Please excuse me for such a delay to update the recent "Alkitab" issue happened in Malaysia last March. Around that time, I was more occupied with the enormous earthquake hit in north-eastern Japan and its aftermath. Of course, I have been tracing the news reports and media statements by the Christian leaders in Malaysia alongside. I will be posting the related previous reports soon. (Lily)
1. Liberty Sentinel（http://libertysentinel.wordpress.com）
(1) Malay Bibles Desecrated by Malaysian Authorities, 18 March 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
“Oh No! They killed our loved ones even though we paid the ransom.”
This is the worst nightmare experienced by people who paid ransom to kidnappers only to find their loved ones returned to them executed.
“Oh No! They desecrated our beloved Holy Bibles.”
This is the heart wrenching experience of Malaysian Christians who found their Holy Bibles returned to them defaced and desecrated. Malaysian Christians have earlier out of courtesy and grace agreed with the government to print the Alkitab (Malay Bible) with the symbol of the cross on the front cover along with the caption “A Christian Publication” [ The claim by the Minister of Home Affairs that Christians have earlier agreed to have the phrase, "For Christians only" stamped on the Alkitab is a lie. There was no such agreement. His statement, "We stamped the Bible based on amalan (practice) before… during Abdullah Badawi and even Tun Dr Mahathir’s time,” is also a lie].
Nevertheless, the authorities proceeded to detain 5000 copies of the Alkitab for the last two years.
Malaysian Christians waited with guarded optimism when the government recently announced that it will release the Alkitab that have been confiscated but to their horror they were suddenly informed that the authorities have hurriedly and unilaterally stamped all the Alkitab with an ugly notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs. See picture below. (Note: Omitted by Lily)
The English translation reads: Reminder: This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order of the Home Minister.”
Notice the official chop/stamp (Bottom Left) and the serial number that is to be imprinted onto the Bible (Upper Right).
The defaced Bible is now imprinted with a serial number, obviously to facilitate the authorities threatening to track every copy of the Alkitab used by the community.
Christians are horrified by the arrogance of the officials. The contemptuous act of defacing the Alkitab is nothing less than sacrilege.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia rightly expressed that they felt “deeply hurt”. I think it is being polite. “Outrage” would have been a more appropriate word.
I think the only proper thing for the government to do is to make immediate amends: Apologize for its callous act. Return the Alkitab back to the publisher and replace them with new Alkitab. Under no circumstances should these defaced Alkitab be destroyed – that would be another act of desecration. The government should bear all costs and give written assurance that such desecration will never happen again.
O God, your Holy Scripture has been desecrated, your name and reputation defiled! When will you rise up and judge all these arrogant offenders for their blatant act of sacrilege?
CFM Statement
Christian Federation of Malaysia Media Statement, 17 March 2011
HOLY SCRIPTURES DESECRATED
The Christian community in Malaysia is deeply hurt that the Government has desecrated and defaced the Bible.
Initial news that the Government had agreed to release copies of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia which had been impounded in both Port Klang and Kuching was greeted with joy.
However, this joy soon turned into grief and mourning when it was discovered that the release was subject to certain conditions. Each copy has to be stamped with a serial number, the official seal of the relevant department of the Bahagian Kawalan Penerbitan Dan Teks Al-Quran, and the words “by order of the Minister of Home Affairs”.
This means that the Bahasa Malaysia Bible is now treated as a restricted item, and the Word of God has been made subject to the control of man. This is wholly offensive to Christians. Any person who respects the Holy Scriptures of any religion would be appalled by this action.
The Christian community in Malaysia has always acted in good faith and with great patience to find amicable solutions without compromising our fundamental beliefs. But that good faith has not been reciprocated by the Government. It is the Government that has moved the “goal posts” over the years through a systematic imposition of unreasonable conditions and restrictions.
We have never agreed to any wording to be endorsed on Bibles to say that it is only for Christians. The 1982 order issued under the Internal Security Act 1960 did not state that any form of words had to be endorsed on any copy of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia.
The latest letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs dated 15 March 2011 is therefore a set of new conditions imposed on the release of the impounded Bibles which is wholly unacceptable to us. We will never accede to any desecration of the Bible since the Word of God to us is sacred.
We also wholly reject the Government’s contention that the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia is prejudicial to the national interest and security of Malaysia, and treated as a subversive publication.
