"God" versus "Allah" in Malaysia
Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, a group of Muslims collectively do something to harm the public image of Islam, undermine Muslim outreach (i.e. da'wah) efforts and make Islam look less like a universal religion and more like ancient tribal beliefs:
Malaysian Row Over Word for "God"I hope this will count as the Ummah's PR disaster of the month. Pray that Almighty God changes their parochial mentality into something more Islamically wise and universal.
Religious freedom is guaranteed under Malaysian law. However, a church and Christian newspaper in Malaysia are suing the government after it decreed that the word "Allah" can only be used by Muslims.
Deen on...
Labels: Allah, Comparative Religion, Current Events
posted by @ 12:02 PM
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3 comments
3 Comments:
This is your ignorance into this.
Dont look at it as all non-malaysians so ignorant of the reality are looking into it.
According to the constitution of Malaysia, it has been clearly stated that evangelism to muslims in malaysia is not allowed and punishable under law. This is well accepted ever since Malaysia's freedom in 1957.
Now these people want to make it look to outsiders as if we are extremist in nature.
They are printing books with names of Allah, actually with Christian material inside. It clearly confuses the muslims in the rural reigons.
They insist they are just translating their Christian materials in Bahasa Melayu (local language of Malaysia).
But the reality, the translation of God in BM would actually be TUHAN and not ALLAH. Only Islamic books in bahasa melayu use the word ALLAH cos they quote the Quran.
They Government in the interest of the larger Muslim majority is only trying to make it clear, and ask them to use the word TUHAN. But they are making a big issue out of it and projecing to the world media, as what you have mentioned in the article. Even you duped into it.
Btw.. this warning to stop using hte word ALLAH in their chritian publications is not from any Islamic party or extremist group.
Its by the Coalition government of Barisan nasional and nationalist UMNO which leads the coalition.
The Islamic party is actually in opposition and rules the northern Kelantan state.
I can only laugh at the same time weep at the mockery of little straight forward things that people can make of.
A reader in Malaysia.
Check out this quote:
"We cannot let other religions use it because it will confuse people," Malaysia's Deputy Internal Security Minister, Johari Baharum, told the DNAIndia publication.
My opinion is if it confuses people, perhaps they need to be educated instead of the government thinking it needs to protect them.
Come to think of it, perhaps this is a blessing. Perhaps it will highlight to the rest of the world that "Allah" actually translates to "God" and we all are worshipping the one and only, that we are more similar than different.
DrZhivago,
I am Malay, and I know what the Christian missionaries are playing at, this is one of their tactics in confusing the ummah in Malaysia, and Indonesia (I doubt they will be as successful in Singapore). I have heard reports of them incorporating the salat (with sujd and ruku' and everything) but instead of reading verses of the Quran, they read verses of the Bible in Arabic, but I haven't been able to verify it.
If its a problem of confusion in the "rural" regions (which I don't think we are giving them much credit here!), education is the key, and I hope the govt will take this as a warning and educate the masses more, it would only help.
Of course, they are trying to stop this confusion in books, but I think this is one step, but with the Internet unless they try to censor everything, it won't work. Like anything, education is key.
Of course, this is Malaysia's laws and I would just tell the western media to shove off (hey Singapore does it all the time!).
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