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Malaysian authorities arrested 114 people in Perak on Saturday on the basis of their Shia faith, in what is the latest crackdown against followers of the Shia Muslim faith, the second largest school of Islamic thought.
The arrest took place while they were attending a celebration to commemorate the birth of Sayyida Zainab, daughter of Imam Ali (as).
Women and children were also among those arrested.
The latest operation, carried out by Perak Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jaip) and the police, saw detainees taken to Selama police headquarters before being released a few hours later.
It said Mohammad Kamilzuhairi Abd Aziz, leader of the Malaysian Shia Association, and its secretary Mohammad Nasir Sahari, were among those arrested.
“Everyone has been asked to present themselves at Jaip at different dates. For me, it’s March 24,” said Nasir, adding that they were detained under the Shariah Criminal Procedure (Perak) Enactment 2004.
Shia Muslims have been targeted in a campaign spearheaded by the government’s religious officers as well as Umno leaders, with state television channels and mosques preaching to Malaysia’s mainly Sunni Muslims on the danger of Shiism.
At Umno’s general assembly last year, senior leaders urged stern action against Shia followers, in what observers said was an attempt to link Shia Islam with PAS, and even suggested that only Sunni Islam be recognised in the constitution.
It has also been recently reported that the anti-Shia campaign has taken a hit after businesses in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is predominantly Shia, reacted by shunning Malaysian goods.