As Christians we wonder how our Holy Scriptures can become a national security threat where countless number of us find it helpful in bringing hope and healing to broken lives and homes which we can testify to. Besides it commands us to be better citizens of our beloved nation.
We therefore insist that the Government withdraw the conditions imposed on the release of the Bibles impounded in Port Klang and Kuching. Given that copies may already have been endorsed, we will NOT take delivery of those endorsed copies.
We call on all Malaysians, from Semenanjung and in Sabah and Sarawak, and from all walks of life, to come together in unity to reject any attempt to restrict the freedom of religion in our beloved country.
We invite all Christians in Malaysia to remain calm and to continue to pray for a dignified and respectful resolution of this issue. As Sunday 20 March 2011 marks the 2nd anniversary of the impounding of the Bibles at Port Klang, we call on all those in Malaysia and elsewhere to dedicate themselves to a day of prayer and quiet reflection.
Yours sincerely,
Bishop Ng Moon Hing
Chairman and the Executive Committee,
Christian Federation of Malaysia
2. The Malaysian Insider
(1) Alkitab defaced, says Bible Society, 16 March 2011
by Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) was told today that its shipment of 5,100 Malay bibles seized at Port Klang had already been stamped with the home ministry’s official seal without its prior permission.
“At 5pm today, KDN informed Bible Society of Malaysia that they had already chopped the bibles and asked Bible Society of Malaysia to come collect the bibles,” the importer said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider, calling the home ministry by its Malay initials.
“Bible Society of Malaysia is alarmed by the defacement of the Christian bible by non-Christians chopping it with words that the Christians have not accepted or agreed to,” it added.
The BSM had earlier today refused to collect its cargo of holy books that had been detained for the last two years after the home ministry imposed two conditions for their release.
The society was stunned that home ministry officials had moved to act on their own and only notified BSM after the act, and called on the ministry to immediately put a stop to it.
“As the bible is the holy book of the Christians, due respect should be given to it by consulting the relevant Christian representative organs before any external text is inserted into the bibles.
“Bible Society of Malaysia calls upon KDN to stop chopping the copies of the Alkitab detained at Port Kelang [sic],” it said in the statement issued today.
Church leaders have stressed that they cannot follow the conditions imposed by the ministry, as it would mean desecrating their own holy book.
A separate shipment of 30,000 Malay bibles worth RM78,000 imported by the Sarawak branch of global Christian group, The Gideons, was also seized at Kuching port.
The Malaysian Insider understands that its cargo has been untouched, unlike BSM’s consignment, after the Sarawak importer told the home ministry state director to wait while it consults national Christian leaders.
The Sarawak importer had said it too was refusing to collect the Alkitab for the same reasons as the BSM.
The Malaysian Insider understands Sarawak home ministry officials had earlier contacted the importer to collect their holy books and carry out the stamping on their own.
Both importers are seeking advice from national church leaders on the matter.
BSM reminded the home ministry of its previous agreement made with the Christian community and repeated in an official letter dated December 22, 2005 “that Christians are permitted to have access to their holy book in the Bahasa Malaysia language provided that the sign of the cross and the words ‘Penerbitan Kristian’ are respectfully imprinted by Christians themselves”.
The society urged the home ministry to honour that agreement.
Yesterday, the importers each received a notice from the home ministry’s Publications Control and Quranic Text Division secretary, Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad, informing them of the two conditions imposed for the release.
The first requires the importers to directly stamp on the cover of each of the 35,000 copies the following words: “Peringatan: ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri.”
[In English: “Reminder: This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order of the Home Minister.”]
The cover of the Alkitab would be stamped with the department’s official seal and dated as well.
The second condition requires the importers to stamp a serial number on each copy, as if to demarcate copies from the released shipment and to enable the book to be traced back to the port of import.
(2) Church leaders accuse Putrajaya of religious bigotry, 16 March 2011
by Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Church leaders in Malaysia are alarmed over the home ministry’s latest directive for the conditional release of 35,000 Malay bibles and have refused to collect the holy books for the time being.
Hours after learning that Putrajaya had agreed to release their shipment of the Alkitab — as the Malay bibles are called locally — yesterday, the importers each received a notice from the home ministry’s Publications Control and Quranic Text Division secretary, Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad, informing them of two conditions for the release.
