Mahathir’s words

THE “ALLAH” CONTROVERSY

Jan31st 2013 Written by chedet
///1. Malaysia is a multi-religious country where people can adhere to their own religion even though Islam is the official religion. For most of the time the followers of the different religions have lived in peace with each other. We do not see the kind of violence between the followers of different religions as found in Northern Ireland, Lebanon and the Indian sub-continent.///–Mamakthir

The Malaysian constitution provides for free practice of religion according to the choice of the persons. Religion is a personal matter. People in Malaysia were free to practice their religion until Mamakthir came into power, when he decided in 1986 that Al-lah should be the exclusive God of Muslims in Malaysia. Non-Muslims have no problem with however Muslims wish to practice their religion, but Mamakthir as a Muslim decided when he had the power as PM to limit non-Muslims’ access to Al-lah.

///2. Malaysians respect each others’ religions and the rights of the religious practises of their followers. We avoid commenting on other people’s religion even though we may have furious debate within each religion.///–Mamakthir

That is generally true except for Mamakthir who passed a law to restrict the right of non-Muslims to practice their religion, and took away their God from them.

///3. Unfortunately now we have this controversy on the use of the name of God, Allah. Many years ago this controversy was settled through the acceptance that the Christians of Sabah and Sarawak could continue to use the word Allah in their Malay language bible and teachings but these should not be used in the rest of the country.///–Mamakthir

The Christians did not willingly accept what was forced upon them to keep quiet since they simply cannot change the law. It is just like Mamakthir telling BBC that MCA accepted BN’s policies which discriminated against Chinese. MCA leaders were shameless to give the impression that they had a say in formulating government policies when it has none.
If Christians in Sabah and Sarawak can use the word Allah, why then did BN banned the bibles meant for Christians in Sabah and Sarawak. When Christians from Sabah and Sarawak are in the rest of the country outside Sabah and Sarawak, the rule would mean that they cannot call upon their God. Is that free practice of religion? Was it the decision of BN government to split Christians in Malaysia since they will have different God in different places? Surely Mamakthir could claim that Christians had agreed to settle the controversy in the manner which actually deprived Christians their right to free practice of religion as provided in the constitution. After all when he was in power, he was quite free to use ISA against any person he chose. With that he was free to say what he liked.

///4. Unfortunately because some politicians want to get the support of Malaysian Christians, the demand is made that the Malay language bible be used in the whole country. Predictably the Muslims protest and the controversy is resurrected.///–Mamakthir

Muslims do not have to protest how non-Muslims practice their religion since religion is a personal matter. The controversy had the root in Mamakthir passing the law and Syed Hamid banning the bible in Malay language. The persons who championed the protest are found in Perkasa of which Mamakthir is the patron. Now Mamakthir tries to give the impression that 60 percent of Malaysians are protesting.

///5. Christians and Jews know very well that in all their bibles, the Old Testament and the New Testament, and in the King James and other versions the word Allah had never appeared as the name of God. It is only after Islam and the Quran that the world became acquainted with the word Allah for God.///–Mamakthir

The world over, Muslims accept that the word Allah can be freely used by any persons who may not be Muslims. Indeed the world Allah appears in the holy book of the Sikh religion. Why should Mamakthir have passed the law to create controversy in the first place?

///6. In their effort to spread Christianity in the Malay speaking world the Christian missionaries used the word Allah for reasons best known to themselves. Whatever, the word Allah for God is not derived from Jewish or Christian sources.///–Mamakthir

The people of the world are free to spread whatever religion to which they hold dear, even in Indonesia where the number of Muslims exceeds those in Malaysia. Whether or not the word Allah was derived from Christian sources, Christians in Sabah and Sarawak had used them before they became Malaysians. Indeed the Romanized word Allah was only adopted by Malaysia when Malay language adopted Romanized script. Who then has a longer history of using the word Allah?

///7. Among Christians in Malaysia, except for the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, the word Allah for God had never been used. In any case, the need does not arise as most sermons are not in Malay. Even when they were in Malay, the word Allah was to my knowledge never used.///–Mamakthir

Mamakthir cannot claim that he had been to every church and heard every sermon to make the above claim.
The Sikhs may not use Malay language but they have the word Allah in their Holy Book.

