Friday sermons do not promote extremism - Kelantan Mufti

Friday sermons mainly advise and educate Muslims on matters such as practising moderation in daily life, and have nothing to do with promoting extremism, Kelantan Mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad said today.

He also expressed disappointment over an allegation that Friday sermons had been used as a platform to nurture extremism among Muslims.

Mohamad Shukri said this in response to a lawyer's tweet accusing the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) of promoting extremism every Friday, which had gone viral over the social media.

"Before the text of the Friday sermon is distributed to mosques in the states, it is compiled by a qualified panel entrusted to compose the text.

"Besides, the text will also be checked by a panel of assessors, most of whom are religious scholars of various disciplines of knowledge related to Islam," he said when met at his office here.

Mohamad Shukri said in Kelantan, the Kelantan Council of Islamic Religious and Malay Customs (Maik) had even appointed 10 assessors to check the text prior to distribution.

Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah also rapped the lawyer for the tweet, saying that such a statement should not have been issued.

"The Friday sermon is a medium for us (Muslims) to observe Islam. It is not aimed at producing religious extremists," said Mohd Amar, who is also Kelantan PAS deputy commissioner 1.

Meanwhile, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Faculty of International Studies senior lecturer, Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff said he was disappointed with the lawyer's action because, as a lawyer, the individual should have deeper understanding of the laws in the country.

"I'm disappointed with his move to hide behind the principle of human rights to violate the constitution and the law. It is most apt that action be taken against him under the Sedition Act," he added.