So much to do about nothing. People are so feeble-minded when it comes to religion that in terms of intelligence they resemble our closest relatives, the chimpanzee. In fact, there is little doubt in my mind that there are millions of people walking the streets of cities across the globe who posses an inferior level of cognitive thinking than the average chimp. Needless to say, these are the religious zealots among us. TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — More than 200 Muslim Shiites detained in one of the biggest Malaysian sweeps targeting outlawed Muslim sects may be charged with breaching Islamic law.
Government authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia consider only the Sunni denomination legal. Sunni Islam is the world’s largest branch of the religion, followed by Shia Islam.
Islamic officials raided a shop house in the Gombak district in central Selangor state last week and arrested the group, said Nurhamizah Othman, a public relations officer at the Selangor Islamic Religious Department. Among those detained were Iranians, Indonesians and Pakistanis.
It was the largest sweep of outlawed groups in recent months, the department director, Muhammad Khusrin Munawi, told state media. He said the Shia doctrine is a threat to national security because it permits the killing of Muslims from other sects who are regarded as infidels. Nurhamizah confirmed the comments.
Malaysia, a Southeast Asian country of 28 million people, is wary of religious sects, fearful that they may alter the nation’s image as moderate. Malay Muslims make up about 60 percent of the population, while most of the rest are Buddhists, Hindus or Christians from the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
The arrests of the Shia followers have been slammed by some religious scholars.
“Malaysia is trying to become a country a la Taliban that only allows one school of thought,” said prominent Muslim scholar Asri Zainul Abidin.
“Even though I personally don’t agree with Shia teachings and even frequently criticize and debate with them, I cannot accept the approach of the allegedly democratic Malaysian government in denying the people’s right to practice their faith,” he said.
Nurhamizah said the detainees have all been released on bail, except two Iranians. Most are likely to be charged in an Islamic court with following the teachings of a deviationist movement, which carries a penalty of up to two years in jail, she said.
