKIM’s involvement in his case.
“Does this mean that JAKIM is one of the ‘black hands’ involved ousting me? The Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) has made it clear that the Federal government has nothing to do with my case,” he said.
'Me, a follower of Wahhabi?'
Aside that, Asri is also accused of being a follower of the Wahhabi sect, a school of thoughts attributed to an 18th century Islamic scholar who advocated to bring Islam back to its roots by removing from the faith what he considered bidaah (innovations) in Islam. The sect is not recognised in Malaysia.
Asri has denied this allegation, saying that those who accused him of being a follower should first explain to him what the Wahhabi practices that he had allegedly conducted are.
On Nov 1, JAIS officers held Asri after he delivered a religious talk at a bungalow in Taman Sri Ukay just after midnight.
However, he was released on a police bond the following day after he made a statement at the Hulu Kelang police station.
Just 38-years-old, the Penang born Islamic scholar was Perlis mufti for two years until November last year.
He obtained his Master’s in Islamic Studies at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, where he now lectures besides being a guest columnist in various newspapers and news portals.
He claims that the USM and the International Islamic University (IIU) have both approved his application to further his studies at doctorate level.
MP: Get rid of the certification
Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, believes Asri’s arrest was politically motivated, adding that he did not think Selangor mentri besar Khalid Ibrahim, his state executive council or the Sultan of Selangor had approved the arrest.
However, he ticked off the Pakataan Rakyat-led state government for failing to come up with new ideas to replace the old enectments under the purview of JAIS.
He described the enactment that barred those without JAIS’ certification from giving religious talk as “repressive” and should not have been used to stop prominent scholars from giving lectures.
He said PAS had opposed the certification system when it was the opposition in the Selangor state assembly.
'Like catching a criminal'
In another development, Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) questioned the manner that Asri was nabbed by JAIS officers.
JIM president Zaid Kamaruddin said it was rude and crude, like catching a criminal.
“He could have been persuaded in a more professional and respectful manner by JAIS or any other authority,” said Zaid, adding that if he had commmited an offence why was Asri not charged?
"And what is the motive behind such an arrest?,” he asked, adding that JIM was of the view that the matter could have been resolved more amicably instead of mishandling the issue to the extent that there are now negative perceptions about JAIS.
Zaid said JIM would like JAIS to take a re-look at its enactments so that they are not enforced to deprive the spread of knowledge among Muslims and non-Muslims.
written by cheemengwong, November 04, 2009 16:39:29
Among those on the list, Jesus went on to create one of the largest faith religion in the world.
Mohammed did the same and now both these are in conflict.
Normally the no. 1 and no. 2 will conflict each other just like Ong Tee Kiat and Soiled Leg.
Jesus was later sentenced to die on the cross by the Jews. He died and rose again on the third day fullfilling what prophet Isaiah fortold about the event hundreds of years earlier.
Praise to God and all mankind are sinful like dirty rags!
written by Bigjoe99, November 04, 2009 16:41:25
Its seriously scary...
written by penangboi, November 04, 2009 16:44:12
Be objective: look back to history and right up to the present. If only there was no religion, the world will be a better place for everyone.
And religion becomes an even more explosive problem when one faith persecute others outside its own.
written by garuda, November 04, 2009 16:51:01
written by Bigjoe99, November 04, 2009 17:14:14
written by my oumrie, November 04, 2009 17:20:51
Not recognised in Malaysia. Ok, so this means Shafiee Malay pilgrims who pray behind Saudi (Wahabbi) Imams in any mosques in Saudi, including Mekkah & Madinah, have committed a serious error of faith & practise? If so, why don't Tabung Haji include Jais/Jakim approved Imams in their Hajj/Umrah packages to accompany pilgrims to Mekkah & Medinah to make sure Malay pilgrims don't follow the "forbidden in Malaysia" Wahabbi practises of Saudi Arabia? In fact, why go to Saudi at all? Why not go to Karballah?
written by Richfyf, November 04, 2009 17:29:10
Have they tried reasoning or guiding 1st instead of just taking the high handed way of prosecution!!! What major crime have the person do that it warrants such a drastic action.. all the while they talk of compassion on the religion but their action seem to be a Contradiction.
written by cheemengwong, November 04, 2009 17:32:27
Saturday, October 31, 2009
PG And Wife Continues To Deceive???
Pastor Prince Guneratnam (PG) is scheduled to preach at Evangel Family Church (EFC) in Singapore on 8 November 2009.
