Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - A Malaysian Muslim who claims to be God's prophet has cleared the first legal hurdle to challenge the powers of Islamic authorities to prosecute people deemed to be heretics, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Abdul Kahar Ahmad received approval from the Federal Court, Malaysia's highest court, Wednesday to file a petition that would challenge Islamic Shariah criminal laws in central Selangor state, said his lawyer, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar.
Abdul Kahar, a 56-year-old former zoo worker, was charged in an Islamic court in August 2005 with five offenses, including spreading false teachings and violating religious precepts. He faces prison terms, fines and detention at a religious rehabilitation center if convicted in a trial, expected later this year.
Local media have reported that Abdul Kahar claimed that in 1986 he was appointed a prophet by God under the same circumstances as Prophet Muhammad had been chosen. He reportedly has a small group of followers totaling just over 20 people.
The charges against Abdul Kahar mainly stem from an edict issued by Islamic authorities in Selangor that declared his teachings as tantamount to deviationist beliefs.
Abdul Kahar's legal challenge, however, contends that certain provisions in Shariah law conflict with Malaysians' constitutional right to freedom of religion, Malik Imtiaz said.
The case is also meant to challenge narrow interpretations of Islam by religious authorities who sometimes issue edicts declaring certain sects to be illegal, Malik Imtiaz said.
Religious authorities in Malaysia have a tendency to "restrict and narrow the scope of Islam," Malik Imtiaz said, adding that Abdul Kahar would file a petition within three months to formally launch legal proceedings.
The government of Malaysia, hailed as a model of moderate Islam, is wary of groups that preach radical views of Islam because of fears they could upset religious stability in a country where nearly two-thirds of the 26 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims.
Abdul Kahar's case reflects growing challenges to the long-entrenched authority of Islamic authorities. Last month, a Muslim group called Rufaqa sued Islamic authorities in Selangor for defamation after it was accused of being a front for spreading deviant religious teachings.
Officials at the Selangor Religious Department and the Selangor Fatwa Council who could comment on the issue could not immediately be contacted.
In interviews last year with Malay-language media, Abdul Kahar was quoted as saying that many Muslims in Malaysia were praying incorrectly, and that people who became his followers would be assured of going to heaven.
Abdul Kahar could not be reached Wednesday for comment, and Malik Imtiaz said he could not confirm the reports.