COMMENT:
Congratulation to JAWI. Its about time they shut the door on SIS face. Over the years, SIS has bring in more 'provocative' issues and problems, and confused young Muslim girls, rather then helped solve societal problems. Now its members are threatened with arrest for blasphemy.
*Blasphemy = Is the act of insulting or show contempt or lack of reverence for a religious deity, or the irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things, or towards something considered sacred, or inviolable. Blasphemies can also mean any irreverent or disrespectful action or remark made towards religious body or institution (e.g. JAWI).
Source:
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Dalam_Negeri/20130725/dn_08/SIS-boleh-disiasat-kerana-pertikai-fatwa
SIS boleh disiasat kerana pertikai fatwa
KUALA LUMPUR 24 Julai - Sisters In Islam (Sis) boleh disiasat mengikut Seksyen 7 dan 9 Akta Kesalahan Jenayah Syariah (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 1997 (Akta 559) kerana mempersoalkan fatwa yang mengharamkan wanita Islam menyertai pertandingan ratu cantik.
Pengarah Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi), Datuk Che Mat Che Ali berkata, jika didapati bersalah di bawah salah satu seksyen tersebut, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) itu boleh dikenakan denda tidak melebihi RM3,000 atau penjara maksimum dua tahun atau kedua-duanya.
Menurut beliau, kesalahan di bawah Seksyen 7 melibatkan mana-mana individu atau kumpulan yang secara lisan atau bertulis telah menghina agama Islam atau menyebabkan agama Islam dipandang hina.
''Selain itu, mempersendakan, mengajuk-ajuk atau mencemuh amalan atau upacara yang berhubungan dengan agama Islam serta mempersendakan atau menyebabkan dipandang hina mana-mana undang-undang yang sedang berkuat kuasa di Wilayah Persekutuan yang berhubungan dengan agama Islam juga merupakan kesalahan di bawah Seksyen 7.
''Kesalahan di bawah Seksyen 9 adalah mana-mana individu atau kumpulan yang bertindak dengan cara menghina pihak berkuasa agama atau mengingkari, melanggar serta mempertikaikan perintah Yang di-Pertuan Agong sebagai Ketua Agama Islam, majlis atau mufti, yang dinyatakan atau diberikan melalui fatwa," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.
Beliau mengulas kenyataan Sis yang mempertikaikan pengeluaran fatwa di Malaysia dalam isu ratu cantik dengan menyifatkannya sebagai tidak islamik dan demokratik di laman portal berita FMT semalam.
Sis mempersoalkan bagaimana fatwa yang diwartakan pada 8 Februari 1996 di bawah Akta Pentadbiran Undang-Undang Islam (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 1993 dan yang lain boleh menjadi undang-undang secara automatik tanpa melalui proses perundangan dan ini telah mencabuli kebebasan asasi seseorang.
Menurut Che Mat, Jawi memandang serius terhadap mana-mana pihak yang mempertikaikan fatwa atau menghina Islam dan akan mengambil tindakan ke atas mereka jika siasatan membuktikan wujudnya perbuatan tersebut.
Beliau berkata, ketegasan Jawi itu boleh dilihat melalui kertas siasatan terhadap wanita Islam yang menyertai Pertandingan Miss Malaysia World 2013 yang telah mula dibuka mengikut Seksyen 7 atas kesalahan mempersoalkan fatwa mengharamkan mereka menyertai pertandingan ratu cantik.
Artikel Penuh: http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Dalam_Negeri/20130725/dn_08/SIS-boleh-disiasat-kerana-pertikai-fatwa#ixzz2a4ztmHTq
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http://www.nst.com.my/latest/jawi-to-query-beauty-contestants-sis-organiser-for-insulting-islam-1.325775
(24 July 2013)
Jawi to query beauty contestants, SIS, organiser for insulting Islam
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) has begun its investigation against several individuals for allegedly insulting Islam over the participation of four Muslim women in the Miss World Malaysia 2013 beauty pageant.
Jawi director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali in confirming the matter said the department has already questioned several individuals over the issue since yesterday. He however, refused to divulge details on the identities and the number of people quizzed by the department, thus far.
