SHAFAQNA – Any national discourse on minority rights should not exclude Muslim minority sects, Islamic Renaissance Front founder Dr Farouk Musa said yesterday. Speaking at a forum on civil society organised by Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM), Dr Farouk said that Muslim minority sects such as the Shias should have their rights protected just like other non-Muslim religions. He said the original ideals of the constitution, which intended Malaysia to be a country that practised secularism, have been “perverted” over time. “The original ideals have been perverted for political mileage of the ruling party,” he said.
He also took aim at the Pakatan Rakyat leadership, whom he said did not include Muslim minorities in its conversation about minority rights. “The Pakatan leadership must demonstrate that it upholds the constitutional rights of the minorities, otherwise there is not much difference between Umno’s narrow ethnocentric interest and Pakatan’s,” he said. “You cannot just talk about minorities from other religions, you must talk about Muslim minorities as well,” he added. He also warned of extremism on “both sides”, including Umno and PAS.
He said that the Umno ulamas are mostly trained in Saudi Arabia, and they follow a certain religious thought that leans towards extremism. “The young ulamas in Umno have been mostly trained in Saudi Arabia. The current situation is not good. We have extremists on both sides,” he said. – May 10, 2015.
Source : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/