'Intensify efforts to curb the spread of Wahhabism' - AMIN

A coalition of 105 Muslim groups nationwide has called for the government to intensify efforts in curbing the spread of Wahhabism ideology that they deemed as 'very intensive'.

The coaltion that called itself Gabungan Angkatan Melayu Islam Nusantara (AMIN) also urged Islamic departments in the government to 'wake up' and be stern in the wake of increasing public talks by Wahhabi clerics and sympathizers across the country.

Its chairman, Sheikh Abd Kareem Said Khadaied said the ideology that found its origin in Saudi Arabia pose a serious threat to the country's peace as it could potentially create secretarianism in the Muslim community.

He warned that secretarianism is the seed that grows hatred among Muslims towards each other and Wahhabism is the original ideology subscribed by extremists who are operating the Daish militants.

"During the National Fatwa Muzakarah held last year, Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husin has declared that the Wahhabi ideology has no place in the Malaysian Muslim community as it deviates from our Islamic tradition.

"Which is why it has become an urgent matter for us to ensure the government is doing all they can to stop the spread from continuing.

"At this rate, we have many Malaysian Muslims who have subscribed to the ideology currently working in government offices, including Islamic departments, Mufti offices and more," he said at a press conference held here, today.

He said AMIN also fully backs the police's fight against radical Islam and militants.

"We urge the Home Ministry and religious departments across all states to ban any events and talks by Wahhabi clerics and speakers. The government should also conduct a study and revisit books written by Ibnu Taimiyyah and Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab that are used by Wahhabis as their scripture and stop these books from being sold to the public.

"At the same time, religious departments should come up with counter arguments to these books and Wahhabism in general so that the society would not be confused," he said.

He added that only five percent of the total 1.7 billion Muslims in the world are Wahhabis whereas the rest includes the majority of Muslims who subscribe to the Sunni and the Syiah sect.

Sheikh Abd Kareem also said that the Wahhabism has infiltrated into the Malaysian government and influenced policies, citing the content of current Islamic education textbooks for national schools as an example.

"We want the Education Ministry to take all precautionary measures to ensure that the Islamic education textbooks no longer use the 'Tauhid Tiga Serangkai' (Three aspects of Tauhid) that allows for the killing of individuals deemed to have left Islam," he said.

As of date, Abd Kareem said that only six states have declared their staunch rejection of Wahhabism by issuing a public ban on the ideology. The states are Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Kedah dan Pahang.

"We can't bear to see the Islamic community in Nusantara to face the same destruction as our fellow brothers and sisters in Syria, Yemen, Egypt and Iraq.

"Which is why it is important for us to do something to stop it now. It is time for us to wake up," he said.

The coalition also called for the Malay Rulers to play an active part in the fight against Wahhabi.

The members signed a memorandum stating their commitment to fight the spread of Wahhabism by forming a taskforce among their members to oversee any Wahhabism activities in the country.

The memorandum will be delivered to all religious departments, Mufti offices and the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department on Religious Affairs, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom by next month.