Malaysia Shiites protest at discrimination following arrests

Community leader asks why Shiites are not being given same protection measures as other minorities.

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian Shiite leader Tuesday protested at discrimination against the sect's followers after the detention of 200 members by religious officials who claim they breached local Islamic laws.

Shiite community leader Kamil Zuhairi Abdul Aziz told AFP the group had submitted a protest letter to the national human rights commission (Suhakam) after a recent raid of their prayer hall by state religious officers.

"The officers broke into and damaged our prayer hall which is private property and where we were having special prayers for the Prophet’s grandchildren," he said.

"If other communities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs and others have their right to worship and practise under the constitution then why not us?" Kamil Zuhairi added.

"We were condemned, criticised, slandered and threatened in local media just because we practise what had been preached by our ancestors who were Shiites and have lived in Malaysia for centuries."

Kamil Zuhairi said there were about 40,000 Shiite followers in Malaysia but most practised their faith behind closed doors for fear of being stigmatised and targeted by the authorities.

A state Islamic religious department official, who declined to be named, told AFP the detainees, who include Pakistanis, Iranians and Indonesians, had been released on bail.

He said investigations were still ongoing and that the group could be charged for not following Sunni Islam which is considered the only legal sect of the religion in Malaysia.

The Shiites are one of several Islamic sects under close watch by Malaysian religious authorities.