Previous entry: Scientology books set to flood India
Next entry: Pilgrims flock to see Naples’ ‘moving’ Madonna statue
Related
Advertisements *
Advertise Here *
Elsewhere
Subscribe: RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Subscribe: Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Most Popular
- Mercy Ministries exorcism books leaked
- RNB Roundup: Atheism ads get tax support; Holland bans Magic Mushrooms; Fritzl turns to Buddhism; More…
- Child of Jehovah’s Witnesses can be given blood, judge says
- UK pastor who claimed to produce ‘miracle babies’ another step closer to extradition
- Europe court says no to turban on Sikh’s driving licence
- Two teens file lawsuit against evangelist Tony Alamo over beatings
- Decision expected this week on whether parents will face trial in faith healing death
- Church tries Goth Liturgy
- Ganas commune co-founder sues current and former members
- Los Angeles pastor used church credit cards for personal expenses
Members of Banned Malaysian Religious Sect Slam Government Crackdown
July 27, 2005
More articles on this topic: Sky Kingdom | Ayah PinKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia–A banned religious sect accused the Malaysian government Wednesday of committing human rights violations by detaining of dozens of its members under Islamic laws that forbid teachings that run contrary to the religion.
Four representatives of the Sky Kingdom sect submitted a protest note to the government’s Human Rights Commission, saying sect followers were facing “intimidation, harassment and unjust punitive measures and coercion by those in authority.”
“What began for me as an innocent and rewarding experience has turned into a nightmare,” said Judith Lillian McDonald, a 54-year-old New Zealand national and Sky Kingdom member, who was arrested in a police raid last week on the sect’s commune in northeastern Terengganu state.
“I no longer feel safe in this country,” said McDonald, who has since been freed because authorities say she is officially a Christian and can’t be charged under Islamic laws.
The sect is believed to have hundreds of mostly ethnic Malay Muslim members in northeastern Malaysia, but also reportedly has followers of African, Indian and British nationalities.
The followers say they come from all religions in this mostly Muslim country, but deny spreading deviationist teachings. They gained widespread attention this year after building a house-sized teapot, umbrella and boat, describing these as structures of interfaith harmony.
A mob of about 30 people who were allegedly upset with the sect’s teachings attacked its commune last week, setting fire to some of the structures. No injuries were reported, but the sect’s leader, Ariffin Mohammed, has disappeared since the incident.
Authorities subsequently raided the commune, and detained and charged 49 followers for flouting an edict issued by Islamic state officials that declared their beliefs contrary to Islam. If found guilty, they could be fined and jailed for up to two years.
The rights commission said it would investigate the issue and make recommendations to the government on how to handle the matter. However, its suggestions are not binding on authorities.
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Previous entry: Scientology books set to flood India Next entry: Pilgrims flock to see Naples’ ‘moving’ Madonna statue
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
