A GUIDELINE should be established to differentiate Shia followers from those who promote the ideology, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof.

He said although the National Fatwa Council has banned Shia teachings, the guideline was necessary to determine the sentences or actions to be imposed against those are only followers and followers who also promote the teachings to others.

“There are two issues here. Firstly, all Shia practices are perceived to have deviated from true teachings of Islam and secondly according to the National Fatwa Council, the Islam practised in this country is based on the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah (ASWJ).

“We just need to clarify here. Can we take action just because one is a Shia follower or because one is a Shia follower and promotes Shia teachings… these are two different things,” he told the media after attending the national-level Maulidur Rasul celebration in Putrajaya today.

He was commenting on a statement by Penang Mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor, who said the fatwa which established Shia as a devious teaching could be reviewed, based on the argument that the previous consensus only stated that it was against the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah Islamic faith.

Mujahid said that the guideline should be determined to uphold religious freedom as enshrined in the constitution.

He added that the power to review the fatwa which ruled Shia as a deviant teaching lies with the State Fatwa Committee.

Mujahid said freedom of religion is enshrined in the federal constitution in Article 11 but Article 11(4) of the constitution clearly states that federal or state laws may be enacted to control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among Muslims. – Bernama, November 20, 2018.