DPM wants Muslims united to counter threat to Islam, Shariah courts

The deputy prime minister has called for Muslims in the country to unite against "various quarters" questioning Islam and the Shariah Court.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) said that seeds of discord among Muslims have surfaced and this was taken advantage of by outsiders who were out to threaten the position of Islam in the country, Bernama reported today.

"Of late, pressures are mounting from various quarters who have questioned the position of Islam as the official religion of the federation and the implementation of laws by the Shariah Court," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

The deputy prime minister said in conjunction with the month of Ramadan, apart from redoubling the acts of worship, Muslims should strengthen cooperation and solidarity.

Muhyiddin said in Malaysia, Muslims were still living in harmony and benefited from economic growth and development due to political stability.

He also urged Muslims to place unity uppermost in the minds as hostility among them could lead the country into disarray.

According to Bernama, Muhyiddin said Muslims in the country should learn from what had happened to Islamic countries in West Asia such as Libya, Syria, Iraq and Egypt that had been weakened by conflicts.

Raging civil wars in these countries have disrupted society, resulting in their people living in fear and poverty, he said at the breaking of fast in Seri Bendahara, Malacca, today.

Muhyiddin said in Syria, nearly 11 million people lost their homes and properties, six million became refugees, and hundreds of thousands, including women and children, lost their lives in a protracted civil war, Bernama reported.

- TMI