Malaysia: Harassed Ahmadiyyas may seek sanctuary in the West

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Forty-one people including Ainul were arrested. Jais and the police recorded their personal details. Jais also recorded statements from 13 of them yesterday.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: FM Today
By K Pragalath | April 21, 2014

ELAYANG: The Ahmadiyya community in Kampung Nakhoda near Batu Caves are considering political asylum in the West due to the continued persecution by the religious authorities.

“Depending on the outcome of the latest case against us by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), we may need seek political asylum in a foreign country.

“Some of us are prepared to move out,” said the group’s local spiritual leader Ainul Yaqeen Muhammad Zain at an interview yesterday at the Baitussalam, the Ahmadiyya’s congregation point in Batu Caves.

Ainul said that presently Ahmadiyyas face persecution in all Muslim nations, especially in Pakistan, and many followers had opted to seek political asylum in Canada.

“Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak says that Malaysia is a moderate country and yet the authorities here are forcing their interpretation of Islam on us.

“It would be shameful to Malaysia if we sought asylum to practice our faith,” he said.

Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious movement founded in British India near the end of the 19th century.

Ainul’s comments were made in reference to a raid on their congregation centre on April 11 by the (Jais), after Friday prayers, led by Ainul.

Forty-one people including Ainul were arrested. Jais and the police recorded their personal details. Jais also recorded statements from 13 of them yesterday.

Among the 41 arrested, two were guests from the UK with a five-year-old child, and another was a guest from Pakistan.ahmadiah1

Among the local followers arrested were four underaged, two 13-year olds, one 12 and the other, 17.

Jais is charging all 41 of conducting prayers in a place not considered a mosque without the approval of Jais and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais).

If found guilty they face a RM3,000 fine or a two-year jail term, or both. The case against them by Jais will be heard in the West Gombak Syariah Court in Kuang, near Rawang, Selangor on Oct 23.

“The Malaysian government and the religious authorities here do not recognise the Ahmadiyyas as Muslims,” said Ainul.

“There are about 2,000 Ahmadiyya nationwide, most of whom reside in Selangor. Those of us in Kampung Nakhoda are considering filing a legal suit in the civil court against Jais.”

“We are discussing it with our lawyers and looking at several possible angles,” Ainul added.

Persecuted and banned from mosques

This is the first time Jais had arrested Ahmadiyya followers near Kampung Nakhoda. In 2009, Jais raided the same centre and ran a media campaign against the community in 2011.

In 2008, the then Selangor state exco for Islamic affairs, Hasan Ali, had wanted to forcibly usurp the land where the Baitussalam is located.

Six months later, Mais banned Ahmadiyyas from performing their prayers in mosques. Evidence of the media campaign can be seen in Kampung Nakhoda.

The religious authorities have put up orange-coloured signboards that read: Qadiani bukan Islam (Qadianis are not Muslims) right in front of the Baitussalam.

Qadiani is used by the local religious authorities to refer to Ahmaddiyas. The original term refers to the town Qadian, in India where Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the sect was born.

Ainul said that Jais’ action of raiding and arresting them is against the spirit of the Quran.

“The Quran states that there should be no compulsion in religion,” he said citing Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 256.

“Jais should adhere to the complete law of the Quran and yet they are forcing us to follow their interpretation. Their actions contradict the Quran,” Ainul said.


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