Religious Task Force to Crackdown on Imams in Malaysia
PENANG, Sept 6 (News Agencies) - The Religious Affairs Council (MAINPP) in the Malaysian state of Penang has warned that it will crackdown on any one of the more than 500 registered
imams (religious clerics) and speakers authorized to deliver Friday khutbahs (sermons) at various mosques and schools if they deviate from reading the official text.
The official Bernama news agency reports that MAINPP chairman Hilmi Yahaya said on Thursday that his officials have identified 14 mosques and schools which were not reading out official Friday sermons issued by MAINPP.
He was speaking at the State Library in Sebrang Jaya where he received zakat (tithe) contributions totaling RM549,139.02 from the Tabung Haji, Penang branch.
Yahaya said that some Friday sermons were found to be more politically inclined, instead of concentrating on religious thought based on Islamic teachings and the Holy Qur'an. Therefore, the strict enforcement of an official text was deemed necessary.
He added that official Friday sermon texts would ensure that imams and MAINPP authorized speakers could not split the Muslim community through politically motivated deviation, causing the community to factionalize, emphasizing that Muslim unity is important in order to secure peace and stability among Malays and all Muslims.
Yahaya stated that all khutbahs would be tape-recorded from now on.
The Malaysian government has launched an intense campaign against what it labels "Islamic extremists" in the country. Last week, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad alleged that "Islamic extremists" were using religion to ignite hatred against the government and were setting up "militant wings" in order to seize power, claiming that a network had formed a league in the region that was bent on establishing a union of Islamic governments in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Mahathir's remarks were the latest in a tirade against a so-called "Malaysian Mujahideen Group" (KMM) which has been accused of a series of crimes, including bombings of a Hindu temple and Christian church.
Ten Malaysians were detained without trial in early August under the Internal Security Act for suspected involvement in KMM.
