Media Statement
Intellectual Freedom and the Authority of Truth
Aliran, having a multiethnic and multireligious membership, and being dedicated to interethnic and interreligious understanding, is non-partisan in matters directly affecting all religions practised in this country.
However, Aliran, being equally dedicated to the principles and practices of democracy, maintains that democracy must be predicated upon the broadest freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.
Contrary to the inclinations of various quarters who keep trying to limit the scope of civil liberties enshrined in our Constitution, we believe that democracy can only be upheld if every citizen is guaranteed the right to speak, write, debate and argue freely on all matters affecting our society and the public interest.
In Aliran's view, PUM and its co-petitioners have every right to object to, criticise, or rebut the writings, statements, and interpretations, relating to Islam, which were made by or attributed to academics like Dr Farish Noor and Dr Patricia Martinez, or prominent public intellectuals like Zainah Anwar and Kassim Ahmad.
PUM and its co-petitioners have every right to meet the intellectual arguments and positions advanced by people like Dr Farish, Kassim, Dr Martinez and Zainah, by intellectual means, via the mass media, open forums, publications and so on.
However, Aliran considers that PUM and its co-petitioners have no right to resort to any form of action that has the express objective of preventing people like Dr Farish, Kassim, Dr Martinez and Zainah from exercising their right to freedom of expression, or of punishing them for exercising their right.
We regard any such preemptive, preventive or punitive action as a violation of the fundamental principles and practices of democracy.
Aliran's position is consistent with our tradition of opposing attempts made, especially by the powerful and the wealthy, to deploy non-intellectual responses to intellectual matters or open discussions of issues pertaining to the public interest.
The people of this country have seen enough of the use by various authorities and political figures of the Sedition Act to restrict, stifle and silence public debate and intellectual endeavour. We have seen enough of the use of libel suits by corporate figures to punish and intimidate public commentary on economic, financial and corporate developments.
We are also dismayed to note that too many individuals or parties with vested interests have become too fond of charging people who don't agree with their views with 'insulting' or 'ridiculing' or 'humiliating' or 'inciting' particular ethnic groups, particular religions or particular offices.
If these trends, which betray an anti-democratic spirit, are unchecked, this nation will be rapidly heading towards a situation in which the suppression of expression becomes a habit with those who wield power.
Our society cannot progress in the most fundamental of ways if people who occupy public positions or lead public organisations habitually react to criticism and disagreement by stifling the right to freedom of expression.
The authority of Truth cannot be replaced by the truth of Authority. Debate must be met with debate, not with force. Interpretation must be challenged by reinterpretation, not with suppression.
Aliran Executive Committee
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Aliran regrets the action of the Persatuan Ulama Malaysia (PUM) and some other organizations who, on Monday, 4 February 2002, handed a petition to the Council of Malay Rulers requesting that action be taken against several writers and individuals for having allegedly '�nsulted Islam and ridiculed holy verses' in the Qur'an and Hadith.