Pahang to gazette Fatwa banning Syiah teachings in state - Tengku Abdullah

Pahang will gazette a fatwa (edict) that bans Syiah teachings in the state to prevent it from confusing Muslims and diverting their faith from the true teachings of Islam. The Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who is also State Islamic Religion and Malay Custom Council president, said gazetting the fatwa was in line with the banning of Syiah teachings in the state that was announced some years ago. "There is a need to gazette the fatwa. We had banned Syiah teachings in Pahang some time ago as we are followers of the Sunnah wal Jamaah (Sunni) teachings of Islam, which must be maintained. "This is because Syiah teachings are different from Sunnah wal Jamaah, and we don't want Muslims to be confused and their Islamic faith to go astray by those propagating Syiah teachings." He said this after gracing a state-level Rakan Muda Ramadan Khatam Al-Quran event, here, last night, following Kedah's decision to gazette a fatwa banning Syiah teachings which was announced by its Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir on Thursday. Tengku Abdullah said Syiah teachings must not be allowed to spread in this country as it already had adverse impact on Muslims in some countries with Syiah followers among their populace. On today's event, he said it had been going on for 17 years and should be continued to produce more proficient Quran readers in the state. Tengku Abdullah said khatam Quran should also be a platform for Muslims in the state to improve their reciting of the Holy Book and Islamic knowledge. Also present were Tengku Puan Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Iskandar and their son, Tengku Hasanal Tengku Abdullah.