“We have recorded statements from several individuals over the matter. However, I can’t reveal their identities.
“Besides the Muslim contestants, the department will also call anyone who questioned the gazetted fatwa, which forbids Muslim women from taking part in the beauty pageant, to assist our investigation into the case.
“Questioning the fatwa is similar to insulting Islam” he told the New Straits Times when contacted today.
On whether the department will summon Sisters In Islam (SIS) programme manager Suri Kempe to assist in the probe, Che Mat reiterated that Jawi will called anyone who had questioned the legitimacy of the edict.
He said investigation on the case was being conducted under Section 7 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997 for disrepute or insulting Islam. Those found guilty of committing the offence will be liable to face the maximum RM3,000 fine and two years’ jail or both.
“We will try to complete investigations immediately. And if there is a case, the department prosecution team would begin our legal redress after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration next month,” he said.
Che Mat also said the organiser of the event would also be liable to the same amount of fine and jail sentence if it refused to adhere to the fatwa.
The four Muslim contestants were dropped from the contest after Jawi raised the matter. Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh said the edict, which prohibits Muslim women from joining beauty pageants was issued and gazetted under the Federal Territories Islamic Administration Act in February 1996.
One of the contestants, Wafa Johanna de Korte, told a Malay daily on Sunday that the decision to axe them was unnecessary. She claimed there are other Muslim countries like Indonesia, which allows Muslim women to participate in pageants.
Suri, on behalf of SIS, told a news portal that the procedure for legislating fatwas as “un-Islamic” and “undemocratic”.
PRESS STATEMENT
SIS: Procedure for Legislating Fatwas Un-Islamic and Undemocratic
SIS: Procedure for Legislating Fatwas Un-Islamic and Undemocratic
The recent disqualification of four Miss Malaysia World 2013 beauty contest finalists on the basis that their participation is ‘sinful’ and in contravention of a 1996 fatwa banning Muslims from participating in beauty pageants, raises concerns about the over-reach of fatwas beyond their original intent.
The 1996 fatwa exists as an attempt to control the public conduct of Muslims in terms of dress and indecency, specifically Muslim women. Yet, despite the organisers’ assurance that the contestants will not be required to wear swimming costumes and instead be wearing long pants, their participation was still deemed ‘sinful’. How, where and on what basis do the religious authorities draw the line as to what is indecent dress or indecent behaviour? Do long pants now fall in the category of ‘sinful’ and indecent attire?
There is also the issue of gender bias. If there can be a fatwa that prevents Muslim women from taking part in a beauty contest, then by the same argument should not there be a fatwa on Muslim men taking part in a body building contest? Does not the Constitution say all are equal before the law and that there can be no discrimination on the basis of gender? We are not saying the simple solution is to ban all such activities, but to raise the point of inconsistency and double-standards.
However, what is of greater concern to Sisters in Islam (SIS) is the larger question of how gazetted fatwas have the automatic force of law without going through the legislative process, and are used as a tool to undemocratically pass laws that infringe on our fundamental liberties.
After approval by the State Executive Council and the Sultan, a fatwa only needs to be gazetted to become law. It is not tabled for debate in the legislative body. Any violation of the fatwa is a criminal offence. Any effort to dispute or to give an opinion contrary to the fatwa is also a criminal offence. Such provisions have no basis in the Quran and historical practices of Islam and violate several articles in the Federal Constitution.
Constitutionally, only Parliament has the legislative authority to make laws in Malaysia at the federal level, and legislative assemblies at the state level. Those not democratically elected, sitting in a closed body, and who do not believe that others have a right to discuss, debate and question matters of religion, cannot be allowed to make law by decree that affect our fundamental liberties.
To remove this threat to parliamentary government, each fatwa should be subjected to affirmative resolution by the legislative body before it can come into effect. This is to ensure that the fatwa goes through a democratic process of debate before it becomes law, thus fulfilling the principle of shura in governance in Islam. Such open debate will also invite public participation in the making of legislation that affect fundamental liberties.
Sisters In Islam
22 July 2013
