(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Four local Muslim leaders have been charged by religious authorities for allegedly hosting a mass gathering of Shiite Muslims.
They are currently being investigated under Section 12(c) and 52 of the Selangor Syariah Crimes Enactment 1995.
According to an Ar-Ridha statement, the four appeared before the Gombak Timor Lower Syariah Court in Kuang at 8am yesterday.
The four are Ar-Ridha director Mohd Kamilzuhairi Abdul Aziz, Raden Ahmad Faizul, Syed Mohd Syafiq and Mohd Ashraf.
Kamilzuhairi and his comrades were arrested by the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS) on May 24, following a raid on a gathering which celebrated the birthday of Fatimah az-Zahra, a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Ar-Ridha chief had denounced the raid, and claimed that the group had permission from the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), the police and the Home Ministry to run the event.
This, however, did not stop 20 policemen and several MPS officers from helping JAIS to disrupt the meeting, which led to the four arrests.
The four were later released on an RM1500 bail each, although an earlier call by the authorities suggested an RM2,000 bail with two guarantors each.
The Ar-Ridha statement said that the judge presiding over the case yesterday ordered Investigating Officer Mohd Nordin Abdullah to conclude his investigations soon as possible.
The statement added that the court was supposed to meet at 8am yesterday, but was delayed for four hours due to “technical” problems faced by JAIS.
The case has been scheduled for a second hearing (sebutan semula) on July 7. Shia leaders attacked JAIS and the police for their high-handedness and denied that the event was an exclusive religious gathering.
The event, they said, was also attended by several non-Muslims and had no religious significance.
The May 24 raid was the second of its kind since last December, where more than 200 people, including foreigners, were arrested at a ceremony to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (a.s), Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.w.w) grandson.
A 1989 Islamic law and a 1996 fatwa by Malaysia’s top Islamic clerics banned Shiism, declaring it a “deviant ideology.”
Nearly 100,000 Shiites are said to reside in Malaysia, and are under close watch by the government.
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