By Clara Chooi
May 15, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

GOMBAK, May 15 — Despite police still investigating unsubstantiated reports of a move to a Christian Malaysia, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali threatened Christians nationwide last night that he would wage a crusade or holy war should they proceed with their agenda to usurp Islam.

The pint-sized Malay rights leader thundered to a ceramah audience of some 200 at Kampung Changkat here that he was willing to take the fall for his statement for the sake of defending the dignity of Islam.

Although he complained of fatigue from his nine ceramah stops from Kelantan to here since Friday night, the Pasir Mas MP also said his blood was boiling with rage and “hairs standing on end” following recent reports of a Christian conspiracy between religious leaders and opposition party politicians.

“In Kelantan earlier, I declared before the police, I told the security forces present that if they want to send my messages to Bukit Aman (police), please go ahead.

“Please record my words — if there is any party in Penang, especially the Christian priests who are being backed by the Penang DAP, should continue with their agenda which we already know, I would like to offer that if they want to hold a crusade, we can.

“This is in the spirit of Sultan Saladin Ayubi… if they want to fight a crusade, we can,” he charged.

Saladin was a Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and led the Muslim forces during the Crusades — a series of religiously sanctioned military campaigns taken by the Christians to recover the Holy Land from Muslims.

Ibrahim (picture) warned the non-Muslims not to take the silence of their Muslim comrades to mean complacency, saying it was because the latter community placed peace and harmony above everything.

“But we are ready. Silence does not mean fear, we have been silent because we prioritise peace and harmony.

“But these people, if they feel the peace that they have enjoyed all these years is insufficient, or the stability and progress of this nation is not enough and they want to do something that has never once crossed our minds, go ahead… we will be ready,” he said.

He claimed the reason why the non-Muslims were now fearless and brave enough to step up was because they felt secure with the backing of many Muslim liberals and other political leaders including PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

“This is my view… if I am incorrect, it is my right. If I am rude, I apologise. My sins I will bear.

“But why is this happening now… after 53 years? The answer you may know — the main source is because of Anwar’s misdeeds.

“So to them (non-Muslims), this is their time because they are being backed by Nik Aziz, supported by Anwar and spurred by the Malay liberals,” he said.

Ibrahim was referring to the recent row over a controversial newspaper report in Utusan Malaysia entitled “Kristian Agam Rasmi?” (Christianity the official religion?) where it was alleged that DAP leaders and Christian priests were conspiring to take over Putrajaya, abolish Islam as the religion of the federation and install a Christian prime minister.

Christian leaders and DAP members have denied the reports and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was even forced to host a meeting with the religious chiefs to solve the issue but Ibrahim insisted last night that the report was true.

For one, he pointed out that a Muslim DAP member had also lodged a report on Friday claiming to know the true story of what transpired during the meeting at a hotel in Penang recently.

“They have been accusing Utusan Malaysia but from the beginning, I said it is valid. It is true.

“Why? Because the MP present at the meeting was Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi. He is an MP like me and I know from his mannerisms and the language he uses,” he said.

Ibrahim also reiterated his recent claim that former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) members were using local groups for an unsubstantiated plot to replace Islam as Malaysia’s official religion.

He insisted that CPM supporters had infiltrated political parties, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious groups and business associations after the party laid down arms in 1989 in order to carry on their activities.

“I am reminding the Malays of this country… where are these CPM members? They have been absorbed into the community. I am confident they have infiltrated political parties, NGOs, and so on.

“These are the remains of PCM… that is why they are brave enough to continue with their agenda…. it is a golden opportunity for them because they now have extraordinary support from Anwar, from PAS and from the Malay liberals,” he said.

Utusan Malaysia’s Christian conspiracy report is presently under police investigation.

According to Ooi, a total of eight pastors and 13 DAP members and event participants have been called forth to give their statements to the police.