MUSLIMS should stand up against corrupt, dogmatic and narrow ideas of Islam, said Mujahid Yusof Rawa, adding that not enough is being done to combat this.

The islamic affairs minister said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has introduced the “rahmatan lil alamin” (compassionate Islam) concept to counter and against orthodox ideas which drag down Muslims with backward thinking.

“We have been standing up, but it’s not enough,” said Mujahid, who is minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

“The whole ummah (Muslim community) must stand up against this kind of thinking that will cause us to become regressive.”

Mujahid said certain quarters had been accusing the government of failing to protect Islam and the interests of Muslims, and would make use of every opportunity to support their line of thinking.

“What is ‘Islam yang tak dijaga’ (neglected Islam)? It is their version of Islam (itu Islam dia), not the Islam we understand,” he told reporters at a Kembara Rahmat and Iftar event in Teluk Kumbar, Penang this evening.

He cited how Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Aminuddin Yahaya had slammed Pos Malaysia’s stamp series that featured places of worship, such as churches.

Aminuddin had posted an image of a stamp showing a church, and called it “bullying against Muslims”.

He has since removed the post and apologised after Pos Malaysia said they had been printing such stamps since Barisan Nasional’s time.

Mujahid said these groups should be careful with their statements that demonstrate what is in their heads.

“They are just looking for excuses to say PH is not taking care of Islam. That’s all they have in their heads. This is wrong.

“By right, they should study before reaching such conclusions. But with these people, they had made up their minds.

“When they find issues, like in this case with the stamps, they will say ‘look, this is a Christian stamp with a church. This is what they call a rahmatan lil alamin government’.

“Stamps like these were produced during Barisan Nasional’s time too. When we talk about houses of worship, it refers to all… mosques, temples. They are to show a multiracial Malaysia, where we live in harmony,” he said.

Mujahid said each time people make such remarks, they only show “how unintelligent and narrow-minded” they really are.

“What they do will not help Islam progress. Sorry. They will just take the religion backwards. People like them will bring slander, especially to Muslims themselves.

“We need a progressive thinking society. Progressive thinking is in line with Islamic teaching, not the kind of thinking that has backward interpretations of Islam.”

Mujahid also said the people can judge such thinking for themselves. – May 17, 2019.