The Straits Times, January 2, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court ruling allowing a Christian publication to use the word 'Allah' to denote God has set off a heated debate, with one fiery Umno MP decrying the move as provocative.
The MP for Pasir Salak in Perak, Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, known for his hardline views, told a news website that the ruling would heighten racial and religious tension.
'Why do they (the Christians) want to use the word Allah all of a sudden when all this while they have been using the term God? This is definitely provocation; they are just using human rights, religious rights as excuses,' he was quoted as saying.
He also said 'certain quarters' had grown bolder because Muslims had been 'soft'.
Another Umno politician, Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz, wrote in his blog that Malays would see the ruling as 'pillage and violent abuse of Muslim self-respect'. He said ownership of the term 'Allah' is regarded by Muslims as residing in their hearts - not in any legal principles that can be adjudicated by a court.
The High Court on Thursday lifted the Home Minister's ban on the Roman Catholic church using 'Allah' in its newspaper.
The Herald, which publishes 14,000 copies a week for circulation among church members, has English, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil versions. Its application for a Kadazandusun version was turned down recently.
The church had been banned before from using 'Allah', but the Home Ministry lifted the ban upon appeal. When it was re-imposed in 2007, the church took the issue to court.
Malaysia has about 850,000 Catholics.
The Herald was not the only publication affected by the ban. There have been complaints of Malay-language bibles being seized for using 'Allah'. Another court case is pending over the seizure of Christian CDs, imported from Indonesia, on the same grounds.
The controversy has divided the nation. Many Muslims support the ban as they feel the word 'Allah' carries a special meaning for Muslims. However, Christians, with support from some Muslims, argue that 'Allah' is a generic Arabic word used to refer to God.
Muslim academic Farish Noor, who researches Islam, wrote previously that the term 'Allah' dates back to the pre-Islamic era and has been used by all peoples in lands where Arabic is spoken. He argued that many had confused Arabic culture and Muslim theology.
Not all Muslims in Malaysia accept such arguments. The complexities of race relations in Malaysia have turned the issue into a tug-of-war for dominance.
Disputes relating to Islam have become contentious in recent years as they tend to get drawn into the roiling debate on ethnic politics. In Malaysia, Malays are, by legal definition, also Muslims.
Some Muslim groups have expressed concern that Muslims might be confused by the use of 'Allah' in a Christian context. They see this as a move by the church to convert Muslims.
A Malay non-governmental organisation (NGO), Perkasa, has urged the Council of Malay Rulers to intervene.
Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement secretary-general Mohamad Raimi Rahim told Utusan Malaysia that he, too, wanted the rulers to intervene as all issues involving religion come within their purview under the Constitution.
Protests have also been made by the Syariah Lawyers Association, the Muslim Lawyers Association, Muslim NGO Jamaah Islah Malaysia and the Islamic Students Association.
Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of The Herald, told The Straits Times that people should stop seeing one another as threats.
He said: 'The court decision recognises the sociocultural heritage of the word Allah, which has been used in our prayers and bibles for many years.'
The government has not yet indicated if it will appeal against the ruling.
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