For heaven's sake! Who on earth are those guys defending the actions of Jawi over its recent raid?

It must be the same people who are gullible enough to be waiting with bated breath for the present prime minister to clean up the country of corruption despite increasing evidence that he is unable or unwilling (take your pick) to clean up even his own party.

The raid was plainly illegal and should not have happened. There is no law prohibiting Muslims from patronising entertainment outlets which sell alcoholic drinks. Neither is there any legislation defining what is decent or indecent for a Muslim woman to wear.

Muslim patrons at the premises concerned were clearly victimised by Jawi just for being there. Yes, of course, Islam prohibits the consumption of alcohol and defines what modest dressing is for Muslim women but (and this is the part some people find very difficult to swallow) under the Federal Constitution, Islamic law or the Shariah is not in operation in this country save for those sections pertaining to marriage, divorce and inheritance.

Jawi enforcement officials, therefore, were acting out of their own or their bosses' personal prejudices and not from any desire to uphold any known law of the land. There are people who say, 'Man-made legal provisions be damned! Jawi or, for that matter, any other state religious department taking similar action is right because they want to enforce God's laws and uphold Islamic values'.

To those folks, I would ask them to consider the following:

During the Anwar Ibrahim trial, a former Anti-Corruption Agency chief testified under oath that he was stopped by Dr Mahathir Mohamad from pursuing his investigation on a senior civil servant who was found with a large amount of cash in his office safe.

Yes, folks, the very same Mahathir who shed tears during the Umno general assembly over the problem of corruption. Now, if Jawi truly is zealous about upholding Islamic values, why didn't it detain Mahathir and compel him to attend counseling sessions.

Surely, abhorrence of corruption is an Islamic value worthy of being upheld and defended without fear or favour.

Some years ago, a VIP was caught committing 'khalwat' in Negri Sembilan but he was not charged, presumably because of his status. No great zeal was evident on the part of the Negri Sembilan religious department to be seen to protect and uphold Islamic values.

The present menteri besar of Pahang has been photographed making obscene gestures in public. That surely was conduct unbecoming of a Muslim leader. If the Pahang state religious department really wanted to protect Islamic values, it should have publicly reprimanded the menteri besar and prescribed counseling for him.

One mufti criticised the Sure Heboh concerts on the grounds that they encourage un-Islamic activities among young concert-goers. Perhaps. But what about this other revolting and arguably un-Islamic activity whereby each and every time the prime minister departs or arrives from a foreign trip, scores of people wait in line (sometimes for hours) groveling for a chance to shake and, if possible - praise be to God! - kiss his venerable hands and be noticed by him.

It can no longer be excused as a sincere gesture of farewell or welcome, this presence of so many people unconnected to his personal staff. Many are businessmen hoping to become his cronies. Is this culture of 'mengampu dan membodek' (flattery and sycophancy) any more Islamic than whatever it is that music concerts encourage?

How come no mufti has spoken out against the practice? How come no mufti has criticised the prime minister for not prohibiting the practice?

To roar like a lion when the alleged transgressors are ordinary folk, weak and defenceless but cower like a mouse when the proven transgressors are the high and mighty suggests something less than a God-fearing zeal to uphold Islamic values.

Thus, when the upholding of Islamic values is used to justify actions which have breached legalities, it invites nothing but well deserved scorn and derision.

Whatever it was that Muslim patrons subjected to the Jawi raid were doing, it could not have been more sinful than the demolition of 'surau' (small mosques), an activity of the Selangor religious department.

The demolitions, apparently, were justified because the 'surau' were built without religious department approval, that is, they were in breach of legalities. No talk of upholding Islamic values there. How convenient.

If we Muslims really want to make the letter and spirit of the Shariah the basis of Malaysian law, we need to have intelligence in our heads and compassion in our hearts. We need to be able to discuss things freely, to ask painful questions - which may raise even more painful answers - without fear of being victimised or being put in jail without trial.

We need to be free to peacefully congregate to show dissent or support over anything without being tear-gassed or baton-charged. We need a free press which is an honest purveyor of the plurality of views.

It does not take much from there to realise that individuals and organisations, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, which are fighting for our civil liberties and human rights and to uplift our dignity are actually undertaking a very Islamic activity. They deserve every bit of our active support and assistance.

The number of problems besetting our society rises in direct proportion to the number constitutional rights denied us by the morally and intellectually bankrupt Umno/Barisan Nasional coalition. The cause and effect works both ways.

Any honest scrutiny of the current situation in Malaysia would yield this finding: the Umno/BN government is not the solution, it is the problem. And one which we need to get rid of as soon as electorally possible. We owe nothing less than that to ourselves and to future generations of Malaysians of all religions.