KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the viral video on social media related to the issue of infidels (kafir) was taken out of context in a malicious attempt to mar her image and credibility.
In a Facebook post today, she said the spread of the video was also intended to cause a commotion on issues related to 3R (religion, race, and royalty) by distorting the true meaning of her speech so she would be blamed with hate speech, false accusations, and slander, besides threats to her safety.
In clarifying the video, Fadhlina said it was a clip taken from her private meeting with a certain group, recorded by another party and disseminated with the intent to create polemics and defamation.
“The poster was deliberately produced to create a polemic to distort the original meaning of the viral video clip, which shows me giving a speech stating that I do not allow my children to express the term ‘kafir’ at home.
“In the video recording (closed event), I touched on the spreading of hateful, ‘ghuluw’ (extremism) and takfiri sentiments among a few people, to the point of slandering me and that my life will not be blessed because I work for infidels.
“I said that I do not allow my children to say the term ‘kafir’ which has the connotation of hatred towards non-Muslim citizens who live together in our beloved country.
“On the issue of the term ‘kafir’ or ‘non-Muslim’, it is not my intention to prohibit the use of the word in the Qu’ran, let alone denying the terms used in the Qu’ran,” she said.
On the other hand, the minister said it was an issue of choosing the appropriate term in daily life, taking the example of the late scholar Prof Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Al-Azhar University’s former rector Prof Ibrahim al-Hudhud, who acknowledged the use of ‘ghayru Muslim’ (non-Muslim) in social usage.
Fadhlina said she did not intend to reply to the viral issue because those who heard the speech could judge the true context to be conveyed, but the sentiments of the viral video, which, among other things, posed a threat to her and her family’s safety which is something she will not compromise on.
“Friends have advised that a police report be made for security reasons. A group of lawyers suggested taking legal and civil action against those involved. Lawyers also gather evidence through social media.
“It seems that many social media users have acted out of control, including being too extreme in their reactions, ” she said.
Fadhlina also apologised if she had hurt the feelings of any parties due to misunderstandings, slips of the tongue, and mistakes on her part.
Yesterday, her political secretary Atiqah Syairah Shaharuddin filed a police report in Kuching, Sarawak, regarding the spread of a viral video and a picture of the Education Minister’s poster, which was allegedly edited and slanderous, causing negative reactions from netizens.
— Bernama
