Fatwas must not violate constitution, says law expert

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Any fatwa or religious edict should not violate the Federal Constitution, which is the supreme law of the country, says constitutional law expert Shad Saleem Faruqi.

Unfortunately, he said, civil courts tend to ignore these provisions on fundamental rights.

“So many fatwas are regarded as if they are independent of the constitution,” Shad Saleem said in a webinar titled “Freedom and Tolerance in Islam: Why We Need Some Rethinking” organised by G25 and Edunity Foundation.

He cited a court case involving independent preacher Fathul Bari Mat Jahya who was previously convicted of teaching Islam without credentials.


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