This followed Putrajaya’s recent decision to ban several publications concerning Islam.
Speaking to FMT, Prof Tajuddin Rasdi of UCSI said: “Preventing intellectual discourse and disallowing differences of opinion is counterproductive to the idea of having educated citizens.”
He added that it was pointless to ban books in an era where the internet provided ready access to knowledge.
“We’re no longer living in the 1960s,” he said.
The home ministry recently banned five books revolving around Islam, including one by prominent Turkish author Mustafa Akyol and others by Malaysians Ahmad Farouk Musa and Faisal Tehrani.
Farouk also heads the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF).
In an official government gazette dated Sept 28, the government said the books were banned as they were likely to be prejudicial to public order and alarm public opinion.
Akyol’s book, “Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty”, was the sole English publication banned. It has been an international best-seller since it was first published in the US in 2011.
The Bahasa Malaysia version of the book, “Islam Tanpa Keekstreman: Berhujah Untuk Kebebasan” was also banned, along with two of Farouk’s books – Wacana Pemikiran Reformis (Jilid 1) and (Jilid 2).
Included in the ban was Faisal’s book “Aku ___ maka aku ada”, his latest work to come under scrutiny by authorities.
In May 2015, four of his books – “Sebongkah Batu di Kuala Berang”, “Karbala”, “Tiga Kali Seminggu” and “Ingin Jadi Nasrallah” – were also banned by the home ministry.
Tajuddin also criticised Akyol’s recent arrest by religious authorities in Malaysia, saying they could not tell the difference between teaching Islam and academic discourse.
He said teaching a religion was like downloading data from a computer, where individuals would accept what was taught by the religious authorities.
“But academic discourse sees people raise issues, which others are free to disagree with.”
Last month, Akyol was detained by police and the Federal Territory Islamic Department (Jawi) as he was preparing to leave Malaysia after addressing a forum.
The New York Times columnist had been in Malaysia on a lecture tour organised by the IRF.
He was summoned by Jawi for questioning over a charge of “teaching Islam without credentials”, following which the religious authorities pressured the organisers of a forum featuring him to call the event off.