Jakim – reform or disband

I was enthralled to read Tawfik Ismail’s statement a few days ago which called for the abolishment of the Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakimn). I am a keen supporter of Tawfik’s nephew, Tariq Ismail and his constitutionalist movement and feel that this is all we need for a national revitalization. His uncle Tawfik Ismail’s call therefore is long overdue.

Despite its name (and the operative word being ‘kemajuan’ or development/growth/advancement) Jakim has not contributed anything worthwhile to the development of Islam in Malaysia. Their Facebook and Twitter accounts have no discussion at all on Islamic philosophy, but is rather about puerile pictures!

On the other hand, they have practiced Islamofascist policies which have repressed Malaysian Muslims than anyone else and turned them into religious consumers.

The claim that Jakim is needed arises from the constitutional provision that ‘Islam is the official religion of the federation’. However, this is a non-sequitur. Islam being the religion of the federation has absolutely no link with the formation of Jakim. This provision could be interpreted in many other ways, namely the idea that Islam is the identity of the majority of the people of the Federation or even that Islamic values are the values which carry the nation. Again, the interpretation of what constitutes ‘Islamic values’ is a matter of personal subjectivity.

Nowhere does the constitutionsay that the conservative fraternity of ulama is the sole guardian of the faith, let alone in charge of Malay-Muslim lives. ‘Tangkap khalwat’ is most certainly absent from the list, yet it's Jakim’s favourite activity.

As stated in the outset, Jakim’s name includes the term ‘Kemajuan’ (development, growth, advancement). What, pray tell, has Jakim actually contributed to the development of Islam in the nation? Malay-Muslims are at their lowest ebb. From the point of view of education, Jakim has not been able to motivate them towards stellar educational achievements. They might argue that that measurement is unfair considering that Jakim is meant to be a religious establishment and should not affect ‘secular’ matters, but if this is true, then Jakim has no jurisdiction outside the mosque!

Sadly, they would like to have their cake and eat it as well.

Jakim’s protectionist approach to Islam in the nation is not meant for the Malay-Muslims, but for their own rice bowl. When Tawfik Ismail made his clarion call, Jakim officials were quick to point out that Jakim is needed for the protection against Shia-ism, liberal Islam and Isis. These claims are highly dubious for the following reasons.

Shia-ism is a recognised form of Islam and has been since the beginning of Islamic civilization and culture. No less that the former Egyptian mufti himself (and de facto head of Al-Azhar, the oldest existing Islamic university in the world) acknowledged Twelver Shiaism as the ‘fifth school of Islamic law’. In Malaysia, Shia-ism has been proliferating for decades and arguably for centuries (if one considers reverence of the Prophet’s family as Shia doctrine). Malay Islam (what Jokowi calls ‘Islam Nusantara’) has had no problem with Shia-ism up till now.

Since the rise of Saudi Arabia with its money and influence, Shia-phobia has also risen accordingly. There are many Wahabi influenced priests in Jakim and it is only Umno’s myopia which prevents them from understanding the implications of Shia-phobia. Umno (led by the now deposed hero Muhyiddin Yassin) rode high on this Shia-phobia a year ago and even wanted to change the constitution to provide that ‘Islam’ in the constitution meant their own brand of Islam. This shows that this parochialism was never intended to begin with.

Jakim’s hostility towards ‘Liberal Islam’ arises from the fact that the latter empowers Muslims to think for themselves and thus render Jakim redundant. Are they really protecting Muslims or in reality, like their manoeuvres against the Shia, simply protecting themselves?

Their declaration against Isis is even more dubious than the first two. Isis’ brand of Islam is not much different from Jakim’s own. The only difference is the level of violence involved. While Isis is totally uninhibited in the level of violence they are reported to employ, Jakim still has to operate under secular law. If it did not, then it would be operating under the very same ancient Arab cultural laws as Isis. Ask a Jakim official what should be done to people who leave Islam and you will see.

One must ask this question though – if Jakim really is for the protection of Islam, why do they not utter a single peep against the racist doctrines of Ketuanan Melayu and Bumiputraism. Arguably, this should be the first fatwa they issue because, if they are to protect the akidah (faith, theology), then being the stellar experts that they are, they should know that racism is utterly deplorable in Islam (notwithstanding the Redshirts rally recently where a minister said he was proud to be an Islamic racist). Perhaps that is also why Perkasa, the ultra racist organization, was the first to ask Tawfik to retract!

It is the same with the austere living of the Prophet. If Jakim really was following the footsteps of the Prophet, they would not need billions of ringgit to run their activities. They should be content by simply living in the most frugal manner. However, it seems that they even allow for VVIP ablution areas in the mosque! This shows that their religiosity is nothing more than pretence.

Jakim needs to reform or failing that, totally disband. They can reform by bringing in scholars from other disciplines (such as philosophy, sciences) in order to balance their religious parochialism. Organize open dialogues with Shia, Ahmadiyya, Liberal, Quranist and other Muslims. Include other faiths or even people of no faith at all and discuss how best to benefit humanity. – November 12, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.