The first requires the importers to directly stamp on the cover of each of the 35,000 copies the following words: “Peringatan: ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri.”
[In English: “Reminder: This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order of the Home Minister.”]
The cover of the Alkitab would be stamped with the department’s official seal and dated as well.
The second condition requires the importers to stamp a serial number on each copy, as if to demarcate copies from the released shipment and to enable the book to be traced back to the port of import.
A copy of the faxed letter was made available to The Malaysian Insider.
The Malaysian Insider understands the Sarawak importer has refused to claim its cargo of 30,000 books seized from Kuching port and has notified the home ministry’s state director.
“It says it’s for ‘Christian use only’. But in Sarawak, we have family who are of all religions — Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist … If we pass the Alkitab to our brother or sister who is not Muslim, if we do that, then it means we are in the wrong,” said a source close to the importer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“We cannot deface our holy bible,” the source added.
When contacted, the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) said it was seeking advice from national leaders in the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) before taking any action.
The CFM is an umbrella body that represents over 90 per cent of churches in Malaysia.
“BSM has requested CFM to study KDN 15/3 release letter which has additional conditions like marking serial no. /5100 and getting Cop Rasmi Jabatan KDN and dated,” its general secretary, Reverend Simon Wong replied in a text message.
Wong added that the society will not be making any further comments and that related queries should be directed to the CFM instead.
CFM executive secretary, Tan Kong Beng, said its executive council is holding a meeting to “review the situation” and will issue a statement once it has decided what to do.
Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) secretary-general, Dr Hermen Shastri, was outraged by the ministry’s letter and conditional release, describing it as an act of “high-handedness”.
“They are mixing up religion and policy … It’s getting worse and worse. They are acting very high-handed. There is no more respect for other religions,” he said, and slammed Putrajaya for treating the Alkitab “like a communist book”.
“We do not accept any such conditions that belittle our religion. We are talking about the holy book here. The government has no right to impose its views of one religion on followers of another,” he told The Malaysian Insider, repeatedly.
“Who gave the order? Why do we have to put ‘Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri’ on the cover of our holy book?” he demanded, adding that the very act was a “desecration of the holy book”, which contradicted the Federal Constitution’s guarantees on freedom of religion.
“It’s as if their agenda is ‘We are telling you, you are using the Bible to convert Malays,” he said.
Shastri also slammed the de facto law minister, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, for imposing Muslim views on Christianity; and for repeatedly linking the Alkitab row to the Catholic Church’s court case on the right to use “Allah” — the Arabic word for God — in its newspaper.
The man of the cloth said the Alkitab and the “Allah” court case were separate issues; and challenged the federal government to prove the Alkitab had been banned under law.
Shastri said the ministry’s conditions showed that Christianity was “being singled out” as a threat as there were no such conditions imposed on the holy books of other religions, including Islam.
“Imagine if such conditions were imposed on the Al-Quran. I wonder how Muslims worldwide would take it?” he said and reminded the Najib administration about the incident of an American pastor who threatened to burn the Muslim holy book last year, in protest of a mosque being built near New York’s Ground Zero.
Shastri also questioned the Najib administration on its sudden move to impose the conditions requiring that the shipment bear the stamp and serial numbers.
He noted that it was the first time such an order had been given.
The home ministry had released an earlier consignment of 10,000 copies in Sarawak last Christmas Day without imposing conditions.
The Najib administration had made the order yesterday, bowing to pressure from Christian churches and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians.
The Cabinet was set to discuss the issue on Friday but with the seizure of the bibles drawing protest from Christians nationwide, a majority of whom live in Sabah and Sarawak, the federal government was forced to take action ahead of Sarawak polls set to take place next month.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia, which represents 90 per cent of churches in Malaysia, has said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak made a decision to release the Alkitabs but so far, the home ministry, which controls customs, has refused to hand over the bibles.
Nazri said the 30,000 copies of the Alkitab in Sarawak will be allowed into the state.
Christians, who make up close to 10 per cent of Malaysia’s 28 million population, use Bahasa Malaysia in Sabah and Sarawak churches to preach to a multi-ethnic congregation who each have a distinctive tribal language.
But evangelical churches there, such as Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), have crossed the South China Sea to preach to the growing number of Sarawakians and Sabahans who are settling down in the peninsula after furthering their studies or finding work here.
