Isma: Good for Muslims to be 'sensitive' to threats

It is a healthy sign that Muslims are allegedly increasingly sensitive towards criticisms of their religion, said Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman.

He was commenting when asked about police reports lodged against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and radio station BFM recently.

"Sensitive is healthy. But not too sensitive. The liberals try to paint a negative image about people who hold on to religious principles.

"We are labelled paranoid, too sensitive, this is to make us afraid to come forward," he said during a press conference at Isma's seminar on liberalism at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur today.

A group of Muslim NGOs, led by Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) and Isma lodged the police report against BFM radio on Thursday, urging that the presenters and the station be charged under the Sedition Act.

The group said BFM had crossed the line in discussing the issues of ‘kalimah Allah’, Muslim headscarves and sacrificial meat.

NGO Pekida, meanwhile, will lodge a police report over Lim's remarks that non-Muslims in Penang can use the word “Allah” this Tuesday.

Meanwhile, commenting on the “threats” of liberalism, Abdullah said the spread of ideology among Muslims in the country was at a critical level.

However, such threats can be curbed if the society understands the true teachings of religion, he said.

“It is just like a parasite which freeloads on a healthy tree. That’s why our effort is to ensure that the tree remains healthy, as it will not be easy for it to be affected by diseases,” he said.