The PKR de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, once sacked the controversial book author, Kassim Ahmad, for trying to spread anti-Islamic thoughts among the Muslim community at the time.
Anwar, at the time, who was still the Deputy President of UMNO and President of Communications in UMNO Penang, said the decision was frowned upon by the then UMNO President, formerly Datuk Seri, now Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who wanted Kassim to be re-instated.
“At that time, I received a report from the Mufti of Penang stating that he had already begun giving talks. I was also shown evidence of the anti-Islamic teachings and Rashad Khalifa in the form of tape recordings of the talks and reports.
“I fired him. He came against me with the support of Dr Mahathir, UMNO President at that time. I did not take him back as the President of Communications Penang,” Anwar said in his speech before officiating Taman Saujana Impian District Election Machinery (JDM), here yesterday.
Anwar added that, due to vengeance, Kassim urged that Anwar was suspended for alleged treason in a statement in the UMNO-controlled newspaper, Utusan Malaysia.
“If you check out Utusan Malaysia three or four days before the election, you will find on the front page reports emblazoned with statements like Anwar should be hanged for treason, he is not loyal to the country, he is a Jew and Anwar does as he pleases.
“Who is clearly against Islam principles? Where is UMNO’s Ustaz? Where is the pro-UMNO NGO? Obviously, this was UMNO’s political tool. I am grateful and thank God, now that we know who these people are. These are the people that want me hanged,” Anwar added.
Anwar was also disappointed by the attitude of the parties responsible for not taking the necessary actions immediately despite the issue being clearly against the Islamic teachings.
“A seminar called ‘Kassim Ahmad’s Way of Thinking: An Assessment in Putrajaya’, was supported by Yayasan Perdana and launched by Dr Mahathir. That was very ‘suitable’. It was even defended by the UMNO Ustaz.
“Why was there no investigation? It should be questioned by the District Mufti in Putrajaya. If they had attacked PAS, I would have given them Pakatan Rakyat; but when the issue was clearly rejecting the hadith, nothing was questioned,” Anwar added.
Anwar also took the opportunity to remind UMNO not to denounce their Islamic principles simply because of differences in political ideology.
