MALAYSIA’S attitude towards minority Muslim groups, such as those following the Shia sect, has turned it into one of the most intolerant countries in the world today, said Prof Dr Syed Farid Alatas.

“Malaysia was once a model Islamic country in the 1980s but today, many are saying that it is heading towards being one of the most intolerant,” Syed Farid told a forum at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (Istac) in Kuala Lumpur today.

Besides Syed Farid from the National university of Singapore, others at the forum entitled “The Future of the Ummah: Voices of Unity and Harmony”, included Islamic Renaissance Front’s Dr Ahmad Farouk, International Movement for a Just World (JUST) president Dr Chandra Muzaffar and Istac’s Dr Osman Bakar. The session was moderated by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas.

Syed Farid said there was wider acceptance of Shia groups in more conservative Muslim-majority countries, such as Pakistan, than Malaysia.

“Shia and Sunni followers are not even allowed to marry in some states in Malaysia,” he said. 

He cited the lack of diverse opinions on Shia issues in the country as among the reasons for the intolerance. 

“Malaysia should have more top ulama and scholars from the Sunni world talk about this topic rather than leave it to institutions,” said the sociology lecturer. 

Syed Farid’s comments follows the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) raid on a Shia gathering in Gombak on September 7.

Meanwhile, Dr Chandra said the Shia-Sunni divide was an indirect result of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

“Prior to that, the Shah of Iran and Saudi Arabia had a cordial relationship. But after the revolution, the Saudis saw it as a movement that had upset the geopolitical balance in the region,” Chandra said.

He added that certain segments in Malaysia had become anti-Shia to the point of irrationality. 

“As a result of that, Malaysia even denies them the basic right to observe their own practices.”

He said because the Shia minority in Malaysia was so small, it did not warrant such extreme measures.

Ahmad expressed similar sentiments, saying that Shia followers were among the most persecuted groups in Malaysia.

“The most attacked minority is not the Christians, Hindus or Buddhists but minority Muslims, such as the Shia.”

He said it didn’t make sense for Malaysia to be so extreme as the Shia-Sunni conflict in the Middle East was based primarily over the competition for resources.

Not all hope was lost though, Syed Farid said.

“We have engaged Islamic scholars and the government and what we need now is for the grassroots or general populace to say that enough is enough.

“If there is a bigger push from them, the politicians will have to stop the persecution.” – September 28, 2019.