YOURSAY | Attack on Howard Lee is ridiculous

YOURSAY | ‘Non-Muslims don’t abide by the Quran, but they can always study it.’

COMMENT | Do cops have expertise to probe Lee?

Man on the Silver Mountain: True to form, Malaysia is a land of possibility or impossibility, depending on which side of the fence one is.

Already the controversial usage of the word Allah has filled much of Malaysian news and minds. Now it is about the quotation or interpretation of the Quran by non-Muslims.

According to the police report, Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee should not even allude to it because he is not a Muslim.

Any reasonably minded person would think how ridiculous this is, but unfortunately, many of us are not reasonably thinking people to begin with.

It is public knowledge that there are non-Muslims, and Muslims too, who study religions not of their own. In universities, if you take up Islamic studies, you will naturally need to have the Quran, study, discuss, and speak about it.

In Lee’s case, he suddenly finds himself unable to speak about things that he studied or has reasonable knowledge of.

Non-Muslims do not abide by the Quran, but they can always study it.

If they do, why not quote it as well? If the quotation is not right, then the experts can chip in and correct things. Where does the insult come from?

Mazhilamani: What do the authorities of Islam feel about Lee’s interpretation of the holy Quranic verse?

I know two reports have been made, and the police are obliged to investigate.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor intended for this very sensitive matter to be handled by the police. Is Sanusi the right person to make a judgement?

The investigation must be handled with care in the light of future consequences.

What surprises me, correct me if I am wrong, the PAS ulamas have remained silent on this matter and so have the state muftis.

Finally, for safety’s sake, for those who are into comparative religious studies, can they keep a copy of the Quran in their homes?

Is it wrong to keep a copy for knowledge or the sake of reference?

Koel: Malaysian politicians should grow up. The rest of the world deals with dwindling economies, climate concerns, alternative energy sources, and so on.

Over here we have examples of the stupidity and narrow-mindedness of politicians.

Quoting from various scriptures to make a point has been made through time and the history of humanity by people of faith or no faith.

Is this about PAS being played at their game? PAS and Perikatan Nasional appear to have done something similar in calling on some segments of Malaysian society to hate other segments.

Issuing fatwas, in jest or otherwise, could be construed as a worse crime.

Did they not open the door to this trend, then? So clean up your limited backyard by jumping up and down like a bunch of illiterate ignoramuses.

People like Lee should just stick to politics, instead of the pulpit.

The media should stop allowing these loud-mouthed idiots to dominate the headlines. We have more pressing issues for which we need urgent answers.

Coward: Yes, police do have the expertise. Lee is not investigated under Islamic law, so the argument that the state doesn’t have justification does not apply.

He is being investigated under secular law to find out if what he said falls under sedition. Is he disturbing the peace?

For these, the police have plenty of expertise. These types of offences do not have a religious angle except for the coincidence that they involve religion.

All these are unnecessary because whether he committed a crime can be determined objectively without resorting to religion, using common sense and a common yardstick applicable to all religions.

It is this objectivity that we demand in the act of investigation. Using former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Mohamed Hanipa Maidin’s logic, the police will need expertise in all religions to investigate cases like this.

That will make it impossible to investigate and introduce potential bias in the process.

Under secular law, we are all equal. Yes, in Malaysia it is said that some are more equal than others, but it is our job to eliminate that, not introduce a new category.

Newday: Hanipa, these police reports are all about politics and the irrational desire to paint anything that DAP states or does in a bad light.

It is the self-proclaimed guardians of God’s word who claim the sole domain of Quran and Hadith interpretation.

The verse in question is something that non-Muslims can easily understand and appreciate the values it contains.

That is what makes this attack on Lee even more ridiculous.

Checkmate: I had envisaged that Lee’s keenness to show that he knows a word or two of Quranic verses would provide ammunition to the opposition to attack him.

Lee, a seasoned politician like you should have preempted not to touch anything on Islam when you are not an ulama or ustaz.

Now you have shot at your own feet unnecessarily. Wake up to the reality that anything you say will be used and twisted against you, especially on the 3Rs (race, religion, and royalty).

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.