Yesterday, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala, a Sarawakian Christian, said the government had decided on the release of the Alkitab in line with a 1982 gazette under the Internal Security Act which allows its limited and controlled importation and circulation on condition that the books are stamped: “For Christians Only.”
“Since 1982, with this gazette, there have been no problems in its implementation. As such, taking into account this fact, the government has decided to apply the 1982 gazette and release the bibles accordingly,” the statement said.
Jala said that after a careful and thorough review, the Attorney-General confirmed that the release of the bibles did not prejudice the ongoing court case of the “Allah” issue.
The minister also noted that the Sarawak government had categorically expressed its view that the impounded bibles should be released.
(3) Christians say will not collect Malay Bibles, 17 March 2011
by Debra Chong
Nowhere in the Internal Security Act (ISA) is it stated that any form of words has to be endorsed on any copy of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — The Christian community said today it is appalled by what it says is the Najib administration’s desecration of 5,100 holy books shipped in from Indonesia and has flat out refused to collect the Port Klang shipment.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), which represents over 90 per cent of churches in the country, insisted that Putrajaya immediately drop the conditions imposed for the release of two shipments of Malay Bibles totalling 35,000 copies seized from Port Klang and Kuching port.
Last night, the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) was told its shipment of 5,100 Alkitab — as the Malay Bibles are called — have been stamped with the Home Ministry’s official seal, as per the conditions imposed for the release issued two days ago, without its prior permission.
The first requires the importers to directly stamp on the cover of each of the 35,000 copies the following words: “Peringatan: ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri.” [In English: “Reminder: This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order of the Home Minister.”]
The cover of the Alkitab would be stamped with the department’s official seal and dated as well.
The second condition requires the importers to stamp a serial number on each copy as if to demarcate copies from the released shipment and to enable the book to be traced back to the port of import.
“This means that the Bahasa Malaysia Bible is now treated as a restricted item, and the Word of God has been made subject to the control of man. This is wholly offensive to Christians,” CFM said in a strongly-worded statement today signed by its chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing.
The umbrella body refuted government claims it had reached a compromise, saying it had never agreed that its holy books should be endorsed to say “it is only for Christians”.
“Any person who respects the Holy Scriptures of any religion would be appalled by this action. We will never accede to any desecration of the Bible since the Word of God to us is sacred,” it said.
Pointing to a 1982 order issued under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the CFM said nowhere in law was it stated that any form of words had to be endorsed on any copy of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia.
“Given that copies may already have been endorsed, we will NOT take delivery of those endorsed copies,” it added.
The CFM said it also wholly rejects the federal government’s argument that the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia is “prejudicial to the national interest and security of Malaysia”.
It condemned the government’s treatment of its holy books as “subversive publication”.
The CFM said Christian Malaysians have always acted in good faith and with great patience to reach a peaceful end to religious dispute that would not compromise their beliefs.
“But that good faith has not been reciprocated by the government,” it said.
It further accused Putrajaya of having moved the “goal posts” over the years “through a systematic imposition of unreasonable conditions and restrictions”.
“As Christians we wonder how our Holy Scriptures can become a national security threat where countless number of us find it helpful in bringing hope and healing to broken lives and homes which we can testify to,” it said.
The CFM called on all Malaysians to rally together and reject all attempts to control the freedom of religion in the country.
It also advised all Christians to remain calm and pray for a dignified and respectful resolution to the ongoing Alkitab row and noted that Sunday will mark the second year the holy books have been detained at Port Klang.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein defended today his ministry’s stamping of the 5,100 Malay-language bibles in Port Klang with its official seal, saying it was standard protocol and not done to “deface” the Alkitab.
The minister also said his men had no choice but to adhere to these procedures as the BSM had wanted the Bibles to be released quickly.
“We stamped the Bible based on amalan (practice) before… during Abdullah Badawi and even Tun Dr Mahathir’s time,” Hishammuddin told reporters today, referring to the two immediate past prime ministers.
Hishammuddin appeared to suggest that the Christian community’s uproar over what they considered a violation of their holy book to be manufactured.
“They wanted it to be released quickly… if they want to find fault they can find fault… you can even say the Bibles are smelly after being kept for so long, if you want to find fault (with everything),” the minister claimed.
