1. The Malaysian Insider (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com)
Christians issue rule book for spreading faith, 28 June 2011
GENEVA, June 28 – A coalition of major Christian churches including the Vatican launched a rule book today for spreading their faith that aims to reduce hostility from Islam and other religions to efforts to convert their followers.
The five-page code of conduct, which has been under negotiation since 2005, was unveiled at a Geneva news conference by the World Council of Churches (WCC), a senior Roman Catholic prelate and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA).
It urges Christians wanting “to share the good news of God’s kingdom” – missionary work or simply publicly testifying to their faith – “to build relations of respect and trust with all religions” and adapt their approaches to local conditions.
It reaffirms their right to proselytise, or promote their beliefs and seek converts.
But it also urges them to abandon “inappropriate methods of exercising mission by resorting to deception and coercive means”, saying that such behaviour “betray the gospel and may cause suffering to others”.
The code, entitled “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct”, comes amid growing tension between small local Christian communities and majorities from other religions in many, especially Muslim, countries.
This is often sparked by the activity of missionaries, both overt and covert, who seek to convert non-Christians, and are often denounced by local religious leaders –; Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist – as enemies of what they see as the true faith.
In some Islamic countries, a Muslim who converts to another faith can face the death penalty, and Christians who proclaim their religion are often accused of blasphemy, which can also be a capital offence.
In recent years, there have been increasing incidents of attacks on Christian churches seen as the focus for conversion activity – in Pakistan, Egypt, India, Indonesia and others – in which many Christian believers have died.
The new code – initially promoted by the Geneva-based WCC, which unites a wide range of Protestant and Orthodox churches – says conversion “is the work of the Holy Spirit”.
But Christians should “conduct themselves with integrity, charity, compassion and humility, and overcome all arrogance, condescension and disparagement” with regard other religions.
However, it declared that religious freedom – which many activists argue does not exist in Muslim countries –; and the “right to publicly profess, practice, propagate and change one’s religion” are based in human dignity.
And it calls on governments “to ensure that freedom of religion is properly and comprehensively respected, recognising that in many countries religious institutions and persons are inhibited from exercising their mission”. – Reuters
2. Krisis & Praxis(http://www.krisispraxis.com/)
(1) Desecration of the Holy Bible: What If this is the Spirit of the AntiChrist?, 19 March 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
First, an update to the Bible Desecration Crisis.
After stamping 5,000 copies of the Alkitab without seeking consent from Christians, Putrajaya went full throttle with the stamping of another 30,000 copies even after receiving strong protests from Christian leaders. The Malaysian Insider reports, “He [The importer] received a phone call from the Home Ministry’s state director, one Julia Johari, this morning telling him Putrajaya had given explicit instructions to immediately [emphasis added] carry out the stamping on the entire cargo of 30,000 holy books as per the conditions imposed for the release.”
In any crisis, negotiators always recommend confidence building measures to defuse the tension. In contrast, the government has delivered in quick succession a double hook punch at the Malaysian Church. Perhaps the right upper cut will be delivered in the midst of negotiations reportedly in progress between government officials and Church leaders. Church leaders negotiating with the government must stay alert!
Let us look at the stamp that has been callously chopped (imprinted) onto the Alkitab (Malay Bible) in Klang.
The English translation reads: REMINDER: THIS “AL KITAB BERITA BAIK” IS FOR THE USE OF CHRISTIANS ONLY. BY ORDER OF THE HOME MINISTER.
The stamp imprinted onto the New Testaments in Kuching shows what a big ugly mark it really makes:
The English translation reads, REMINDER: THIS “NEW TESTAMENT/PSALMS AND PROVERBS” IS FOR THE USE OF CHRISTIANS ONLY. BY ORDER OF THE HOME MINISTER.
Notice that the official government stamp/chop is stamped on the bottom left corner, and a serial number is imprinted onto the upper right corner. obviously to facilitate the tracking of every Malay Bible used in the community by the government authorities.
Evidently, Christians must now submit to an order/law that is higher than the word/law of God. If the contemptuous act of defacing the Bible amounts to sacrilege, arrogating a higher authority above God is BLASPHEMY.
The special mark reminds me of a prophesy in the Book of Revelation about a Beast that spoke like a dragon rising out of the earth:
“Also it [The Beast] causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666” (Revelation 13: 16-17).
“No one can buy or sell unless he has the mark.” It would be devastating to be unable to buy the necessities of this life without an official mark. It is all the more devastating if one is barred from buying the fundamental necessity for both this life and the life to come – Holy Scripture — unless the book bears an official mark. And horror of horrors! Now Malaysian Christians (and only Christians) cannot buy their Holy Scriptures unless it bears a special mark. Horror of horrors! What if….What if the forerunners of the AntiChrist indeed have come?
Some years ago a group of prominent historians (Robert Cowley et. al) wrote a marvelous history book entitled What If. Their exploration of alternative scenarios of pivotal moments of history proved to be both startling and insightful. It should also be instructive for Malaysian Christians to apply the big What If question to bear upon the incident of stamping the Alkitab.
