Apologise to Muslims over cartoon, Abim tells Utusan
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — The Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) has demanded Utusan Malaysia apologise to Muslims nationwide over its comic strip titled “Kekeliruan kes rogol” [“Confusion in rape cases”], saying that it was an insult to Islam.
Abim president Dr Muhd Razak Idris charged that the cartoon had insulted Islamic laws, and gave the false impression that the religion did not defend rape victims.
“We want Utusan Malaysia to make a public apology to Muslims for the publishing of the cartoon, which we see shows ignorance towards Islamic laws and principles.
“This should not happen in our society and should not be carried by a media organisation which fights for Malays and Islam,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Muhd Razak said that the cartoonist who drew the comic strip appeared to be “ignorant” about Islam and urged him to repent and not repeat the mistake again.
“So I ask that after this any cartoons that want to be published should be checked by those who are knowledgeable in religion because we do not want Islamic laws to be seen as victimising rape victims, like this comic strip has,” he added.
The Abim president was referring to a two-panel comic strip on page 15 of the Malay daily on Wednesday titled “Kekeliruan kes rogol” [“Confusion in rape cases”] depicting a tudung-clad woman seeking advice after being raped.
“I only managed to record the incident with a handphone,” the sobbing woman is depicted as saying to her serban-clad village head in the first panel.
“You were raped? Were there four witnesses?” he replies, adding, “The recording device cannot be a witness because it has no ears and eyes. It’s only steel ... enough, it’s better for you to drop the case.”
The woman’s same complaint in the second panel to a figure resembling a police officer draws a different response.
“Superb … the tool can be used as evidence!” the moustachioed man informs her while appearing to type out a report.
PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat yesterday described Malay daily Utusan Malaysia as “Denmark Malaysia” for publishing a comic strip that he said was an affront to Islam.
Similarly, Persatuan Ulama Malaysia (PUM) has accused the Umno daily of insulting Islam, which the society said was based on an incorrect reading of the religion’s laws.
The 4,000-strong Muslim scholars’ society demanded the authorities charge the cartoonist and the publisher for insulting Islam, saying the publication of the misleading cartoon had portrayed in a negative light the religion of the majority in multicultural Malaysia at a time when Muslims were seen to lack religious knowledge.
