Yesterday, Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin had written a cryptic poem criticising ‘cow worshippers’ for trying to have an unnamed preacher handed over to a tyrannical government. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 ― Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has defended his controversial poem yesterday criticising “cow worshippers”, insisting that no rational Malaysian would find cows sacred and revere them.

According to the Perlis mufti, the poem was instead directed to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s administration for allegedly allowing Muslims to be killed over the slaughter of cows, animals that are considered sacred by Hindus.

“For those who do not deify cows in this country like in India, there is no need to be slighted. The poem was for current affairs in India,” Asri said on his Facebook page.

Asri said those who are highly educated will not worship cows, or deem them sacred, what more kill others for the sake of them.

“It is impossible for a rational mind to accept that,” he said, adding that rational men also reject the caste system in India where there are some labelled pariah.

“Therefore, this has no relation to people here who maybe do not have ‘faith’ in superstitions such as those.”

At least 10 Muslim men have been killed in similar incidents across the country by Hindu mobs on suspicion of eating beef or smuggling cows in the last two years.

Critics say the vigilantes have been emboldened by the election in 2014 of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

Asri had accused Modi’s administration today of cultivating an environment that empowers “cow vigilantes” by worshipping cows.

“They are able to kill ruthlessly among humans just because of cows that are eaten all over the world,” the mufti said.

Yesterday, Asri had written a cryptic poem criticising “cow worshippers” for trying to have an unnamed preacher handed over to a tyrannical government.

The characteristics he describes in the poem resemble practices that exist in India. Other facets of the poem similarly resemble ongoing local developments.