KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20: PAS vice president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has joined other independent religious leaders in calling for the government to be more wise when dealing with differences of opinions in Islamic thought.
Responding to the recent arrest of two Shi'a Muslim teachers for spreading "deviant teachings" after a raid on a centre in Gombak, PAS vice president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man warned that the way the authorities were handling the issue would cause a bigger crisis.
“While I personally do not agree with the Shi’a school of thought, that does not mean we can act aggressively, when at the same time, deviant teachings such as Qadiyani, Bahai and Ayah Pin are allowed to exist,” said Tuan Ibrahim.
Last week, two teachers, including an Iranian, and 200 participants of a religious talk at a centre for Shi'a Muslims, were arrested and charged at the Syariah court after a raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Deparment (JAIS).
Shi'a Muslims subscribe to the Shi'ite school of thought in Islam, which sprung out of political differences during the early history of Islam. Followers of the school are mostly found in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain and certain parts of the Arab world.
While majority of Sunni and Shi'a Muslim scholars recognise each other, there are extremists who resort to violence and brand the other as 'infidels', prompting mainstream leaders from both divides to urge for unity and work on their fundamental similarities.
'Intellect'
Tuan Ibrahim added that the authorities should have opted to hold discussion and dialogues instead of resorting to arresting those who hold different opinions.
He reminded that Islam teaches Muslims to resort to the intellect when faced with differences of opinions.
“Because those who are involved are from among university lecturers, students and foreigners, the arrest will not stop the movement from operating.
"Islam teaches us to use the approach of dialogue and argument when facing what we describe as the difference of opinion and school of thoughts,” he said, adding there would always be differences in opinions in Islam.
The arrest also invited a sharp rebuke from former Perlis Mufti, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, who warned the country was sliding to “an era of Talibanisation”.
Asri said the country should not try to “become a country a la Taliban that only allows one school of thought” and deny the right of the people to practice their beliefs.
“[Violence] usually explodes in countries where the right to speak is constantly denied. Perhaps the government has its own agenda in this matter?” he asked.
