Christians have been told that they should turn the other cheek and adhere to the ban on the use of “Allah”. Some others have also opined that Christians should back down so that temperatures don’t rise any further over this contentious issue. But the “Allah” issue, if uncontested, has far wider ramifications for all Malaysians than just Christians losing their constitutional right to worship peacefully.
churches
My East-West Allah
By Petra GimbadGo not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God, First fill your own house with the fragrance of Love. – Rabindranath Tagore MY first reaction to the news that a church was attacked was one of disbelief. Most East Malaysians, I think, would be confused as to why this is even […]
BN-style resolution to “Allah” issue
By Jacqueline Ann SurinWORD is, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is mightily concerned about the “Allah” issue and wants the matter resolved. Forgive me, but it’s hard to believe this, based on the public statements the government has been making. Honestly, how can we believe that the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) government under Najib’s leadership is sincere […]
Allah and the Malay language
By Wong Chin Huat(Blackboard pic by ilco / sxc.hu) IF the church were to agree to the ban of the word “Allah” for non-Muslims, would this solve our problems? The answer is no. Religious authorities in the West Malaysian states have banned more than the word “Allah”. In Pahang and Malacca, the word “nabi” (prophet) is banned, making […]
“Allah” issue: Who started it?
By Jacqueline Ann SurinLEST we forget, the source of the Allah controversy that resulted in churches, and a Catholic school, being torched and threatened did not begin on the streets. It did not begin with narrow-minded and ignorant Muslim pressure groups threatening to spill blood to assert their sole right to use “Allah”. Lest we forget, it began […]
Correcting the IGP
By Shanon ShahARSONISTS attacked eight churches Musa Hassan (Pic by Ridzuan Aziz / Wiki commons) between 8 and 11 Jan 2010 all over Malaysia — something unheard of in the country’s history. And yet, on 9 Jan, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan advised churches to tighten security at their premises because there were not […]
No Islamic prohibition against temple
By Ding Jo-AnnPARTICIPANTS of the 28 Aug 2009 cow-head protest claim that a Hindu temple cannot be built in a Muslim-majority area as this would affect the way they function as Muslims. Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was even labelled a “traitor to the Malay race and Islam” because of the state government’s proposal to […]
Malaysia isn’t Medina
By Aloysious MoweIN recent weeks, I have come across two articles devoted to the issue of interfaith relations in Malaysia proposing the Charter of Medina as a model for governance. One writer described the charter given by the Prophet Muhammad to the people of Medina as a “brilliant constitution“, because “every member of that Islamic nation was […]
