Source: m.themalaymailonline.com

Followers of the Ahmadiyya sect are considered deviant by many Islamic countries that follow the Sunnah wal Jamaah ideology, which includes Malaysia. — Picture by K.E. Ooi

Jane Tai, counsel for the Ahmadiyya group, said they are seeking a court declaration that religious authorities have no jurisdiction over the group since they are not recognised as Muslims according to several fatwa issued earlier.

On June 22, 1998, the Selangor Fatwa Committee ruled that followers of Ahmadiyya or Qadiani teachings are “kafir” or non-believers, and that any individual that follows Qadiani teachings is an apostate, according to the national e-fatwa database.

The group is also seeking a declaration that their investigation and pending prosecution at the Shariah Court by Selangor’s religious authorities violates their constitutional rights and goes against the Administration of Muslim Law (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003.

At the same, the group wants a mandamus order to compel state religious authorities to recognise the effects of the fatwa and drop or cancel any investigation of legal action against them.

The 39 applicants — which includes eight Pakistani asylum seekers, two Indian nationals, one Indonesian and 27 Malaysians — were arrested by JAIS officers on April 11, 2014 on the grounds that they were performing Friday prayers in a place that is not a mosque.

The group, which includes three minors, were initially ordered to face the Gombak Shariah Court in October and November last year, but the case has since been postponed to make way for the judicial review application.

Should they fail in their application, the 39 members of Jemaah Ahmadiyah Muslim Malaysia would have to… read more at m.themalaymailonline.com