He said his officials had no intention to deface the Bibles, stressing that the Christian community should engage his ministry directly if it had issues or complaints over the measures taken.
However, he also voiced frustration over the inability to bridge the now-widening chasm with the community over the issue.
1.(2) Why Defacement of the Alkitab is Desecration, 21 March 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
Some government officials have claimed that Christians are making an unnecessary fuss over the recent stamping of the Alkitab seized in Port Klang and Kuching. After all, they say, the Government also requires copies of the Quran to be chopped/stamped with a notice of government approval before they are sold in the shops.
Even some Christians also wonder why such a big deal is being made about the stamping since Christians, unlike Muslims, do not regard printed copies of the Bible with reverence. It is just a printed text. What matters is the message conveyed by the Bible.
This article seeks to address the failure to understand the reason for rejecting the stamping of the Alkitab. The terms of the debate need first be clearly defined to ensure accuracy in my analysis and coherence of my argument. Since the issue is whether the government officials committed desecration of the Holy Bible let me begin with some definitions taken from the Oxford English Dictionary
Holy
1. Of a thing, place, etc.: kept or regarded as sacred; set apart for religious use or observance; consecrated.
2. Of a god or icon: (to be) held in religious veneration or reverence; spec. in the Christian
Church, free from all contamination of sin and evil, morally and spiritually perfect.
Sacred
1. Consecrated to or considered especially dear to a god or supernatural being.
2. Set apart for or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration or respect;
consecrated, hallowed (in names of animals and plants indicating ancient or traditional
veneration).
Desecration 1. Remove or violate the sacred nature of, profane; fig. spoil or treat with contempt (something venerated or admired).
From these definition I shall say that when Christians refer to “The Holy Bible” they are commending it as something set apart or dedicated to religious activity and thus to be held in reverence. There is some diversity among Christians in the way they approach the Bible. Some devout Christians approach the text with veneration. Other Christians feel they do not need to revere a printed book, but they will still consider the text to be indispensable in leading them into the presence of the Holy God.
We should also keep in mind that Muslims display great reverence for their holy text, as is evident from the way they physically handle the printed Quran and how they protest (violently in some cases) when the Quran is reportedly mishandled or desecrated.
How do we decide when a holy text has been desecrated, that is, violated and treated with contempt? Let us consider several scenarios pertaining to how the holy text could be treated:
1. A government official stamps on copies of the Quran to declare they are legally approved by the authorities.
2. A Christian stamps his name on the inside cover to declare ownership of a copy of the Bible.
3. A Christian highlights a scripture text while reading the Bible.
4. A critical scholar scrawls on pages of his Bible with the word “LIES AND MYTHS” while a militant atheist cuts off sections of the Bible he considers out of date and irrelevant (for example – miraculous stories).
5. A Nazi mob burns a heap of seized Bibles with wood carved in the form of the Swastika.
Comments on the above scenarios:
1. Obviously, stamping on these Qurans is not an act of desecration. Rather, it positively declares that these copies of the Quran are to be accepted as authoritative texts to be used by Muslims in their devotion. Its intention is one of positive regard in contrast to desecration that treats the text with contempt.
2. This action has no expressed valuation on the Biblical text. The owner simply declares his ownership of the book. The question of desecration does not arise.
3. For this devout Christian, highlighting the texts emphasizes his response while engaging with the text – as a human listening to the voice of God speaking through the text. It represents the personal response of the reader as he is led into the presence of the divine. Obviously, the reader’s attitude is one of reverence rather one of triviality and contempt.
On the other hand, other Christians may hesitate to highlight the text even when they experience spiritual uplift while reading the text because of their cultural background and personal sentiments. In this case, both these groups of Christian should respect each other and give allowance to one another so long as both groups respect the Bible and more importantly, obey the spiritual injunction of its teachings.
4. There is no desecration when a critical scholar declares he does not regard the Bible as the revealed word of God. He may even exercise his academic freedom and publish articles that criticize the Bible. The scholar is entitled to his view but the militant atheist is expressing contempt for the Bible and commits desecration by cutting up the Bible.
5. The Nazi mob is expressing publicly their contempt towards the Bible. The fire symbolically declares the intention of the Nazi movement to destroy both Christianity and the Bible. This is a desecration and a violent declaration of war.
