Malaysia: 'Enforcement officers' from Islamic Religious Department arrest 41 Ahmadis in Selangor

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According to the statement, some local media reporters disguised as 'enforcement officers' may have been part of the raid team.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Jama'at Ahmadiyya Islamia Malaysia
By Ahmadiyya Times Staff Report | April 12, 2014

The members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Malaysia say they are shocked and saddened at the "very blatant attempt" by the Islamic Religious Department to stop Ahmadis from performing their Friday prayers.

The Community issued a press statement earlier today describing the raid and mistreatment community members suffered at the hands of the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) during an incursion into the Ahmadiyya prayer center at Jumaa (Friday) prayers in Selangor state.

Reportedly, some 30 JAIS 'enforcement officers' descended upon the Ahmadiyya Salat Center at Dolomite Park Avenue, Jalan Batu Caves, with a search warrant and ransacked the place citing reports of activity deemed unauthorized by the Islamic Religious Department.

The religious police officers arrested 41 Ahmadi members who had just completed their Friday prayers and drove most of the detainees to the JAIS headquarters in Shah Alam, some 50km away. Four members were brought to a nearby JAIS office in Gombak.

The Ahmadiyya  Imam and Missionary of the mosque was taken separately to a nearby police station and then to the JAIS headquarters at Shah Alam, where his statement was taken down and a notice to appear in court on 23rd October 2014 was issued to him.

Other detainees were also given future dates to appear before the authorities and give their statements.

According to the statement, some local media reporters disguised as 'enforcement officers' may have been part of the raid team.

"Several reporters who claimed to be JAIS officers but who we suspected were from the Harian Metro Malay language newspaper took video recording and photographs of the raid," the statement reported.

"[T]he raid [news] is published in Harian Metro and a video recording of the raid has been uploaded onto the YouTube."

The community maintains the whole incident smacks of an attempt to prevent them from observing their religious rituals and to deny them their religious freedom.

"This is a sorry state of affairs in Selangor, the most developed state in Malaysia," the statement further stated. "It is also shameful that this is happening in Malaysia, which wants to portray itself as a modern, progressive and exemplary Islamic state."

The community called on all Malaysians "who have eyes and hearts for justice" to give them the moral support against further attacks on the freedom of religion in the country.

(The Statement was issued under the signatures of  Ainul Yakin M.Zain, Public Relations Officer, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Malaysia.)

  --  Malaysia: 'Enforcement Officers' from Islamic Religious Department arrest 41 Ahmadis



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