BERNAMA
SHAH ALAM, Aug 4 (Bernama) –– Shah Alam Umno, Wednesday lodged a police report over an article in the official Bar Council "Infoline" bulletin which it claimed insulted Islam for describing the azan prayer call as "noise pollution and an annoyance to neighbours."
The report was lodged by Mohd Azhar Othman, a member of the Shah Alam Umno Division committee and also head of the Section 7 Shah Alam Utara Umno Branch.
The report is in connection with the article titled" "Local Authorities Ought To Be Sensitive To Individual Rights" in the May/June 2004 edition of Infoline.
The article in part said to be insulting to Islam reads: "True, dogs may be noisy at times but that is a different issue.
"As in the case of those developers building mosques in the vicinity of a non–Muslim community, while one recognises any community's right to perform its religious obligation by way of using a loudspeaker, to some, it is noise pollution created to the annoyance of those residing in the neighbourhood."
Mohd Azhar said the article indirectly belittled the prayer call and was a direct insult to Islam.
He said the article insulted Muslims for using the loudspeaker for the prayer call.
Mohd Azhar said the article also questioned the building of mosques in so called non–Muslim communities.
On the reference to "non–Muslim communities", Mohd Azhar said these did not exist in Malaysia which is a multi–racial country.
He said Shah Alam Umno regretted that the Bar Council as a body set up under the Legal Professions Act 1976 had not taken into account the feelings of the Muslim community and Malaysia's status as a multiracial country when publishing the article.
He said Shah Alam Umno wanted the police and the Ministry of Internal Security to investigate the writers of the article and the article itself.
Commenting on the matter, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo urged Malaysians not to hurt the feelings of anyone by touching on issues relating to religion as this would lead to conflict and tension in society.
He said Malaysians should be more tolerant as they were living in a multi–religious society with people of various religions.
"We hope these people (writers of the article) realise that we have been living in peace and goodwill over a long period because of the tolerant attitude. We hope this type of activities which do not benefit anyone will not be repeated," he told reporters after chairing the Selangor State Executive Council meeting.