KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — The Office of the Federal Territories (FT) Mufti has today published an explainer warning Muslims to use the term “kafir harbi” to refer to non-Muslims who abide by laws in a country.
Following a controversial remark by a PAS man directed to DAP, the article said this term is more suited in modern context to refer to Zionists who have committed atrocities towards fellow Muslims.
“The term kafir harbi refers to non-Muslims who do not have the protection of Muslims and are considered enemies of Islam, actively engaging in hostilities and committing injustices against them.
“This label should not be applied to any non-Muslim citizens in a country who respect its constitution and abide by its laws,” it said in the article, which was also posted on its Facebook account.
“In the current context, those who fall under the category of kafir harbi include Zionists who have killed Muslims and forcibly taken land and expelled the Palestinian people from their homes and homeland.”
Yesterday, Perikatan Nasional downplayed a PAS member who labelled DAP as “belligerent infidels” using the term “kafir harbi”, saying he had merely “misspoke”.
Its director for the Nenggiri by-election, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, said that the man has since been “rested” for three days and will not join any party events.
Muslim leaders from DAP has recently slammed PAS after a member emceeing a rally declared the former party “kafir harbi” in Malaysia.
The DAP leaders highlighted that the remark was “takfiri” — a scorned practice of declaring fellow Muslims “infidels”.
The remark was also called out by the deputy minister in charge of religious affairs Senator Zulkifli Hasan, who called the occurence “dangerous”.
The terms “kafir harbi” and “kafir dhimmi” are archaic theocratic terms referring to “belligerent infidels” and “protected infidels” respectively, allowing the bloodshed of the former by Muslims.
