‘Kafir Harbi’ in Malaysia: another path to polarization

• Main Author: Malik, Maszlee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute 2017
• Subjects: BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc; BP1 Islam; BP171 Relation of Islam to other religions; BP173.6 Islam and the state; JF Political institutions (General); JQ Political institutions Asia
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/54575/1/ISEAS_Perspective_2017_4.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/54575/; https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2017_4.pdf

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  On 23 June 2016, the Mufti of Pahang shocked Malaysians by stating that it is a sin for Muslims to support the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which he labelled as Kafir Harbi (infidels against whom war can be waged).  The statement received mixed reactions from the Muslims: some voiced their support while many opposed it. For non-Muslims, it became a source of fear, given recent threats announced by the Malaysian Islamic State (IS) based in Syria, and the first bombing incident by IS in Malaysia.  Following the overall rejection of the labeling by Muslim scholars and intellectuals who claimed that the label was invalid and unsuitable under contemporary circumstances, the Prime Minister’s Office soon announced that no Malaysians should be placed under the Kafir Harbi category.  There is in Malaysia an unfortunate practice of using the term Kafir Harbi for political reasons, and for demonising certain opposition political parties and certain non-Muslim groups.