August 22, 2010
Asri wants all sides to stop politicising the issue. - Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — Popular Muslim preacher Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has urged Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Nasional (BN) to stop politicising the Penang sermon issue, saying it was acceptable to pray for the well-being of leaders.
Stressing that he was unsure if Umno’s allegations were true, the Penang-born Mohd Asri said that praying for Lim Guan Eng’s well-being in his capacity as Chief Minister was a minor issue.
“Don’t politicise this issue. I told Pakatan and also BN not to politicise it,” he said, adding that political parties need to work for the country and not always limit themselves to a partisan view.
“I am not siding with anyone... There are a lot of important things to be done for the people of this country... This issue is not really that important,” the former Perlis mufti said after returning from Mecca on Friday.
Penang Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed on Thursday
that several mosques in the state had replaced the King’s name with Lim’s in their sermons.
PR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hit back by claiming the allegations were a desperate attempt by BN to remain relevant, pointing out that he had personally read the text of the sermon.
When contacted yesterday, Mohd Asri explained to The Malaysian Insider that prayers fell into four categories. The first two involved praying that a leader receives guidance, and for a leader to be fair and sympathetic to the people.
“These prayers can be read whether or not the leader is Muslim or not,” he said.
He said the other two prayers involved wishing for the well-being of a leader even if he were unfair and outright praising of his leadership.
“These two cannot be done,” he said.
Mohd Asri also questioned why the prayer issue was being made a big deal of now despite the fact that there were political parties that prayed for a non-Muslim candidate’s election victory before.
He said if a prayer for victory could be read for a non-Muslim candidate, then a prayer for the well-being and guidance of a non-Muslim leader should be similarly permitted.
“There are prayers that can be done and prayers that cannot... Prayers for the sake of good, we can do,” he said.
He also advised that the sermon issue be solved fairly and factually from a religious point-of-view and not through emotional political platforms.
When asked about the alleged use of the chief minister’s name to replace that of the King, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, Mohd Asri said he was not aware of the claim having just arrived back in Malaysia.
Penang Umno deputy chief Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that those delivering the sermons should get approval from the Penang Islamic Affairs Council even they were guest prayer leaders.
He said this in response to an Utusan Malaysia report the day before which quoted the Masjid Jamek Padang Menora imam Ibrahim Ishak as admitting that a guest prayer leader had mentioned the chief minister’s name when reading the Friday sermon recently.
Zainal Abidin said the spate of incidents showed that guest prayer leaders must get permission from the state’s Islamic Affairs Council before being allowed to work.
The police have so far received three reports over the Friday sermon issue involving some mosques in Penang. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein said police were now investigating the allegation contained in the reports.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday ordered a full investigation into the matter by the police and the Penang Islamic Religious Council.
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