Sultan Selangor reminds imams to stay away from extremism, liberalism

KLANG: The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today reminded all imam an mosque and surau officials in Selangor to stay away from extremist or liberal ideologies.
Sultan Sharafuddin said he had been informed that there were certain groups among Muslims who had deviated from the true teachings of Islam and considered killing other people as jihad which the religion required of them.
"These teachings and practices are very dangerous if they are allowed to spread as they can lead to killings and disunity among Muslims as has happened in some Gulf states recently.
"So I want imams and religious officers to constantly monitor these extremist activities so that they do not happen and take root in Selangor," he said.
Sultan Sharafuddin was speaking at a ceremony to present letters of appointment to members of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) for the 2018-2020 term and a luncheon with 423 imams of royal mosques and other mosques in Selangor at Istana Alam Shah here.
He also reminded the imams and mosque officials to ensure that speakers and religious teachers who hold talks in mosques and surau in the state have the required credentials so that they do not deviate from the true teachings of Islam and confuse Muslims.
"I have stressed this before but there are still imams and mosque officials who do not obey me, resulting in teachings and talks which confuse Muslims held in mosques and surau in the state.
"MAIS and JAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Department) as the highest religious bodies in Selangor must always be firm in taking appropriate action against those who go against my decrees and the rules which have been set," Sultan Sharafuddin said.
Commenting on JAIS and the departments under it, the Selangor Sultan said they must give their undivided loyalty to him as the head of Islam in the state for as long as they served in Selangor even though their salaries and allowances are from the Federal Government.
"Every policy from Jakim (Malaysian Islamic Development Department) related to Islam, such as issues on halal certification, zakat (tithes), fatwas (edicts) and wakaf (endowment) to be implemented in Selangor must first be referred to MAIS which advises me on Islamic affairs before the matter is brought to me for consent and before it is implemented," he said.
Earlier, at the ceremony, the Sultan consented to the appointment of former Selangor State Secretary Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi as chairman of MAIS, effective from Jan 1, 2018, taking over from Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa who held the post since 2005. — Bernama