Malaysia’s PM backs Anwar accuser after mosque ‘stunt’

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Malaysia’s premier has backed the young man accusing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy, after the man visited a mosque to swear to his claims in an act criticised as a political stunt.

Anwar has said the allegations made by Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old former aide, have been engineered by the government to prevent him from seizing power after landmark March elections.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi hit out at criticism of Mohamad Saiful after he was photographed last week at a city mosque, swearing on the Koran that he was telling the truth.

“According to Islam, an individual seeking justice should be respected, even though it may be a personal issue,” the premier said, according to the New Straits Times Monday.

“There are those who question his method and whether he is following the right procedure but in his heart he must have a clear intention,” Abdullah said.

“The incident must have been traumatic, otherwise he would not have lodged the police report.” [more]

Anwar: Don’t make a mockery of Quran

Thestar.com.my
By ZARINAH DAUD

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Taking an oath on the Quran does not absolve a person of his sin and a Muslim should not make a mockery of the holy book by swearing on it.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he decided to take the alleged sodomy case to Syariah Court because his honour and dignity were at stake.

“Please do not make a mockery of the holy book. Can you absolve your sin by swearing on the Quran?

“If you respect the law and the dignity of a man, do not use the Quran for political mileage,” he said Sunday during a press conference at Yayasan Aman here. [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]

Saiful Swears On Quran Anwar Sodomised Him

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 (Bernama) — Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 23, who is alleged to have been sodomised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Friday swore on the Quran at the Federal Territory Mosque in Jalan Duta here that the sodomy had indeed taken place.

He performed the swearing before an imam at 6.15pm. The swearing process ended about 15 minutes later. [more]