Outspoken religious scholar Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has urged Muslims in
positions of authority in religious bodies to cease their knee-jerk
reactions to those of the community who - denied help by their own
brethren - turn to other religious communities for help.
Commenting
on the controversial raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department
(Jais) on a multiracial dinner organised in a church compound in which
poor Muslims were allegedly involved in proselytising efforts, Asri (right)
said Islamic bodies have no one to fault but themselves if poor and
vulnerable Muslims accept offers of assistance from non-Muslim based
organisations and if such
people in need are in such a state as to compromise their religious
faith in order to gain material assistance, it is only human nature that
they come under the influence of those who accord them better
treatment.
Commenting
on the controversial raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department
(Jais) on a multiracial dinner organised in a church compound in which
poor Muslims were allegedly involved in proselytising efforts, Asri (right)
said Islamic bodies have no one to fault but themselves if poor and
vulnerable Muslims accept offers of assistance from non-Muslim based
organisations and if such
people in need are in such a state as to compromise their religious
faith in order to gain material assistance, it is only human nature that
they come under the influence of those who accord them better
treatment.
Asri also noted that it is not against the law for Muslims to receive
help from non-Muslims, what more when then former are in difficulty and neither is it wrong for non-Muslims to extend assistance to those they seek to help.
Asri said, “Just because we fail to help, let's not blame others for extending their hand.”
Asri said, “Just because we fail to help, let's not blame others for extending their hand.”
Read another article by The Malaysian Insider:
August 07, 2011
The
hundreds of millions in zakat collections annually made the difficulty
for Muslims to secure aid dubious, said Asri. — File pic
KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 7 — Influential cleric Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
questioned today if red tape and the lack of state alms have forced
impoverished Muslims to seek help from Christian churches.
The former Perlis mufti said it was not a sin for destitute Muslims
to receive aid from non-Muslims, pointing out that the blame lay with
practitioners of Islam who were supposed to help their fellow believers.
“Where have all our wang zakat (alms) gone? Collections of hundreds
of millions of ringgit are announced every year,” said Asri in an essay
sent to The Malaysian Insider today.
“Is it not enough to help the poor get out of their poverty without them having to ask others for help?” he questioned.
Pro-Umno newspapers Berita Harian and Harian Metro have highlighted
since yesterday allegations that Christian organisations are secretly
trying to convert impoverished Muslims through welfare aid.
The Malay dailies also reported today a Muslim woman claiming that
she was forced to accept cash and free food from a church, after failing
to get aid from Baitulmal or the state fund for the poor, which is
generated from tithes collected from mosques.
The reports came after the Selangor Islamic Religious Department
(Jais) and the police raided a multiracial dinner at the Damansara Utama
Methodist Church in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday night, based on an
allegation that Christians were proselytising to Muslim guests.
“Why is there so much red tape blocking the poor from getting alms?
There is so much red tape just to get even RM100 to RM200. This is
despite the zakat offices looking opulent, the high salaries for
officers and bosses, and advanced equipment,” Asri lamented.
“Is the high cost meant only to find donors, but without sufficient willpower to find suitable recipients?” he asked.
The Muslim cleric queried how the zakat administration could fail to
help destitute Muslims, so much so they longed to leave their faith.
“It is the right of anyone to help whomever they want. As long as
rules and laws are followed, one can help another regardless of race or
religion,” said Asri.
He also said it was peculiar for Muslims to renounce their faith in
the Muslim-majority country because of unsatisfactory treatment from
their fellow believers.
“There are many questions that Muslims must ask themselves before blaming others,” said Asri.
Christian churches demanded yesterday for evidence behind allegations
that Christian charity groups were involved in covert conversions.
A priest has dismissed such allegations as old rumours used to pit Muslims against Christians.
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