7 Things To Know About The Entrepreneur Being Hunted By The M’sian Govt

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In early February 2020, Sajat was criticised for wearing female clothing while she was in Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.

At that time, she uploaded photos of herself donning the telekung, and jubah with hijab, as she walked on the holy ground. One photo captured her children standing in front of her with the Kaaba in the background.

Her action caused a huge uproar from both Mecca and Malaysia. According to Free Malaysia Today, the travel agency that managed Sajat’s trip said they instructed Sajat to be taken out of Mecca.

They also told her to apologise for the controversy.

Meanwhile, back home, then Islamic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa said Sajat’s action could harm relations between Putrajaya and Riyadh, the political and administrative centre of Saudi Arabia, reported The Arab News.

The minister under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government also said he had requested the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to ban Sajat’s social media accounts, reported The Straits Times.

Mujahid claimed her actions had given a bad image to the religion and the country. He also advised Sajat to return to the right path as a man, reported Malaysia Gazette.

During the peak of the controversy, Sajat’s photos attracted more than 5,000 comments, most of them hate speech. Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, in response, chided those who condemned the entrepreneur.

He said even though it was wrong for Sajat to wear female clothing in Islam, Muslims should counsel her instead of saying she was cursed by God, reported Free Malaysia Today.

Meanwhile, prominent Turkish scholar Mustafa Akyol urged religious authorities in Malaysia to leave Sajat alone.

“The fact that Nur Sajat went for umrah shows that she is devoted to her religion. She also probably didn’t disturb any other fellow Muslims around her on holy ground. So, why not respect the way she identifies herself?” said the US-based scholar who is a strong advocate of free speech in the Muslim world.

He also gave an example that in Iran, sex-change operations are not only legal but even encouraged. Mustafa urged Malaysia not to take action against Sajat and that Muslims need to accommodate transpersons as part of the ummah.



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