By Media Selangor Team
SHAH ALAM, June 20 — The Selangor government will continue to monitor, identify, and take enforcement action against any individuals who practise religious liberalism and pluralism in the state.
State executive councillor for Islam Dr Fahmi Ngah said such measures are crucial to ensure that the sanctity of Islam is preserved in Selangor.
He stressed that the government is committed to ensuring that no individual is free to practise or spread these deviant ideologies, which are contrary to Islamic teachings.
This is after the Federal Court ruled yesterday that the Selangor fatwa declaring liberalism and religious pluralism as deviant and contrary to Islamic teachings applies only to individuals, not organisations.
“The state government will continue efforts in monitoring, detection, and enforcement based on applicable laws against individuals who adopt religious liberalism and pluralism,” he said in a statement.
Fahmi reminded that any individual who subscribes to such ideologies is considered deviant and straying from Islamic teachings, as stated in the fatwa dated July 31, 2014.
Therefore, he encouraged the public to report to the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) if there is evidence of individuals practising or promoting liberalism and religious pluralism in the state.
Yesterday, Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, in a majority judgment, said that the phrase “persons professing the religion of Islam” as used in the Federal Constitution can only refer to actual persons, not artificial entities such as companies.
The ruling effectively meant the fatwa issued by Selangor declaring women's rights group Sisters in Islam (SIS) deviant is invalid.
On July 31, 2014, the Selangor Fatwa Committee declared SIS Forum, along with individuals and groups practising liberalism and religious pluralism, as deviant and straying from Islamic teachings.
The fatwa also instructed that any publication containing liberal or pluralist views be banned and seized, and requested the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to censor websites that contradict Islamic teachings and Syariah law.
