THE vigilante Badar squad has accused Kedah religious exco Ismail Salleh of misleading the group and sabotaging its activities.
Squad founder and chairman Azhaar Mohamad said Ismail, during a meeting with the group at his office about two weeks ago, promised to help them get registered with the Registrar of Societies.
However, said Azhaar, Ismail’s statement on Monday, declaring that the group is illegal and has a criminal file with police, showed the exco’s true colours.
“Is this what it means to be an exco for Islamic affairs in Kedah? You’re from Amanah, but where is your dignity?
Ismail’s statement followed a decision by the management of Salahuddin mosque in Bandar Puteri Jaya, Sg Petani, to cancel a Badar squad-organised forum last Thursday.
It was feared that the forum, titled “Melayu Selamat, Islam Berdaulat” (When Malays are safe, Islam is sovereign), would be provocative, racially driven and political.
Ismail, in his statement, urged Muslims to see mosques as a place of unity, not segregation.
In the video on Facebook, an angry Azhaar defended the group’s work, saying the Badar squad is merely trying to encourage good values and discourage “sinful” activities.
He accused Ismail of being a “liar, fact-twister and pretender”.
The Badar squad first gained notoriety after authorities tagged it as being “extreme”.
The group, which started operating in Sg Petani two years ago and comprises volunteers, conducts raids on motels in search of unmarried Muslim couples committing khalwat (close proximity).
Those caught are taken to cemeteries for counselling before their parents are called in.
Azhaar said the squad obtains the blessings of police and religious authorities before carrying out raids.
However, police have said lodging a report prior to a raid is not the same as seeking and receiving approval from the authorities. – December 5, 2018.

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