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Malaysia Takes God’s Name in Vain
Our Correspondent
24 December 2007
On the eve of the Christmas holidays, Malaysia’s authorities mistakenly decide Allah’s name isn’t God’s
The Malaysian authorities’ refusal to renew the publication of the weekly Catholic newspaper The Herald unless it stops using the word Allah as the word for God in the Malay language is a demonstration of racism and linguistic ignorance, not religious purity.
According to Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum, “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from (the Arabic language). We cannot let other religions use it because it will confuse people,” he was reported as saying. “We cannot allow this use of ‘Allah’ in non-Muslim publications, nobody except Muslims. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right.”
But what Johari revealed was his ignorance of his own professed religion, of the Arabic language in which the Koran is written, and of the history and culture of Muslims throughout most of the world. God and Allah mean the same in different languages.
Muslims, like Christians do not worship a person called Allah. They worship a single supreme being which the Arabic language denotes as Allah. The very word Allah derives from the singular nature of the monotheistic deity. In the Arab world Allah has always been used by Christians (a significant minority) and Jews (a smaller but important minority until the creation of Israel) to denote the one God which the religions share. Ditto in Farsi.
In Indonesia 100 million Muslims have no problem with their Christian brothers using Allah to denote the supreme being in Bahasa Indonesia, the Indonesian version of the Malay language. So why should a United Malays National Organisation politician unless for some reason to ramp up Malay prejudice against non-Muslims and reinforce the notion that all Malays are and always will be Muslims?
Likewise among the (Roman) Catholics, the word in Latin (lingua franca of the Roman church) for God is Deus and is used without discrimination between Christians Muslims and Jews.
The Johari version of the world displays the same kind of ignorance as found among Christian fundamentalists in the United States and elsewhere who insist on saying that Muslims worship Allah rather than the God (an English word) that the two religions share. An English Koran uses the words “In the name of God the compassionate and merciful,” not “In the name of Allah the compassionate and merciful.”
If Malaysian Malays are confused about the distinction between Islam and Christianity because they use the same word to describe the one God, clearly there is a lot wrong with the educational system. But if a minister is so ignorant, how can the rakyat – Malaysia’s citizenry **- be expected to know better?
For Muslims, Jesus was a prophet of Islam. For Johari on the eve of the birthday of Jesus to make this astonishing decision is an insult to his own religion as well as to the Christian one from which Islam sprang.
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=952&Itemid=31
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=952&Itemid=31
Malaysia does an Allah Climb Down
Our Correspondent
31 December 2007
A small Catholic newspaper is given a reprieve over its use of the word ‘Allah’ for ‘God’
In the face of widespread adverse public reaction, the Malaysian government has backed away from canceling the publishing license of a Roman Catholic newspaper for using the word “Allah” interchangeably for “God” in the Malay language section of the paper.
“There are no conditions, there was no mention of the Allah ban," the editor of The Herald, Lawrence Andrew, told The Associated Press. After The Herald refused to drop use of the word Allah, the government said the paper’s license would be revoked.
The internal security ministry, which issues the permits, had given no reasons for the earlier ban but the unusual delay in getting the permit renewed followed warnings over the Herald’s use of the word "Allah."
A December 24 Asia Sentinel story on the proposed ban drew dozens of fevered comments on the site, split between Muslims and non-Muslims on whether the word Allah was exclusive to Islam. It was the closest Asia Sentinel has come to hosting a theological forum.
In the original story, Malaysia Takes God’s Name in Vain, Malaysia’s Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum, was quoted as saying: “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from (the Arabic language). We cannot let other religions use it because it will confuse people. We cannot allow this use of ‘Allah’ in non-Muslim publications, nobody except Muslims. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right.”
But in fact, in God and Allah mean the same in different languages. Muslims, like Christians, do not worship a person called Allah. They worship a single supreme being, which the Arabic language denotes as Allah. The very word Allah derives from the singular nature of the monotheistic deity. In the Arab world Allah has always been used by Christians (a significant minority) and Jews (a smaller but important minority until the creation of Israel) to denote the “one God” which the religions share.
The Herald had earlier filed a suit seeking to declare using the word "Allah" a constitutional right regardless of religion.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, al-Jazeera has reported that a church in Sabah is suing Malaysian authorities for banning the import of Christian literature containing the word "Allah.” Sabah Sidang Injil Borneo Church filed the case earlier this month after six titles used for Sunday school classes were banned.
According to al-Jazeera, letters from the internal security ministry said the books used words that were exclusive to Islam, including "Allah."
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=961&Itemid=34
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=961&Itemid=34
Catholic paper can't use 'Allah' after all
By Carolyn Hong
The Straits Times
Publication Date: 05-01-2008
Malaysia has ruled that a Catholic newspaper cannot use the word 'Allah' to refer to God, clarifying reports that it had reversed an earlier ban on the use of the word by non-Muslims.
Abdullah Mohd Zin, the Minister in charge of Islamic affairs, said on Thursday that "Allah" can only be used by Muslims. His statement came a week after the government renewed the publishing permit of The Herald, a weekly publication of the Catholic Church that comes in four languages, including Malay.