Of course, one should be extremely guarded about identifying any particular individual or organization with the Beast or the Antichrist. History is littered with such naïve and misguided attempts, and it’s not my intention here to identify the AntiChrist.
It is, however, appropriate to discern how certain individuals or organizations in history do precede and foreshadow the coming of the AntiChrist. Indeed, the apostle John warned his readers to be alert to manifestations of the spirit of the AntiChrist in his times.
1 John 2:18 — Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
In this case there is no What If. It is indeed the spirit of the AntiChrist!
Desecration of books does not just end there. Historically there is a connection between burning of books and burning of people. This was most famously captured by the German poet Heinrich Heine in his Almansor: A Tragedy 1821.
“That was mere foreplay. Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.” (German: “Das war Vorspiel nur. Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen.”)
The Nazi book burning campaign in 1933 climaxed with the burning of Jews in Auschwitz.
Granted, we are not talking of the burning of the Holy Book now. We are only talking about marking of the Book. But What If the marking of the Book ends up with the marking of the People of the Book? The pun would be fun if not for the grim scenario. Mark my word!
The authorities wield awesome powers against which the saints are defenseless. They can only echo the prayer of the persecuted saints in Revelation 6:
“O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge… those godless authorities who callously desecrate your Holy Book?”
(2) Response to Press Statement by Datuk Seri Idris Jala, 24 March 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
On 23 March 2011, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, issued a press statement in The STAR which gives the impression that the government has made a great offer to Christians in solving the Alkitab issue. Christians should remain guarded about the terms of the offer.
First, the press statement undermines trust in the negotiation process. CFM had earlier told Idris that it needed to consult the major stakeholders, the Christian leaders of Sarawak and Sabah, before getting back to him. But Idris evidently preempted the whole process and put up a one-sided statement before receiving a definite reply from CFM. Now the unfair impression is that the Christians are the bad guys holding up the process of settlement and refusing a good offer.
Second, the offer is not as good as it appears.
1) The words “For Christianity” is ambiguous and open to differing interpretations. Given the trajectory of this ongoing dispute, be assured that UMNO and government officials will interpret the phrase to mean “For Christians only”.
Put the government’s suggestion in context: CFM had already made a compromise with the government in 2005 to print on the cover of the Alkitab the symbol of the cross, along with the caption “A Christian Publication”, even though there is no law that requires such an imprint. The government seemed satisfied then, and for a few years thereafter, that the imprint is sufficient to prevent confusion among “weak Muslims”. But even though the Christians acted in good faith, the government now has reneged on the agreement and wants to substitute it with the phrase, “For Christianity”, which is a questionable proposal that can only worsen the dispute in future.
2) The offer of a directive from the Director General to expedite future importation of the Alkitab is also of questionable value. Lawyers familiar with the government administrative process are doubtful of the effectiveness of the directive from the DG. Such directives have no force of law and can easily be changed/superseded by later directives. It is also an open question whether other government officials will follow the proposed directive (details of which remain unclear) since it stands in conflict with other gazetted government circulars.
Third, assuming that copies of the stamped Alkitab are released – does it then mean Christians can use the words Allah, Akhirat, Baitullah, Firman Allah, Imam, Injil, Nabi, Salat, and Wahyu? These words are proscribed by various State enactments but are used in the Alkitab.
The contradiction of the government position becomes glaring in light of the Mufti of Selangor’s objection to the release of the Alkitab on grounds of some Islamic enactments by the State (even though the judgment by Lau Bee Lan in the High Court ruled these enactments to be invalid). It is reasonable to conclude that Muslim officials will “follow their religious conscience” and block future consignments.
Fourth, Idris offers himself as an honest broker in this dispute since he is a Christian and “the only Cabinet minister who is not a member of any political party.” I have no doubt that Idris is a committed Christian who sincerely believes he is just trying to be a peace-maker. But with all due respect (and good regard as a Christian brother), his present position does not qualify him to be a neutral mediator or honest broker. Party member or not, he is presently appointed to serve the ruling party and maintain loyalty to the Prime Minister. As such and with much regrets, the Christian community cannot view Idris as a person who can adequately represent the interests of the Christian community.
In short, it must be emphasized that there is presently no definite agreement between Idris/AG and the Christian leaders. I understand CFM is still deliberating the matter with Christian leaders from East Malaysia and will convey its considered response to the government in due time.
May truth and justice prevail and bring about a rational and peaceful solution to the situation.
Dr. Ng Kam Weng
Kairos Research Centre
(3) CFM Rejects Government’s Proposal on Seized Alkitab, 30 March 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA (PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA)
CFM MEDIA STATEMENT – 30th March 2011PROTECT AND DEFEND CHRISTIANS’ RIGHT TO USE THE ALKITAB
We are grateful to Almighty God for bringing together Christian leaders from across churches in Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak to address the current controversy surrounding the impounding of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles, the Alkitab, at Port Klang and Kuching. This decision weighs heavily on us because of the implications not only for Christians but for all Malaysians.
