TURKISH author Mustafa Akyol was released from detention this afternoon after having his statement recorded by the religious authorities, said Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph.

The author was last night stopped at the airport on his way out of the country and handed over to the police, who took him to the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) headquarters.

“He was sent back to the Jalan Travers police station before he was released this afternoon,” said Joseph.

Joseph said Mustafa’s host, Islamic Renaissance Front director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa picked Mustafa up from the police staton at 2.30pm and would help him book his flight ticket home to Boston, USA, as Mustafa wished to depart at once.

Joseph said Suhakam found out that he was detained at Jawi after contacting federal police headquarters Bukit Aman this morning. 

“We then contacted Jawi who told us that they had released him into police custody at Travers after they were done questioning him, as was the procedure,” he said. 

Joseph said the question was what had prompted Jawi to detain Mustafa. 

“Mustafa told us that he was an academic and an Islamic researcher and not a religious teacher. 

“So many scholars have come to Malaysia and we believe that individuals who want to express their views should have the intellectual space (to do so),” he said. 

Joseph said Suhakam would probe to find out what had transpired between Mustafa and Jawi. 

“Mustafa said (the worst part of it) was the uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen to him. 

“It was really stressful and harrowing for him. His wife was worried and they (Jawi) should have at least allowed him to call someone,” he said. 

Jawi director Abdul Aziz Jusoh said it was acting on a public complaint regarding the Turkish academic arising from a forum hosted by the IRF on Sunday.

The roundtable discussion was on the topic “Does Freedom of Conscience Open the Floodgates to Apostasy” at the Heritage Room in Royal Selangor Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur. 

On the same day, Jawi issued a summons to Mustafa to appear at the department the next day to be questioned.

“As Mustafa failed to show up to give his statement (on Monday) Jawi applied to the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court to issue a arrest warrant for him under Section 58 (2) of the Syariah Criminal Offences Procedures Act 1997, for Jawi to complete investigation into the offence of teaching religion without proper credentials,” he said in a statement.

Aziz said Mustafa was detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by the police, who handed him over to Jawi to have his statement recorded. 

“He was released today at noon after Jawi completed its investigations and was satisfied that the the event organiser had not informed him that he was required to apply to the Malaysian religious authorities for the proper credentials to talk about Islamic teachings or teachings concerning Islam in Malaysia,” he said.

Aziz said Jawi advised all organisers to ensure that the speakers they invited to Malaysia had the  credentials required by Malaysian law.

Action will be taken against speakers who fail to do so under Section 11 of the Federal Territories Syariah Offences Act 1997, he said. 

The offence carries a fine of not more than RM5,000 or a jail term of not more than three years or both. Organisers can also be charged with abetting and if found guilty, can be similarly punished. – September 26, 2017.