MUSLIM civil society groups, which took part in a rally of thousands in Alor Star yesterday to protest the distribution of Bibles in some parts of Kedah, want the state government to issue a statement against the activity.

Popular independent preacher Ustaz Ahmad Husam Badarudin said the state government should make a statement to stop the activity.

Husam was among Muslim leaders and personalities who took part in the rally organised by the Kedah Badar Squad.

He then joined seven others to meet Kedah religious affairs exco Ismail Salleh at Wisma Darul Aman yesterday afternoon.

“During the meeting, we raised several matters with Ismail.

“We told him of the Muslims’ concern that Islam is being threatened, following recent events like the circulation of Bibles. We shared with him what we know about the issue.

“We also asked why the state government had issued no statement on the matter. He told us that he was still waiting for the police to finish its investigations.

“We suggested that while waiting for the police to complete investigations, the state should issue a statement urging those behind the Bible distributions to stop what they are doing,” Husam told The Malaysian Insight.

Badar Squad leader Azhar Mohamad had earlier said some individuals had been distributing Bibles around Sungai Petani since about a month ago.

Copies of the Bible had been found in residential areas and even mosque compounds.

Azhar had also said they heard a few days ago that it was also happening in Baling.

Bibles were also distributed outside a secondary school in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Photos of it went viral on social media, leading to several police reports being lodged in Penang and other states.

The police recorded statements from 29 people, including six suspects, the school principal, staff and students.

The police arrested five Nigerians who had distributed Christian magazines titled Rhapsody of Realities in George Town recently.

They were found to not have valid travel documents.

However, there have been no arrests in Kedah over the local incidents so far.

Freedom of religion is provided in the federal constitution, but it is an offence to propagate other faiths to Muslims.

Another Muslim group leader, Ali Selamat, said the authorities must find out who was responsible for the Bible distributions, which had riled up many Muslims.

“Who’s behind it? No ghost delivered the Bibles,” said the Langkawi Muslim Consumers Association chairman.

“We Muslims and non-Muslims have lived together as friends for so long. (What we are asking for) has nothing to do with race or ideology. We are all friends.” – November 19, 2018.