WAS Saturday’s rally in Kuala Lumpur to defend Islam and the constitution or draw support for certain political parties, questioned Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“I welcome gatherings by Muslims aimed at defending the sanctity of Islam and the constitution. I fully support these noble aims.

“But I am wondering whether these were the real objectives, or (if the rally was) aimed at garnering support for certain parties,” the prime minister said on his blog last night.

He said while the rally was reportedly to “remind the government” about Islam’s status in Malaysia, the leaders who addressed the gathering were from Umno and PAS.

“If the gathering was to defend Islam, by right, it should not have been limited to certain parties. These parties’ alliance does not reflect Islamic solidarity. In fact, it divides Muslims in Malaysia.”

He said the Islamist PAS has yet to retract statements calling Umno members “kafir” (infidels).

“Even the Amanat Hadi referred to the (then) Umno-Barisan Nasional government as ‘kafir’, and said those opposed to that government would be martyrs upon their death,” he said, adding that such allegations by PAS split Malays “for the first time”.

“There had been no differences of opinion or understanding on Islam (among Malays) since ancient times… but there was a profound split when PAS was formed, and the party accused Umno members of being ‘kafir’ for cooperating with the so-called ‘infidels’.”

Amanat Hadi refers to a portion of a ceramah given by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in Terengganu in 1981.

Dr Mahathir said PAS’ “obsession” with the notion saw members regarding their own parents as infidels for joining Umno, and cattle and poultry slaughtered by Umno members deemed not halal.

“For PAS, a person who does not join the party is an infidel. According to the party, only its members are Muslims. Indeed, according to them, Muslims seeking asylum in non-Muslim countries are infidels, too.”

He said there are segments of Muslims who purportedly fight to uphold Islam, but they focus on “small matters” and include political elements in their struggles.

“And now, we find Malaysian Muslims joining wars against other Muslims. They are willing to kill other Muslims, something that is prohibited in Islam. There is no movement by Muslims who want to uphold Islam, who talk about the sin of killing others, especially fellow Muslims.

‘What’s worse was them shouting ‘Allah’ during the gathering to strengthen their divide-and-rule politics. Allah’s name was used to justify rejecting Islamic teachings… Committing sin by doing things prohibited by the religion should not be done in the name of Allah.”

He added that Islam prohibits theft, but PAS had negotiated and cooperated with the previous administration, which is known to the world as “a government of thieves”.

“Now, PAS continues to work with the people who have been rejected by society for stealing.”

The prime minister said Malays often accuse the new government of not holding Islam in high regard, but other Muslim nations view Malaysia as a role model.

“They have expressed desire to see their countries become like Malaysia, saying even though their population is 100% Muslim, they are unable to properly govern and bring stability to their nations, what more, develop them.”

He said countries with a 100% Muslim population are often hostile towards each other, causing chaos to their peoples, many of whom are forced to migrate to non-Muslim nations.

“Ethnic differences, disparity in Islamic teachings, and political and leadership differences have disrupted peace. Often, they are forced to abide by the will of a non-Muslim major power. Some are also influenced by Jews, whether directly or indirectly.”

He said Muslims in the said countries are impressed with how Islam is upheld in Malaysia.

“The accusations (by locals) against the government are… merely due to political reasons. Islam then gets a bad name because of non-religious interests.

“Once again, I would like to ask Hadi and PAS whether they still don’t recognise my Islam and the Islam of those who are not members or supporters of the party.” – Bernama, May 9, 2019.