AhlulBayt News Agency

source : presstv
Wednesday

16 February 2011

8:30:00 PM
226937

Malaysia's Discriminatory Policies Once Again Draws Attention

Malaysia's discriminatory policies have come under the spotlight once again as a Shia leader is still waiting his trial about three months after his detention

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Shia leader Kamil Zuhairi Abdul Aziz was arrested in December for what the religious authorities described as 'deviant teaching.'

The Shia leader had to post a bail of USD 650 to be released, according to officials.

Kamil's lawyer Mohd Haidar Mohd Hashim said that this is an unordinary practice because a person has to be charged first before he can be released on bail.

However, the religious authorities told the court that they are yet to wrap up their investigations on Kamil.

Kamil said his trial sends a wrong message to the world indicating that Malaysia is becoming increasingly hardline.

Despite the fact that 40,000 Shia Muslims live in Malaysia, the country has banned the Shia practice in 1996 which is considered unusual in the Muslim world.

Kamil would have to attend the court hearing at the end of next month.

Police detained more than 200 Shia Muslims, including Iranians, Indonesians and Pakistanis, at a religious mourning ceremony in December.

The detention of Shias in the Asian country has sparked fear among the Shia followers and is seen as a specific crackdown against them.

Despite the freedom of religion law based on the constitution, the clamping down of Shias in the country shows that the government is practically violating the law.

Shia Muslims make up more than one-third of the Muslim population worldwide. They also represent the majority population in Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran and Bahrain and form significant communities in Afghanistan, Indonesia, India, Lebanon, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

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