Top 3 editors hauled up
Rozanna Latiff and Akil Yunus
New Straits Times [Malaysia]
28 February 2012
KUALA LUMPUR: THE Home Ministry has called up the chief news editor, managing editor and senior editor of the English daily, The Star, to explain the use of a picture of American singer Erykah Badu bearing tattoos of the Arabic word for Allah.
Deputy Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong said the ministry would be issuing a show-cause letter to demand a written explanation from the publication within a week.
“Further action will be taken based on the explanation given,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Muslim groups yesterday called for action to be taken against the paper while Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim said tattoos of Islamic religious scripture were considered an insult to Muslims.
“While Americans and non-Muslims view tattoos as an art form, the name of Allah should never be used that way,” she said yesterday.
The offending picture, published in the Star2 entertainment section of the paper yesterday, accompanied a lengthy profile of the American star ahead of her performance here tomorrow.
Mashitah said as a singer performing in a Muslim country, Badu should have been aware of the religious sensitivities involved.
“Our religion does not even permit the name of Allah to be brought into the bathroom, let alone be used as a tattoo.”…
The article continues at New Straits Times
H/T Winds of Jihad where readers can see the allegedly offensive photograph of Erykah Badu.
Related: Indonesia: Moderate Muslim Cleric Says US Must Be Destroyed
