Don’t speculate, says FT mufti

KUALA LUMPUR: Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri yesterday urged all quarters to refrain from issuing speculative statements on the case of nine tahfiz students allegedly sodomised by the school headmaster.

He said speculation would cause a bigger polemic and asked all parties to wait for a court decision on the case.

He said the tahfiz institution should be respected and that an individual’s offence should not be linked to it.

“The Federal Territories Mufti Office has been consistent in rejecting manipulation, abuse, unfairness and oppression against the children.

“However, the tahfiz institution itself should be respected and the offence committed by any individual should not be associated with the institution, as in the Malay proverb, marahkan nyamuk, kelambu dibakar (throwing the baby out with the bathwater).

“Making speculation on the institution would only fuel Islamophobia, which should not happen in Malaysia,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Zulkifli said he hoped all quarters could apply wisdom and knowledge when facing such an issue and not be guided by emotions that overcame sympathy and empathy.

He said fairness would remain the pillar in Islam, even towards a hated person.

“Allah has decreed: ‘And, don’t you ever let your hatred towards a race leads you to avoid justice. Be just, because fairness is closest to taqwa (piousness). And have fear of Allah; verily, Allah is well-acquainted with what you do’ (Surah al-Ma’idah, verse 8).

“Admittedly, tahfiz centres, like any other education institution, have room for improvements.

“We love the teachers, administrators and students.

“We place our faith in the judicial (system).

“May this bleak time pass and bring with it ray of light for tahfiz institutions in Malaysia,” he said.