A Malaysian Islamic court sentenced a Muslim sect leader to 10 years in prison and six lashes of a cane Wednesday for spreading false teachings and claiming to be God’s prophet.
The man claimed he was appointed by God under the same circumstances as the Prophet Muhammad.
A top Islamic council in mostly Muslim Malaysia has told Muslims to avoid yoga because it uses Hindu prayers and encourages a union with God that is blasphemous.
The latest edict from the National Fatwa Council reflects a growing swing towards a conservative brand of Islam in the multi-ethnic country that has prompted worries among non-Muslims.
A couple who went to a relative’s house to celebrate the end of Ramadan and agreed to an ‘alternative treatment’ to rid them of their problems, ended up dead after being battered with helmets and broomsticks during the cleansing ritual.
Five others who also participated in the ritual, including the couple’s children and relatives, suffered head injuries and were being treated at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital here.
The Herald is seeking to reverse a government order that prohibits the paper from using the word “Allah” as a synonym for God in its Malay-language section. The government says the word refers only to the Muslim God and its use by Christians might confuse Muslims. It has threatened to revoke the paper’s publishing license if it defies the order.
A Catholic weekly newspaper in Malaysia has been told to drop the use of the word “Allah” in its Malay language section if it wants to renew its publishing permit, a senior government official said Friday.