Islam, Muslims at the mercy of PAS ?

Islam and its followers have become victims of PAS leaders who are using religion as a weapon of political survival, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Although purportedly advocating the true Islam, he said PAS leaders were willing to change their minds and interpretation as it had always been their tendency in gaining the support of non-Muslims.

"We see how the so-called Islamic fighters are willing to change the interpretation of Islam for political gain, if they once used to say that those who cooperated with non-believers were infidels, but now they defended their cooperation with non-Muslims," he said in an interview with Umno Online.

On the recitation of "doa" (prayer) for Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng instead of the King during Friday sermons in Penang recently, Mahathir said PAS had a way of justifying the action of the katib ( preacher).

"They say it is not wrong as the doa was an effort to draw them to Islam and this is the beauty of Islam.

"If Islam is an obstacle in gaining the support of non-Muslims, they will digress a little.

"For example in pursuing the hudud law and the Islamic country, they cast it aside in order to gain the support of non-Muslims," he added.