POLITICAL and civil society leaders took to social media today to pay tribute to prominent Malay author and progressive Islamic thinker Dr Kassim Ahmad, whom they hailed as a brave and courageous intellectual who stood by his beliefs.

Kassim died at the Kulim Hospital at 10am today, after being warded last month for lung problems. He had just turned 84 last month.

Civil society leader Ambiga Sreenevasan took to Twitter to share that she would remember the Kedah-born author most for his bravery in facing persecution.

“I remember him for his courage in facing the oppression and shameful treatment meted out to him. May he rest in peace,” said the former Bar Council president.

Kassim often clashed with the religious authorities and had just won a three-year legal battle against Jawi which had sued him for allegedly insulting Islam in a seminar in February 2014.

Former minister Zaid Ibrahim (@zaidibrahim) also took to Twitter, where he called Kassim the “one true Malay intellectual”.

“Innalillah, Pak Kassim gone. One True Malay intellectual, with conviction and grit so few have. They harassed him and maligned him,” wrote Zaid.

“I am on the way to Kulim; to offer condolence and respect to this good Muslim, who all his life had wanted Muslims to be compassionate,” he said in a subsequent tweet.

Rights group Sisters in Islam (@SistersinIslam) wrote that Kassim’s fight against the shutdown on intellectual discourse would be continued.

“Our prayers are with him & his family. His struggles for intellectual freedom will not be forgotten, Al-Fatihah”.

Pakatan Harapan chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah described Kassim as a brave public intellectual.

“Sedih mendengar berita Pak Kassim Ahmad meninggal dunia. Public intellectual yg berani. Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat pd rohnya. Al fatihah!” tweeted the Temerloh MP.

(Sad to hear about the passing of Kassim Ahmad. A brave public intellectual. May his soul rest in peace.)

Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto remembered Kassim as a “fearless” Malaysian who refused to be silenced.

“Rest in peace, Pak Kassim Ahmad. You are proof that ideas & thoughts cannot be chained. A towering Malaysian who spoke fearlessly. Al Fatihah,” said the DAP politician. 

Fellow author Mohd Faizal Musa, better known as Faisal Tehrani, thanked Kassim for paving the way to challenging extremism and quoted Kassim’s last email to him – a reading recommendation.

“The banned author, Kassim Ahmad dies. His banned works remain in our mind. Thank you for opening the road to challenge the extreme rigid agamawan,” wrote Faisal, whose books have also been banned in Malaysia.

““His very last email to me, 12th May 2017, he recommended me to read his article; “The Rise and Fall of Islam” [September 9, 1933 — October 10, 2017.] al Fatihah.” – October 10, 2017.