Jawi insulting Islam with latest action against Borders staff, says women’s group

Women's group Sisters in Islam says that the action by Jawi against Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz (centre) would lead to discrimination against more Muslim staff in bookstores. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 16, 2015.Women's group Sisters in Islam (SIS) has condemned the federal Islamic authority for going after Borders bookstore manager Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz again despite the Federal Territory Shariah High Court having discharged her case over the selling of a book deemed un-Islamic.

In a statement today, SIS said they were disappointed with the Federal Territory's chief Shariah prosecutor and the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department's (Jawi) for their continued intimidation of Nik Raina.

They said the move by Jawi was an insult to the Federal Constitution, as it violated Nik Raina's rights, and is also against the principles of freedom in Islam.

They also slammed the two parties for insulting the High Court and Court of Appeals which had ordered the Federal Territory's chief Shariah prosecutor to withdraw his case against Nik Raina.

"What they are doing now is an insult to the Federal Constitution and against the principles of freedom provided by Islam.

"This case will also give room to discriminate other Muslim employees, who may face situations similar to Nik Raina's," they said.

Jawi is appealing against the Federal Territory Shariah High Court’s decision on February 26 to discharge Nik Raina for selling a book deemed un-Islamic entitled "Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta", which was translated from the English version written by Canadian author Irshad Manji.

Jawi officers raided the bookstore at its branch in MidValley Mega Mall in May 2012.

SIS said chief Shariah prosecutor Mohamad Adib Hussain, as a civil servant, should abide by the decisions of the Kuala Lumpur High Court on March 22 and the Court of Appeals in December last year that were in favour of Nik Raina.

The group also described the charge against Nik Raina as an abuse of the court process and a malicious prosecution, lamenting that the woman was being treated like a criminal even before she was brought to court.

"Doesn't Surah Al-Nahl in the Quran Allah order justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression?

"We ask the Attorney-General as the guardian of public interest to take the appropriate action on this matter.

"We view the actions by the chief Shariah prosecutor and Jawi as against the principles of freedom in Islam. They also give the people a negative perception on Islamic authorities in the country and on Islam in general," the group said.

- TMI