Mick Hartley

A touch of Malaysian irony from Reuters:

Malaysian Islamic scholars have called for a halt to popular exhibitions billed as featuring ghosts, genies and other supernatural beings, saying they are forbidden and could undermine the faith of devout Muslims.

Many Malaysians are willing to suspend disbelief when dealing with the supernatural, and the exhibitions capitalise on a widespread fascination with the ghouls and goblins that populate Malaysia’s legends and folklore.

But supernatural beings should not be played up in exhibitions, state news agency Bernama quoted the chairman of Malaysia’s National Fatwa Council as saying.

“They are beyond the comprehension of the human mind as they involve the invisible world,” Abdul Shukor Husain said.

“We don’t want to promote a belief in the supernatural and in superstition…

Absolutely not.