Religious schools linked to child abuse probe to be shut down

The Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) will close down religious schools linked to Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB), which is at the centre of a controversy after the premises linked to it were raided by the police on Sept 11.

Mais chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the order to shut down the schools is also based on viral videos that have linked the company to the banned deviant Al-Arqam group in Selangor.

"Those videos have linked GISB to the teachings and practices of Al-Arqam, which was banned in Selangor under three fatwa (religious legal edicts) issued on Feb 4 in 1993, Aug 11 in 1994 and Dec 2 in 2006," he said in a statement on Sept 14.

The fatwas also ban any teachings and practices with similarities to Al-Arqam.

"The religious enforcement officers and inspectorate for religious schools under the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) have been ordered to immediately investigate all charity homes and schools linked to GISB to ensure that no deviant teachings are propagated in these premises," said Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz.

He further said that if the schools are found to be propagating deviant teachings, they would be deregistered and shut down under the state's syariah laws.