EFC is the home church of his good buddy, Rev Robert Lim. EFC is the generous church which PG had claimed gave him a brand new Volvo XC90 4WD and Sis Petrina, a new Honda Civic a few years ago. Whether this is true or false, no one knows? It is inconceivable that EFC will give such generous gifts to PG and his wife especially since Rev Robert is well-known for his sacrificial giving to church planting and actual missions work while denying himself of such luxuries. We hope that someone from EFC will enlighten us on this mystery.
Coming back to the subject in hand, EFC published an online advertisement on PG’s coming preaching engagement. ***** on the following link to see the advertisement:
http://www.evangel.org.sg/advertisem/prince/prince.html
If you read through the write-up on the credentials of PG and Sis Petrina, you will be shocked that they are both still proclaiming (by implication) that Calvary International Ministries (CIM) is still alive.
The write-up states that “ Prince Guneratnam is also the President and Founder of Calvary International Ministries.”
The write-up on Sis Petrina states that “She is also the co-founder and Vice President of the Calvary International Ministries.”
CT does not think that EFC would publish this without getting the clearance from PG. It is more likely that EFC was given this write-up to publish.
If this was the case, PG and his wife are certainly a recalcitrant couple, still bent on misleading fellow Christian brothers and sisters and his own peers.
For those unfamiliar with the background, CIM was the personal ministry of PG. CIM became a major issue among Calvary Church members when it was discovered last year that the Board of Deacons and the Missions Department, both headed by PG, had transferred a total of RM1.9m from church coffers into CIM’s account between 2002 to 2007, without the knowledge or approval of the church members.
The FACT is that CIM has been de-registered by NECF last year because it does not qualify to be a member. CIM had originally been registered as a member of NECF as a result of misrepresentation by PG. After the exposure by concerned members of Calvary Church, CIM was removed from the membership register of NECF. The misrepresentation has also been confirmed by the Assemblies of God Malaysia after conducting their own investigations. CIM, therefore, no longer exists as a Christian body.
CIM’s bank accounts in Malaysia are believed to have been cancelled after the de-registration of CIM by NECF but no one knows if its banks accounts in Singapore or US or elsewhere are still existing. Presumably, they still are.
CT does not know the reason behind PG’s “wanting to keep CIM alive”. One can only speculate that CIM is where all the love offerings which PG receives from his preaching engagements and all donations to his ministry are channeled to.
With “Calvary” in its name, none of the churches and pastors out there can be faulted if they thought that CIM was part of Calvary Church when actually it is not. Therefore, any donation meant for Calvary Church could have been addressed to and channeled into CIM’s bank account/s in Singapore or elsewhere and no one would even be aware of it.
Calvarites have often wondered why, after all these years of our Church giving to the building funds of other churches, none of the overseas churches (except for EFC and Cho Yonggi’s church) have made contributions to our CCC building fund. Perhaps, the answer lies in CIM.
On the topic of deception, another interesting thing to note is that in his wife, Sis Petrina’s write-up, it was stated that she “pioneered the first Assemblies of God church, the Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Klang, Malaysia”.
Perhaps it was a genuine grammatical error in the way the statement was structured but it does give an impression that she started the first Assemblies of God church in Malaysia and that that church was the Glad Tidings in Klang. For the benefit of readers, the first Assemblies of God church in Malaysia was in Jalan Sayur, Kuala Lumpur and she certainly was not the one who started it in 1934 as she was not born yet.
You can read the History of the Assemblies of God church in Malaysia at :
http://www.ag.org.my/history.htm
So, dear Pastor Prince Guneratnam, what are you up to now
written by cheemengwong, November 04, 2009 17:34:02
More Happening in Churches than you know. Give the pastor one apple and he will ask for the apple tree lah..
Wah lau eh...
written by Msian Idol3, November 04, 2009 19:19:54
written by Equal, November 04, 2009 22:24:14
The Police, MACC , DBKL, All the local councils enforcement officers
and now JAIS.
All are the same. They think and act like samseng because they are given the
power to arrest.
They have forgotten that we pay their salaries. We are the TUAN.
Do you call this Rakyat Didahulukan ...... bull shit!
Cakap tak serupa bikin.
Only good for slogans
written by alarcarte, November 04, 2009 22:32:25
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today.....
Living life in peace....
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
written by Aramsawafer, November 04, 2009 23:14:13
written by Aduh, November 04, 2009 23:17:41
Thanks for watching.