The Question
Obviously, the issue of desecration is a complex one. We need to take into account the cultural values and the intention of the actors in making judgment when someone makes a mark on a holy text. We need to be sensitive to both the intention of the actor (message sent) and the perception of the believers of the holy text (message received). They may or may not coincide.
How then do we evaluate the action of the government officials when they stamped the Alkitab with the words: “FOR CHRISTIANS ONLY” “BY ORDER OF THE HOME MINISTER”.
Background Information
The root cause of the problem can be traced back to the December 1981 when the then Deputy Minister of Home Affairs gazetted the prohibition of the Alkitab in Malaysia under Section 22 of the Internal Security Act 1960 (PU (A) 15/82).
It was a draconian order prohibiting absolutely the printing, publication, sale, issue, circulation or possession of the Alkitab. The gazette contained a very serious accusation, which might even be considered seditious, stating that the prohibition was made on the grounds that the Alkitab is prejudicial to the national interest and security of the Federation.
In March 1982, a subsequent decision of the Deputy Minister repealed the above order in recognition of the fact that it is unacceptable to prohibit Christians from using their Holy Scriptures. This was done vide PU (A) 134 which, while retaining the prohibition, subjected it to the condition that “this prohibition does not apply to the possession or use in Churches of such publication by persons professing the Christian religion throughout Malaysia”.
It should be emphasized that such a restriction is unacceptable by any standard of modern democracy. But even then the Christian community went along with the government. As such, there was no attempt to display and sell copies of the Alkitab in public bookstores like MPH.
In December 2005, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi made an agreement with Church leaders whereby Christians were allowed to import the Alkitab on condition that its front cover has the words “Penerbitan Kristian” along with the symbol of the cross.
Although the word ‘compromise’ is used here, it was actually the case of Christians giving ground. After all, even the unacceptable gazette in 1982 did not require imprinting of the words “Penerbitan Kristian” and the symbol of the cross. So when Cabinet Minister Max Ongkili now suggests that Christians should compromise in a spirit of give and take, he should be reminded that it has always been the case of the Christians compromising – the Christians are always giving and the government is always taking.
Analysis
The issue of desecration did not arise when Christians agreed to print the cross with the caveat onto the cover of the Bible since it was to assure the government that Christians are not engaging in covert evangelism. Unfortunately, this did not stop the government from continuing to seize the Alkitab and other Christian teaching materials. The harassment from the government climaxed with the recent stamping of the Alkitab without consent from the Christian community.
To add salt to injury, the chop includes in bold print the words, “FOR CHRISTIANS ONLY” “BY ORDER OF HOME MINISTER”. This imprint amounts to discrimination against Christians and displays contempt towards their Holy Scripture. Two concerns arise immediately.
First, Christians cannot in good conscience limit the Word of God only to Christians. It is for anyone who freely seeks him including the animists in East Malaysia, atheists, secularists, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. By the same token the Buddhists and Hindus also say their holy writings are also for every interested seeker. They don’t have to apologize for their view and Christians respect their freedom to share their holy writings to all and sundry. Christians want to ask the government: “Why single out Christians and the Bible?” This is religious discrimination to say the least.
Second, the government officials obviously displayed contempt towards the Alkitab in the act of stamping it. How else can Christians react but to reject such an imposition? Why should Muslims feign surprise that Christians feel their Holy Bible (Alkitab) has been desecrated? Indeed, some Muslims would respond with violence if their Quran is treated in the same manner. Be assured that Muslims understand the need to respect and give reverence to printed copies of holy texts.
Further, the government acted with arrogance towards both Christians and the Alkitab when they went full throttle to stamp on the Alkitab, even while the Christians cried “Desecration!” This is nothing less than an “in your face” insult.
To cap the arrogance, the government now arrogates for itself power over God’s Word with the bold imprint, “BY ORDER OF HOME MINISTER”. Such a statement imposed and imprinted upon the Alkitab is alarming as it can amount to BLASPHEMY (arrogating for oneself the honor and authority which belongs to God). It is already an act of defacement when the government utterly disregarded the fact that Christians regard the Alkitab as Holy Scripture. It is a hostile and contemptuous action that ignores the protest from Christians. In the light of these factors, any self-respecting Christian who loves God and His Holy Scripture can only judge the government’s action as one of DESECRATION of God’s Word.
(End)
