A Scottish masonic conference in Malaysia was disrupted last month by a small group of protesters, who believe that freemasons pursue a secret agenda to destabilize Islam. Approximately 20 demonstrators met outside the beachside resort at Penang, chanting angry slogans and demanding that the international conference inside be called off. Dressed in red shirts and chanting “Allah ho Akhbar,” the demonstrators held up placards as the police cordoned them from entering the resort’s premises.

Comparing anti-Semitism with homophobia, the protesters told the media that freemasons were not welcome in Malaysia because they are Jews and also support LGBT rights.

“They are Jews and anti-Islam, they must respect us and stop this conference,” they said.

As the protesters refused to back off, some of them were finally allowed to enter the Bayview Beach Resort. After stepping out, they announced that the conference had been called off.

The Grand Lodge of Scotland’s office in Edinburgh confirmed that the five-day meeting had in fact been called off.

“We are receiving reports that following a demonstration outside the conference venue has led to the cancellation of the conference,” the protesters wrote on Facebook.

Freemasons at the conference however denied reports of it having been called off.

“We were inside the hotel and do not even know what was happening,” Conference chairman Neoh Ho Keat said.

The conference, which commenced on February 24, was set to continue until February 28.

The demonstration was headed by members of Gerakan Merah, one of the nine local Muslim councils that decided to lodge a complaint against Freemasons last month.

“We want the police to investigate the conference, to find out what it is about,” said Mohd Hafiz Mohd Nordin, the leader of another protest group. “If the police don't stop them, we will stop the conference because we do not want it to be held here.”

In their complaint, Freemasons were described as an evil Zionist conspiracy. 

Scottish masonic sources dismissed these reports, saying the Lodge is a registered entity and it is legal for it to organize any event it deems fit. They denied claims that Freemasons are anti-Islam or associated with the murky Illuminati conspiracy, which purportedly manipulates and masterminds global dynamics to eventually usher in a New World Order.

Lodge curator Robert Cooper said that the demonstrators were ill informed because Freemasons are open to all faiths.

“Everyone can have their opinion but we are a recognised, legitimate organisation,” he said. “Unfortunately people tend to just read something and believe it because it's in a book and 'if it is printed it must be true', which is rather unfortunate. … We would have explained that if they had come and spoken to us. If only the time had been taken to give us a telephone call, come in have a chat and a cup of tea and we would discuss their concerns but we were not given that opportunity, which is really rather sad.”

A couple of hundred people were expected to attend the conference in Penang, which aimed at reuniting Scottish freemasons from different world congregations.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia