Imam Who cast doubt on validity of Saiful’s oath came forward voluntarily

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BUKIT MERTAJAM: The imam who threw doubt on the validity of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s oath came forward to speak voluntarily, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar said he was only informed of Ramlang Porigi’s intention to speak at his ceramah in Padang Ibu, Taman Guar Perahu on Sunday night one hour before the event.

“I don’t know him. I was informed just one hour before the function and I said, ‘What is he going to say?’ because this is in front of 10,000 people at our function. [more]

Saiful’s Swearing on the Qur’an Was For Show, and Was Not Required in Islam

http://www.sindhtoday.net

[…] Why is Saiful making the declaration on the eve of Nomination Day?’ asked Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Ibrahim’s wife who facilitated the by-election by resigning her seat last month.

Azlan’s act of placing his hand on the holy book while swearing his accusation has acquired religious overtones, and has also raised objections. Ismail called it ‘a desperate act’.

The act was termed ‘un-Islamic’ by Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is the spiritual advisor on the opposition Pan Islamic party.

He said there was no requirement in the Quran that called on Muslims to hold the holy book while making a solemn declaration.

‘It is normal for Christians to swear on the Holy Bible. It seems that he wanted to follow the Christian way of doing it.

‘In Islam, it is enough to say the three holy words – wallahi, wabillahi, watallahi. There is no need to hold the Quran,’ said Nik Mat.

Taking a legal view, Democratic Action Party’s Indian origin chairman Karpal Singh said Azlan’s swearing was ’something not right to do’ because the matter was pending in court. [more]

Accuser challenges Malaysia’s Anwar to make oath in mosque

5 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — The young man who has accused Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy said Friday he had visited a mosque to swear he was telling the truth and challenged Anwar to do the same.

The move came a day before Anwar is due to register for a by-election in his home state of Penang that is expected to return him to parliament despite the charge — the same allegation that saw him jailed for six years until 2004.

Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old former volunteer in the opposition leader’s office, denied he was laying down the challenge in an attempt to derail Anwar’s chances in the August 26 by-election.

“No it is not a political matter,” he told a press conference where he played a video of him sitting at a city mosque making the oath on the Koran, the Islamic holy book.

“It is just by coincidence that I made the oath today. God gave me the strength to do it,” he said.

“By swearing in God’s home’s that I was sodomised by my employer, I challenge Anwar Ibrahim to swear and to do it in a mosque, to deny my allegations.” [more]