The church was earlier told that its permit would not be renewed. It was also told to stop using "Allah" in its publications.
"The use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims may arouse sensitivity and create confusion among Muslims in the country," Abdullah said.
The controversy is the latest in a spate of religious disputes that have strained race relations.
There had been controversies involving conversions to Islam that resulted in custody disputes, forcible separation of spouses, and tussles over bodies of deceased converts.
Abdullah said it had long been the practice in Malaysia that the word "Allah" refers to God in the Muslim faith only.
The Herald's editor, Father Lawrence Andrew, told The Straits Times that when the permit was renewed on Dec 28, no restrictions were stipulated, and it was assumed that the word "Allah" would be allowed.
However, Abdullah has now said the restrictions will remain, following a decision by the Cabinet in November last year.
The other banned words are "solat" (prayer), "Kaabah" (Islam's holiest shrine in Mecca) and "Baitullah" (House of God). The Christian literature does not use these words.
In 2002, the Herald was also asked to stop using the word "Allah" but after an appeal to the then Cabinet of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, it was allowed to continue doing so.
"The publication is only for internal circulation. We have no Muslim subscribers," Father Lawrence said.
The Catholic Church has taken its fight to court. It is seeking an order that it be allowed to use "Allah" in its publications. The case is pending.
A church in Sabah has filed a separate suit against the government over its ban on importing Christian books that contain the word "Allah".
Yesterday, a Sikh leader, Harcharan Singh, said his people also use the word "Allah" in their prayers.
Political scientist Farish Noor wrote in an article on his website that this fiasco over a "non-issue" suggests that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's vision of a moderate Islam is floundering.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?aid=14339
Friday July 4, 2008
Now, Sikhs want to be part of suit over the word Allah
KUALA LUMPUR: The Sikh community in Malaysia has become the latest party seeking to intervene in the suit by the Catholic Church over the use of the word “Allah.”
The Malaysian Gurdwaras Council filed an application to intervene in the suit through the firm of Jagjit Singh & Co on Tuesday.
In a supporting affidavit, its president Jagir Singh said the word “Allah” in reference to God was an integral part of the original version of the Sikh holy book, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
As such, he said, no followers of the Sikh religion would tolerate any form of obstruction on the use of the original terms taken from the holy book.
Jagir Singh said the council, the umbrella body of some 130 gurdwaras nationwide representing more than 100,000 followers of the Sikh religion, had an interest in the declaration sought by the applicant of the suit.
In the suit, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Datuk Murphy Pakiam is seeking to declare that the Catholic weekly Herald is entitled to use the word “Allah”.
He is also seeking to declare that its usage was not exclusive to Islam.
Rev Murphy, 70, had named the then Internal Security Minister (now Home Minister after the ministry was merged with the Home Affairs Ministry) and the Government as respondents in the application filed on March 19.
The archbishop is named as an applicant in the action in his capacity as publisher of the Herald.
Other parties which have applied to intervene in the suit are the Penang Islamic Religious Council, Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Custom Council, Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council and Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Custom Council.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/4/nation/21736463&sec=nation
2008/08/14
Catholic weekly defends itself
By : Farrah Naz Karim
PUTRAJAYA: The Catholic weekly under scrutiny for alleged repeated breach of its permit conditions, has come out strongly to defend itself.
The Herald had assured the Home Ministry that the authorities had nothing to worry about as the weekly was targeted at Catholics and not the general public.
Its editor, Father Lawrence Andrew, said Herald had never gone beyond issues of religion in its publications.
He, however, pointed out that the weekly could not help that religious issues were interlinked with matters of everyday life including the effects of high prices and other social dimensions.
"We are just living our faith," said Father Lawrence.
"The weekly is non-partisan to any political party. We are about educating the Catholics, what's the problem with that.
"It is not like just anybody could pick it up at news stands."
Yesterday, the Ministry's Publication Control and Al-Quran Text Divisions official Che Din Yusoh said the unit would continue to assess the publication's articles.
He had said Herald's permit clearly limited its publication of articles to those on religion. Che Din suggested that the weekly should apply to extend its coverage if it wanted to dabble in politics.
This, he added, should be done when it's time for Herald to renew its permit at the end of the year.
Father Lawrence however, suggested that the Home Ministry appoint officers of various races in the publication control unit.
"They should also put a Christian to assess materials related to the faith, as he would have a better understanding of the religion."
Herald had recently challenged the ministry in court after it was prevented from using the word "Allah" in its publication.
The weekly, with a circulation of 13,000 in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil and Mandarin, was on Monday warned that further infringement of permit conditions could result in its suspension or its licence being revoked.
It had earlier this month been issued a show-cause letter to explain its alleged dabbling in issues other than religion.
Father Lawrence had said that the next issue would carry an editorial on the Permatang Pauh by-election.
He urged the ministry not not to make any assumption on the editorial as they have yet to read it.
"The editorial is only asking people to pray for a just and fair by-election. How is that going against the permit conditions?"
Meanwhile, Suhakam in a statement expressed concern over the threat to suspend the Herald.
It would be deemed an infringement on freedom of expression, the statement said.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/2320903/Article/index_html
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