///8. Religious confrontations can lead to very serious consequences. It can lead to violence and killings even. This peaceful country will not be peaceful anymore if we have religious violence.///–Mamakthir

If Mamakthir is sincere in seeing that there is no religious confrontation why did he sow the seed for possible religions confrontation, by restricting the use of the word Allah in 1986?

///9. It is unfortunate that Ibrahim Ali should suggest burning the newly-printed bibles. That may be the way we rid ourselves of unwanted publications. It cannot be done for the Bible any more than it can be done for the Quran.

10. But what Ibrahim said does not reflect the views of UMNO. Unfortunately, some politicians would like to make it so in order to gain political mileage.

11. While UMNO believes that the word Allah is exclusive to Islam, it had never advocated burning the Malay language bibles which uses this word. I regard the attempt to imply Ibrahim’s support for UMNO to mean what he says is what is subscribed to by UMNO as mischievous. Ibrahim is not a member of UMNO. He may support UMNO but he is not a spokesman for UMNO.///–Mamakthir

So now whatever Ibrahim Ali said does not represent UMNO. Who is Mamakthir to make that clarification when the President of UMNO Najib has not taken that stand? Maybe Najib will soon confirm it.

///12. We have lived together in relative peace and harmony all these years. Our country has developed fast because of this. While we can have political differences, we should not resort to our religious differences to win elections. It is a double-edged sword and those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.

13. Let this controversy be settled behind closed doors by responsible people. Let not the extremists take over and exploit religious issues.///–Mamakthir

The controversy started by Mamakthir. Mamakthir still thinks that the powers-that-be have the power to decide how people practice their religion. How arrogant? The solution is either for the government to accept the decision of the High Court which implies that the law passed by Mamahtir in 1986 was unconstitutional, or the government should not stop the appeal court hearing its appeal on the 2009 High Court decision on related issue.

///14 It may be a denial of freedom of speech but freedom even in a liberal democracy have limits if we really want democracy to work.///–Mamakthir

Mamakthir started the controversy and now he wants limit to legitimate airing of views.

///15. I would like to appeal to all parties to stop trying to abuse this issue.///–Mamakthir

Mamakthir started it all and now he pretends to care.

///KUALA LUMPUR Feb 6 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad came to Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s defence today claiming the Malay rights leader had not meant it as an insult when he suggested burning Malay language bibles for using the word “Allah” Dr Mahathir picture who is the patron of Ibrahim’s Malay rights group Perkasa told a press conference here that the Pasir Mas MP had merely been referring to a common practice of burning publications that have been identified as illegal “Usually if there is a publication that has been banned the action taken is to burn these books “So his Ibrahim view is that if this Bible is illegal in terms of policy he chose to opt for the common method of burning them ” he said after launching the coffee table book “Antartica Malaysia’s Journey to the Ice” at Universiti Malaya here “So I don’t think that he Ibrahim had any intention to insult the kitab injil it was not his intention ”///–Mamakthir

Now Ibrahim Ali knows his own intention after Mamak has spelt it out for him. It is most likely that Ibrahim Ali would be submitting written answer to supplement his statements given to police in their interview with him.

Mamakthir seems to know better the intention of Ibrahim Ali than Ibrahim Ali himself.

Mamakthir thinks that he can fool people with his explanation to make light of the serious offence committed by Ibrahim Ali. Mamaks must have forgotten that it is what the words meant to ordinary person that count as to whether Ibrahim committed seditious crime. In fact Ibrahim Ali did not on any occasion mentioned about illegal books, and so burning illegal books never came to his mind. Ibrahim Ali talked about religion and thus burning bible was from his religious perspective. That was how his intention was as conveyed to ordinary persons.

By saying what he did Mamakthir showed his forked tongue.

Mamakthir mentioned that it was not UMNO’s intention to burn the bibles. But with his rationalization of IA’s words, Mamakthir accepts that Ibrahim Ali now speaks for UMNO!