The Pact of Umar (also known as the Covenant of Umar, Treaty of Umar or Laws of Umar; Arabic: شروط عمر or عهد عمر or عقد عمر) is a treaty between the Muslims and non-Muslims who were conquered by Umar during his conquest of the Levant (Syria and Lebanon) in the year 637 CE that later gained a canonical status in Islamic jurisprudence

• MIC deputy president M Saravanan questions if new guidelines on interfaith events mean non-Muslims need Jakim’s approval if they want Muslim friends to pay a visit when they die.

• Saravanan urges Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to intervene, warning the proposal is a liability to the government.

MIC deputy president M Saravanan has criticised the proposed new guidelines for Muslims to attend non-Muslim events, including funerals.

This is especially after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Na’im Mokhtar said organisers of interfaith events need to get approval from the relevant authorities.

“Is the minister saying that every time there is a funeral of a non-Muslim, a Muslim friend must get approval before attending the funeral service?

“When someone dies, do we need to ask for Jakim’s (Islamic Development Department) permission before allowing Muslims wanting to pay their last respects?

“Since the Muslim cemetery is next to the non-Muslim crematorium in Klang, will we have to burn all bodies outside the municipal council building instead?” Saravanan asked in a statement today.

He also questioned whether Jakim’s approval was required if non-Muslims wanted to invite their Muslim friends to a wedding.

Guidelines and forbidden elements

BOBBYO : He called on the PM to intervene in this matter. As if the Minister for religious affairs have not briefed the PM on what guide lines he had drawn up. As if he had made the decisions on his own authority.

RedParrot1151 : BTW, any laws and rules to protect Non M ppl from losing their faith when attending other people religious event..when hearing their prayers, songs etc? Has any non M ppl lost their faith that way...I wonder..

HangTuahPJ : JAKIM, how about blood donation. When are you going to halal certify blood donation and transfusion. Anwar, take the RM1.3 billion JAKIM budget and give it to the Palestinians. More worthy and for better use. Close down JAKIM.

PW Cheng : Excellent suggestion Naim. Yes make all muslims accountable to Jakim. What they do, smell or hear, they must seek the advice and decision from Jakim. Fantastic idea from a non elected minister.

Why not also get them to seek permission from Jakim whenever they want to walk into a non muslim shop like 99 speedmart, kk mart or even 7 eleven, etc. In case they need to walk past or drive past a shop selling pork, make sure they seek the permission of Jakim. In case there is a Chinese funeral where incense papers and joss sticks are burning and they need to pass by, they must get permission from Jakim.

And if necessary Jakim must advice them to close their eyes, ears and stop breathing the air nearby while passing through. This will also help them a faster passage to heaven if they stop breathing long enough. To this end i am not sure his name is Naim or Naive.

HangTuahPJ : Does that mean Christian staff cannot wear a cross when they are with muslim friends?? Or Hindus wearing red/yellow strings on their wrist or have ash on their foreheads.

Hindu MPs will have to remove the ash from their foreheads before they enter Parliament? When you see a muslim friend approaching, quickly take off your necklace with the crucifix lor.

LimePanther5220 : If we want to talk ring-fencing and protecting MMs so that they are not affected or tainted by non-Islamic people and their non-Islamic activities, then we should talk about segregating taxes as well.

Taxes from NMs can be used for funding only NM activities, reason being that such taxes are tainted as they arise from non-Islamic sources (i.e. from non-Islamic people who believe in other gods). Only taxes from MMs can be used for funding MMs and their religious activities.

Dr Suresh Kumar : The other day at a CNY open house, Anwar asked "why is celebrating other festivals an issue now"? Not even a week has passed he has unleashed his minister for Islam to come up with another regressive and extremely divisive policy for Muslims.

For decades our Muslim friends have been attending non-Muslim weddings and funerals without getting confused or losing their akhlak. So, 'why do Muslims need Jakim's approval to attend non-Muslim events now'? Not a single Malay Muslim governments in the past have stooped so low.

When I was growing up some 50 years ago, the first guest to attend our Deepavali open house yearly without fail were my father's Malay Muslim office colleagues then our Malay neighbours will pay a visit. Some of the pakciks and makciks have since passed on, but they were pious and good Muslims till they died. Such open houses are now anathema to Muslims, all gone with the wind.

The only events of the non Muslims where Malay Muslims attend now is wedding ceremonies, funerals and maybe birthday parties. Even that is irritating the eyes of the religious bigots. Is multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysia a progressive country? We not only have a fake reformist as a pm but also a bigot.