Yet again, Hadi Awang has made Islam the number one enemy of Malaysia and the world.

His recent statement on why corruption occurs has raised many questions about Islam, about our Islamic institutions, our Islamic universities, the role of Islamic reformists in nation-building or nation un-building, as well as political parties aligned to PAS.

I am still waiting for an answer from those who are supposed to respond appropriately on the statement he has made.

If Hadi was making an academic statement, then I, as an academic, demand to see some quantitative analysis of corruption cases and convictions for the last 30 years in Malaysia, so that we can pinpoint how many percent is attributed to the “evil” non-Muslims in the country.

If Hadi was making a political statement, then there is already a barrage of political leaders from DAP, PKR, PBM and MCA putting him in his place.

However, I don’t see any Umno leaders rising to the occasion. I don’t see the Prime Minister of Keluarga Malaysia saying anything that would give me confidence that he is still a leader for all Malaysians and not just Malays who seem to be a race that can do no wrong and do no corruption, that is, according to the unchallenged wisdom of Tuan Guru Hadi Awang, spiritual leader and president of Parti Islam SeMalaysia.

My main and frightening concern is where the responses from the following people and institutions I had mentioned are, if Hadi was actually making a religious statement.

This statement, coming from a religious scholar, lifetime political activist and people’s representative of many terms as well as a religious teacher of thousands of would-be ustazs, is a grave statement indeed.

Hadi is not just anybody shouting from the side whom you can ignore as a simpleton and as an agitator. What Hadi has said in that statement could destroy the very foundation of our Malaysian society.

He basically suggests, from my reading, that non-Muslims in Malaysia can never be trusted by Muslim Malaysians because the former do not have the purity, honesty or sincerity of actions or belief as Muslims do.

Firstly, I am waiting from a statement by the Islamic reformist NGOs like ABIM and IKRAM.

Why the silence? Or why the delay? Is Hadi’s statement so complicated that it requires many days of deliberations on religious fatwas, opinions, perspectives and discussions?

Hadi is not just anybody shouting from the side whom you can ignore as a simpleton and as an agitator. What Hadi has said in that statement could destroy the very foundation of our Malaysian society.

As a Muslim, I already know that Hadi is talking complete nonsense.

Abu Talib, the Prophet Muhammad’s Uncle, was never a Muslim and died also a non-Muslim. But he, Abu Talib, never gave up protecting Muhammad as his nephew even when the Quraish threw all of them into an embargo that cost untold suffering.

If non-Muslims were so “evil,” why did the Prophet send the first migrants to Abyssinia to be under the Christian King Negus?

Is it so complicated that both these NGOs who swept the country with their Islamic ideology to control Malaysia can’t form a simple response to Hadi’s statement? Or do these two NGO’s actually agree with Hadi’s statement?

I am also waiting for the muftis who are quick to respond to so-called insult to Islam by non-Muslims and progressive ideas by Muslims as a threat to Islam.

Do these muftis agree with Hadi Awang’s interpretation of Qur’anic verses? Do their silence mean agreement with the PAS leader?

If they do not agree with him, Malaysians and I would like to hear their version of the interpretation of the Qur’an with regards to who is more corruptible.

The silence of these muftis will also destroy any trust between communities, and place the idea of Malaysia as a bigger joke than Crackhouse Comedy Club can muster.

I am still waiting also for any statement from the so-called professors of Islamic studies.

Surely the two big universities with “Islam” in their names would have scholars who can refute Hadi’s statement.

In all public universities there are also departments of Islamic studies with academics with Masters and PhDs that can put up a better nation-building discourse on Islam then Hadi. Where are you guys?

Hadi, as far as I know, does not have a PhD.

The inputs of these Malaysian academics paid by the taxes of all “evil” non-Muslim Malaysians would help ease our distress on the fate of nation-building in the hands of such an individual. Or, do these academics actually agree 100% with Hadi?

Finally, I wish to stress again that Hadi Awang is no ordinary man. He is a veteran and respected political leader in the Islamic reformist movement.

His statement carries much weight even though it may be a product of political desperation or opportunism.

Responses from politicians, non-Muslim leaders and liberal Muslims will only strengthen his religious stature among ignorant and simple-minded Muslims.

Silence from Islamic NGOs like ABIM and IKRAM, professors and academics in Islamic studies and muftis is unacceptable as it will undermine our Keluarga Malaysia concept within the framework of our Rukun Negara and the Constitution of our founding fathers.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)