Non-Muslims, like menstruating women cannot enter mosques: Malaysia

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PETALING JAYA: The view that non-Muslims cannot enter mosques is a narrow-minded one and gives the wrong impression of Islam, said former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.

“If we have this kind of view, it shows that Islam is creating hostility towards non-Muslims.

“This view can even prevent non-Muslims from getting to know Islam better,” he added.

Dr Mohd Asri was responding to a statement by Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) director Datuk Mohamed Khusrin Munawi that non-Muslims cannot enter mosques because “they were in the same category as menstruating women.”

The statement was in reference to an alleged ceramah (public talk) by Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar at a Klang mosque in August.

Asri and Jais have been engaging each other in an ongoing war of words. The progressive views of the former Perlis mufti do not gel with the views of the conservatives which make up the majority of the country's religious elite.

He claimed his views and his rise to prominence have been viewed as a threat to their authority, saying the “war” between them culminated in his arrest last Sunday while he was giving a private talk in Ampang. He was freed on bail and is awaiting charges for lecturing without a “tauliah” or permit.

Jais denied that Asri's arrest was politically motivated.

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Mohamed Khusrin was also reported as saying that the mosque committee would be charged for letting Dr Xavier talk there.

“I would like to advise JAIS and its members to not give narrow-minded opinions that can lead to a wrong and false impression of the religion,” Dr Mohd Asri told mStar Online on Friday.

He added that he did not want to focus on Xavier’s speech so long as the mosque was not used as a tool against Islam.

“This is about seeing things with an open mind, where if they (non-Muslims) enter a mosque, they benefit from it,” said Dr Mohd Asri, who is also a lecturer in University Sains Malaysia.

He said JAIS needed to be reformed overall to reflect the maturity of Islam.

“They must show an open mind, they need to practise a matured approach to Islam in this country,” he added.

Malaysia Star