A member of UMNO Youth’s executive committee has called for a protest against an annual meeting of Freemasons from across the globe in Penang slated to take place next week, evoking conspiracy theories that Freemasonry is a front for the Iluminati.
Armand Azha Abu Hanifah is calling for Muslim NGOs and other like-minded organisations to join him in condemning and halting the planned Scottish Masonic Conference, a four-day meeting set to take place from February 24 to 27, as part of the District Grand Lodge of the Middle East’s (DGLME) 100th anniversary.
“Many have contacted me to discourage me from speaking out against such a large and powerful global organisation,” Armand wrote on his personal blog, regarding the ptotest.
“However, as a man who holds fast to the teachings of Islam and the 30 chapters of the Holy Qur’an, I still say that the meeting must be cancelled, and the (Penang) state government must answet for greenlighting this event in the first place”
He namechecked Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the entire Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition as having enabled the Freemasons to converge in Penang.
In response, a DGLME representative told The Malay Mail Online‘s Yiswaree Palansamy that the Freemason movement is not only an innocent social charity organisation – not unlike the Rotary Club – but is also a legally-sanctioned one under Malaysian law.
“We are a registered society and whatever that’s being said is inaccurate. Whatever they are saying in untrue. Illuminati is something totally different and has got nothing to do with our movement,” the representative said.
“For your information, most of our members are experienced professionals such as lawyers, doctors and many others and DGLME has been around for 100 years.”
Some Muslims oppose and object to the concept of Freemasonry, claiming that the organisation is a front for the mysterious and malevolent Illuminati, which they believe aims to usher in the age of the Dajjal, or Antichrist, and works hand-in-hand with Satanists and Zionists.
