Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, a Malaysian Islamic scholar, first claimed that marital rape does not exist but took it a step further when he insisted a man can enjoy sex with his wife even on a camel.

“Even the Prophet says even when they’re riding on the back of the camel, when the husband asks her, she must give,” he exclaimed. “So there’s no such thing as rape in marriage. This is made by European people, why should we follow?”

The only time a woman can refuse sex is when she is on her period, just gave birth, or is sick. He said the Koran “states that it will be ‘haram’ or forbidden to have sexual intercourse with a woman who is menstruating.” Muslim preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin agrees with Zakaria.

“That term (marital rape) is not accurate in the practice of Islam because rape in Islam is defined as forced sexual intercourse outside of marriage,” he said.

Hussin asserted the husband cannot force his wife to have sex, but continues to say “the key issue is not getting consent, but revolves how men can show love and create a romantic atmosphere to change their spouses’ minds to willingly agree to sexual intercourse.” If a man does this, the woman still rejects him, and he forces himself upon her, it cannot be considered rape. Instead it is “considered not polite (beradab) in Islam.”

Ismaweb.net struck back at the critics and people who denounced Zakaria and Hussin because “other religions are worse as they may permit anal sex in marriage.” Senior editor Razali Zakaria also lashed out at DAP assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin’s rape awareness campaign since it does “not target any particular religion.” He also accused the news outlets who decried Zakaria of being “close to the Jews” and “trying to denigrate Islam.”

“Do other religious believers not ‘force’ their wives to have sex?” he wrote in his editorial. “Maybe some are even worse – sodomising their wives. Maybe these anti-Islam quarters and portals that use the tactics of ‘infidel djinns’ don’t want to play up the issue of sodomising wives in Islam because they know that this is forbidden in Islam.”

Malaysian officials tell the world the country is a “moderate Muslim nation.” However, thoughts by Zakaria and other examples listed by Breitbart News prove the country is slowly creeping towards strict Islamic law.

“Thinking Muslims are being marginalised and persecuted,” said Azrul Mohd Khalib, a human rights activist, on how Islamic authorities intimidate Muslims in the country. “It is creating a climate of fear, suspicion and prejudice. Because of that, Muslims who do not prescribe to that belief system do not see themselves as being welcomed or even tolerated in this country.”

Activists know of many people who will not return to Malaysia due to the growing fundamentalism.

“It’s not for economic reasons, but simply because they feel that the environment here has become so negative and oppressive that it’s impossible to be able to live as peaceful, productive citizens any more,” explained Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, a social activist. “You just never know when something that is perfectly acceptable one day becomes ‘haram’ [forbidden] the next day.”