Asri serves up 'cow protector goons' report to justify prickly poem

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has apparently continued to defend his poem last Friday amidst a barrage of police reports from the Indian community, by citing a news report on India's alleged cruelty to Muslims.

Reproducing on his Facebook a report from a news site PressTV about alleged attacks on Kashmiri Muslims over cows, Asri wrote, “Read it, my Muslim brethren or at least our brothers in humanity.

“Is an animal so important to the point women and children are victimised?

“What is the best word to describe what is shown here in India?” asked the mufti, referring to the article 'Suspected Hindu cow protection 'goons' attack Muslim family in Kashmir' taken from the Iranian news site.

While Asri did not elaborate, it is likely in defence of his controversial poem that many, including several Muslim academics, saw as offensive to Hindus and the Indian community.

Following the initial outcry over the poem - which referred to worship of cows, the practice of caste and the now-defunct widow-burning, as a response to detractors of “our preacher”, a reference to Indian national Zakir Naik - Asri claimed his poem was not about Hinduism but about India.

“Following this (PressTV article), is it justified for there to be organisations in Malaysia that are loyal to India?”

Told to apologise

The controversial poem has since been removed from the mufti's Facebook.

However it continued receiving flak with Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) president Uthaya Sankar calling it “not a poem, but malicious incitement”.

The mufti's latter explanations, he said, were mere “damage control” and urged Asri to apologise to the Indian community instead.

Uthaya also questioned the mufti over regarding Zakir as a Malaysian, where the mufti in the poem had referred to “our preacher”.

“It looks like Asri lacking sufficient knowledge to understand the concept of citizenship. Perhaps to him, Zakir who has been quietly given permanent residence five years ago qualifies as a Malaysian citizen, compared to the Indians here who have for centuries been here,” he said in a statement.

He also berated the mufti for using the same script as ethic “fanatics”, who often call others “ungrateful for what they have” and for labelling the Indians and Chinese who are simply fighting for their rights and for the truth, to be “causing trouble”.- Mkini