The Lies About Article 11
Consider the following three widely disseminated media statements that provide examples of the lies.
In a media release dated 16 May, 2006 issued by BADAI, which has admitted to have spearheaded the Penang Demo, Mohd Hafiz Nordin said:
“BADAI menyangkal dakwaan Haris Ibrahim bahawa penunjuk perasaan tersalah maklumat bahawa forum tersebut tidak kena mengena dengan IFC, sedangkan mereka mempunyai agenda tersembunyi dan kami mengetahui perkara ini berdasarkan 2 forum yang telah dibuat sebelum ini di Petaling Jaya and Melaka … Perjuangan mereka … adalah bukti niat jahat mereka dan agenda terselindung mereka untuk menubuhkan IFC”.
In his Harakahdaily article entitled “Agenda halus tubuhkan IFC berterusan” which appeared on 25 May 2006, Salahuddin Ayub [of PAS] called on the government to:
“mengambil tindakan ke atas Kumpulan Artikel 11 yang kini giat mempromosikan idea penubuhan IFC atas nama kebebasan agama”.
He further quoted the following from a memorandum issued by the DEWAN Pemuda PAS Pusat:
“DPP Pusat percaya Kumpulan ini menggunakan platform road show yang mereka sedang rancangkan di seluruh negara ini bagi meneruskan agenda dan misi mereka yang masih belum dapat dilaksanakan iaitu penubuhan Suruhanjaya Antara Agama (Inter Faith Commission) yang sepatutnya ditolak oleh pihak Kerajaan tetapi malangnya hanya ditangguhkan perlaksanaannya sepertimana yang diumumkan oleh YAB. Dato’ Seri sebelum ini.”
In a 1st June 2006, Harakahdaily report entitled “Hentikan kempen sentuh sensitiviti umat”, Azmi Abdul Hamid of Teras, when asked if the Article 11 coalition was connected to the IFC initiative, purportedly replied:
“Mereka yang mencadangkan penubuhan IFC. Apabila PM menyatakan IFC ditangguhkan mereka mencuba cara lain. IFC sebenarnya tidak mati. Sebab itu timbul Artikel 11. Masih ada lagi kempen seperti ini yang akan dilancarkan.”
Mohd Hafiz, Salahuddin and Azmi claim, in one way or another, that the Article 11 coalition was formed to further the effort to establish the IFC and/or that the coalition was using its forums as the platform to establish the IFC. Mohd Hafiz has refuted my explanation, given to the media after the disruption of the Penang forum, that the Article 11 forums had nothing to do with the IFC effort.
I was present at all the Article 11 forums. I was also directly involved in their planning and organisation. On the other hand, to the best of my knowledge, none of these three individuals attended any of the forums.
As I was also closely involved with the IFC effort, I can therefore tell you from my own knowledge that claims that the Article 11 forums were a clandestine attempt to further the IFC effort are blatant untruths. Both the IFC and Article 11 initiatives have been open and transparent, and information about them publicly and readily available. It is therefore inconceivable that these 3 individuals honestly believe that what they have been saying about Article 11’s forums is the truth.
Mohd Hafiz Nordin, Salahuddin Ayub and Azmi Abdul Hamid have given false testimony.
“It is those who do not believe in God’s revelations that fabricate falsehood. It is they who lie.” – Surah 16 verse 105 of the Holy Qur’an.
“We have sent them the Truth, but they indeed practice falsehood” – Surah 23 verse 90 of the Holy Qur’an.
To these three individuals and all others who have demonised the Article 11 coalition and forums with lies, I am commanded to ask:
“…Have you any knowledge? If so, produce it before us. You follow nothing but conjecture; you do nothing but lie.” – Surah 6 verse 148 of the Holy Qur’an.
If Mohd Hafiz, Salahuddin and Azmi persist in these untruths, I am guided by the Holy Qur’an to ask:
“…come, let us gather together; our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of God on those who lie”. – Surah 3 verse 61 of the Holy Qur’an.
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