Malaysia charges Borders manager with selling Canadian Muslim lesbian activist Irshad Manji 'banned book'.

Malaysia charges Borders manager with selling Canadian Muslim lesbian activist Irshad Manji 'banned book'.(BP).Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz, who manages the bookstore chain outlet in the capital Kuala Lumpur, is accused of distributing Irshad Manji's "Allah, Liberty and Love." The Home Ministry banned the book last month after it was deemed offensive to Islam, contained "elements that could mislead the public," and was "detrimental to public order". According to Manji's website, the book "shows all of us how to reconcile faith and freedom in a world seething with repressive dogmas". Nik Raina faces up to two years in jail and a fine if the Islamic court finds her guilty, her lawyer Rosli Dahlan said. No plea was recorded Tuesday with the next court date set for September 19. Rosli said Islamic officials raided the store before the book ban was officially announced, and the shop had filed a court case to declare the raid illegal. Rosli added that Nik Raina had no authority over deciding which books to sell and was being singled out because those in charge of merchandising were ethnic Chinese non-Muslims. Non-Muslims cannot be charged in Islamic courts. Malaysia has a system of Islamic courts that run parallel to the country's civil courts and administer civil matters for Muslims who make up some 60 percent of the country's 28 million people.New York-based Human Rights Watch has called on the government to reverse the book ban, saying it was "old-fashioned state repression" and "cowardly".Hmmmm..........Sounds like 'life and times' of Tomás de Torquemada.Read the full story here.

Irshad Manji, a Canadian Muslim gay activist launches book in Malaysia despite ‘ban’.

Irshad Manji, a Canadian Muslim gay activist launches book in Malaysia despite ‘ban’.(AA).A Canadian Muslim gay activist launched her controversial new book on liberal Islam in Muslim-majority Malaysia Saturday despite a government minister’s attempts to shut down the event. Irshad Manji launched “Allah, Liberty and Love” at a hastily arranged event in the capital Kuala Lumpur after two other venues pulled out of hosting her, according to local publisher ZI Publications. “Fantastic event in KL! Great energy ̶ except 4 cops who told latecomers that event is banned. Didn't stop us. Congrats 2 all,” Manji wrote on Twitter. Jamil Khir Baharom, minister in charge of Islamic affairs, had said Islamic officials and the Home Ministry would not allow the author’s roadshow in the country following complaints. He was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying earlier Saturday that the book was offensive to Muslims as was Manji’s ideology and openly gay lifestyle, which was deemed to be against Islam.
According to her website, the book, now available in the local Malay language, “shows all of us how to reconcile faith and freedom in a world seething with repressive dogmas... This book is the ultimate guide to becoming a gutsy global citizen.” The book has not been officially banned. Manji was due to fly to New York City late Saturday. Her previous internationally acclaimed book, “The Trouble with Islam Today,” is already banned in Malaysia, ZI Publications said. Manji also faced problems while touring Indonesia before coming to Malaysia. Police shut down several events after the Islamic Defenders Front group held violent protests condemning her liberal views on Islam and her homosexuality. It is also not the first time a foreign act has run into trouble in Malaysia. In February, Malaysia banned a show by American singer Erykah Badu after a photo of her with body art including the Arabic word for “Allah” was published in a daily newspaper.Read the full story here.