Malaysia: The word Allah just for Muslims debate rages on…
Interesting post from Joels Trumpet looking at the recent Malaysian court judgement on the word “Allah”, which you can read about here and here:-
Yet how often are we told that “Allah” simply means “God” in Arabic and does not contain any specific inference to the god of Islam? Well, now it is clear that even many Muslims disagree with this notion. Consider the implications for those Christian missionaries who practice the more extreme contextualized approach to evangelism. Among their practices, they refer to God as “Allah” because they claim that Muslims will simply understand this to be a generic reference to God. Yet if there are many Muslims who understand Allah to be a uniquely Islamic term, then these Christian missionaries are often giving a drastically wrong impression. By using the word/name “Allah” these Christian missionaries are in fact leading many Muslims to believe that they claim to be followers of the “God” of Islam. Opponents of the hyper-contexualized approach to Islam, such as myself, have long expressed that this extreme contexualized approach will often be perceived as dishonest or even outright deceptive by those that they are trying to reach. Well, not surprisingly, this is exactly what some Muslims are also saying: “For the awakened Muslims, this is a propaganda by them (Christians) to confuse the Islam Ummah (community) now and in the future.” As for me, I will continue with a loving yet direct appraoch. I have been accused of all sorts of things, but I have never been accused of hiding my true beliefs under a bushel.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — Like-minded Muslim Malaysians are banding together online in social network groups such as Facebook to oppose a High Court decision that allows Catholics to describe the Christian God as “Allah” in the national language.
As of 7am today, 9,713 accounts have signed up in the Facebook group page titled “Menentang Penggunaan Allah Oleh Golongan Bukan Islam” (Against Non-Muslims using the word Allah) to protest the Dec 31 judgment in favour of the Catholic weekly, Herald.
Among its members are International Trade and Industry deputy minister Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, a cross-section of youth members from political foes Umno and PAS and university students. Its adviser is controversial Mingguan Malaysia columnist Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah who has riled up non-Muslims with his idea of using population figures to determine benefits.
In the group description, it stated its objective is to oppose the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims which it alleged is an attempt to confuse Muslims.
“For the awakened Muslims, this is a propaganda by them (Christians) to confuse the Islam Ummah (community) now and in the future,” read the group description.
Just as in the group’s description, Umno hawks and Muslim conservatives alike have used similar arguments in their bid to put pressure on the relevant authorities to reverse the High Court decision and maintain exclusivity on the word “Allah” for Muslims.
Leaders like former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Selangor mentri besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo and Umno Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil have also said that the court decision will create uneasiness among the different races.
Mukhriz — Dr Mahathir’s son — is known for his far-right controversial political stand while Ridhuan is a household name among conservatives
Though the group did not state its political affiliation, it is clear that its creators who uses the pseudonym “Ali Baba Bujang Lapok”, are inclined to Umno judging from how Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have been. targeted and blamed for the controversy.
Progressive Islamist leaders like PAS Shah Alam and Kuala Selangor MPs, Khalid Samad and Dr Dulkefly Ahmad, have been derided as traitors to Islam for agreeing with the court decision.
PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have also been accused of “gambling the sanctity of Islam” for his alleged support of the High Court decision.
An online research by The Malaysian Insider also found that various pro-Umno blogs have begun exploiting the sensitive controversy to underscore their tactics of portraying PR as anti-Islam.
This is however not entirely true. Known Islamic hardliner like PKR’s Zulkifli Noordin have openly voiced out his disagreement with the court decision.
The Malaysian Insider also understands that conservative camps within PAS are also at odds with their more progressive peers but have so far remain silent, presumably in an attempt to avoid confrontation with the more liberal elements within PKR and DAP.
The controversy over the word “Allah” has stirred huge debate among Christians and Muslims alike in Malaysia and attracted international attention as well.
The Home Minister, who controls giving the annual mandatory publishing permits in the country, had banned the church from using the word “Allah” outside the Muslim context.
But some questioned if there can be a copyright over the word “Allah”, which Muslim representatives say is a special word reserved to refer to the Muslim God, meaning “the one and only Almighty”.
Tags: Christianity, Law Moral Ethical
January 12th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
In 628 C.E. Prophet Muhammad (s) granted a Charter of Privileges to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai. It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war.
An English translation of that document is presented below.
This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them.
Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.
The Muslims are to fight for them.
If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).
This charter of privileges has been honored and faithfully applied by Muslims throughout the centuries in all lands they ruled.