POLITICAL ISLAM, MY FOOT! – JOHOR SULTAN SETS THE TONE – ‘DO NOT TELL ME POLITICS IS PART OF ISLAM & POLITICIANS CAN TALK FREELY’ – SULTAN IBRAHIM GIVES THE LIKES OF HADI, PAS, PKR & UMNO A GOOD & WELL-DESERVED TONGUE-LASHING – NO REASON WHY MUSLIMS CANNOT VISIT OTHER HOUSES OF WORSHIP – ‘I HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN MUSLIMS BECAUSE THEIR FAITH IS STRONG & UNSHAKABLE… I ENCOURAGE MUSLIMS TO INVITE NON-MUSLIMS TO BREAK FAST TOGETHER DURING RAMADAN’ – INDEED, ANWAR’S PKR SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF TRYING TO ‘OUT-ISLAM’ PAS IN SELANGOR, WHERE STATE POLLS ARE DUE SOON AND PKR MUST FEAR LOSING ITS SEATS TO HADI’S ‘GREEN WAVE’

Johor ruler: No reason why Muslims cannot visit other houses of worship

There was no reason to bar Muslims in Johor from visiting houses of worship of other faiths or participating in their festivals as long as they do not take part in non-Islamic rituals or prayers, said Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

“This is very clear and I have complete trust in Muslims because their faith is strong and unshakable. I do not wish to dwell at length here.

“There is no need for any kind of polemic over this,” said Sultan Ibrahim (above) in an interview with The Star.

He said guidelines issued by the palace and the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAIJ) were clear on the matter.

In February, MAIJ issued a fatwa prohibiting Muslims from attending and participating in religious rituals of other faiths in the state.

Muslims in Johor were allowed to attend events held by those of other faiths as long as there were no religious rituals.

Selangor, however, has a different set of rules whereby Muslims are not allowed to enter houses of worship of other faiths.

This law in Selangor came under the spotlight after a federal government agency ran a programme called “Jom Ziarah” to expose youths to common values shared by other faiths.

The programme included a visit to a church in Klang, Selangor which was eventually cancelled.

Sultan Ibrahim said interfaith values were strong in Johor and he also encouraged non-Muslims to visit mosques to understand Islam better.

“I encourage Muslims to invite non-Muslims to break fast together during the holy month of Ramadan.

“Explain to them the meaning of abstinence and the concept behind this practice, so non-Muslims understand and value Islam better,” he added.

Ruler warns politicians

Meanwhile, the Johor sultan also warned politicians not to defy directives from rulers which barred mosques and surau from being used as political platforms.

Doing so would undermine the royal institution, he said, adding that some politicians had already crossed that line.

“Focus your attention on resolving the people’s burdens, such as the cost of living, meeting daily needs, their struggles to pay their household bills and economic concerns.

“What are you doing to alleviate the flood problems which occur every year? Tell us what are you going to do about it. Instead of dividing the people by harping on race and religion, tell me what are your plans to bring harmony,” Sultan Ibrahim said.

He added that the mosque and surau should serve as a base for dakwah (Islamic propagation) and hence only accredited speakers were allowed.

Apart from politics, some preachers, said Sultan Ibrahim, focused more on jokes and entertainment rather than Islam when speaking at mosques.

“If political talks are allowed, it will create uneasiness and disunity among Muslims.

“Do not tell me that politics is part of Islam and politicians can talk freely,” he said, adding that rulers have a responsibility to protect the sanctity of the mosques as the head of Islam.

Recently, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang vowed to continue his weekly Friday sermons at the Rusila mosque, stressing that it was the duty of leaders to talk about politics.

This came after the Terengganu religious council imposed a ban effective March 2 on politicians speaking at mosques.

MKINI

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