We are united in our reaffirmation of the freedom of religion and worship. Therefore, our position is that there should be no restrictions, proscriptions or prohibitions whatsoever on the Bible or the use of the language of our choice in the practice of our religion, as it was in the days before and after the formation of Malaysia.
Christians, like any other Malaysians, are not demanding for anything beyond our constitutional and fundamental human rights as enshrined in Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution and Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The current controversy surrounding the Alkitab is just one of many issues that concerns Christians. There has been a systematic and progressive pushing back of the public space to practice, to profess and to express our faith. For example, the wearing and displaying of crosses and other religious symbols, using religious words and constructing places of worship have been restricted.
When Christians express this concern, we do so not just for ourselves but on behalf of all Malaysians. Our faith forms a critical component of our identity as Malaysians in nation-building as enshrined in the first pillar of our nation’s Rukunegara: Belief in God.
As regards the offer made by the government on 22 March 2011, we respectfully state that this does not address the substantive issues. In point of fact, our previous offer made in 2005 to use the term “A Christian Publication” was only honoured in respect of one shipment of the Alkitab. Subsequent shipments were similarly held up and subjected to further arbitrary conditions for release.
In order to move forward, we call on the Government to commit itself once and for all to remove every impediment, whether legal or administrative, to the importation, publication, distribution and use of the Alkitab and indeed to protect and defend our right to use the Alkitab.
This includes revoking all orders made under the Internal Security Act 1960, which have declared the Alkitab as a threat to national security. Neither can the Alkitab be considered a threat to public order under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. We categorically reject the characterisation of our Holy Scriptures in this manner.
Instead, we see our Holy Scriptures as providing enlightenment and direction. In the words of the psalmist, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119 : 105). In the New Testament is stated the teaching that we hold dear and true : “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3 : 16)
We remain committed to work with the Government for a viable and long-term solution where the detailed processes and procedures are made clear and unequivocal and so long as our fundamental liberties as enshrined in the Federal Constitution are not infringed.
As for the copies of the Alkitab that have been impounded and desecrated, we reiterate our position that the action of the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) in stamping the Bibles amounts to an act of defacement, disrespect and treating with disdain the holy book of the Christians.
Given the unfortunate experience of KDN’s tendency of taking arbitrary action without consulting affected parties or respecting the religious sensitivities of the Christian community, any decision to collect copies of the Alkitab which have been stamped and serialised would be with a view to prevent the possibility of further arbitrary acts of desecration, disrespect or destruction being committed against the Holy Scripture of the Christians by KDN and its officers.
We have left it to the 2 importers to decide whether or not to collect the Alkitab, based on their different specific circumstances and level of trust in the authorities and the processes in their local context.
Nevertheless, no matter what their decision is, we remain united in our common stand to uphold the principle of freedom of religion which includes the free availability without hindrance or obstacle of the Alkitab and all sacred scriptures in Malaysia.
We continue to call on all peace-loving Malaysians to pray for a dignified resolution to these critical issues in the life of our nation.
Dated this day 30th March 2011
Bishop Ng Moon Hing
Chairman and the Executive Committee
The Christian Federation of Malaysia
(4) Response to 10-point Press Statement by Idris Jala: A Cautious Welcome Given Unaddressed Root Problem, 4 April 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
It is right that Christians should cautiously welcome the 10-point press statement released by Datuk Idris Jala. (Lily's Note: Please see the below)
We should welcome the statement since the government has at last conceded that Christians have the right to use the Alkitab without restrictions. But we must also receive it with caution since the statement does not address the root problem of the present crisis, i.e., the Allah issue. Unless the root problem is resolved, the government’s concession will only amount to a temporary act of expediency that can easily be overridden by later administrative directives.
First, we note two points in the press statement.
4. For Sabah and Sarawak, in recognition of the large Christian community in these states, there are no conditions attached to the importation and local printing of the bibles in all languages, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia and indigenous languages. There is no requirement for any stamp or serial number.
5. Taking into account the interest of the larger Muslim community, for Peninsular Malaysia, bibles in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, imported or printed, must have the words “Christian Publication” and the cross printed on the front covers.
The government’s requirement of two sets of rules, one for West Malaysia and one for East Malaysia, naturally has given rise to concerns that the government is deploying a “divide and rule” policy. An official policy of 1Malaysia but 2 separate Christian communities amounts to sowing disunity among the Christian community. This is sure to undermine the little trust that is left between the government and the Christian community.
The 10-point press statement should therefore be carefully analyzed so that the Christian community can give a measured response.
It should be emphasized that the statement only partially addresses the deep concerns of the Christian community. In particular, the government’s failure to address the 1981/1982 ISA gazettes, the1986 Cabinet decision and the unconstitutional state Islamic enactments that ban the use of so-called Islamic words in Christian publications means that it will not prevent the recurrence of seizure of Christian literature by some officials in the future. Notwithstanding the threat of disciplinary action (point 7), these officials can appeal to other circulars and guidelines (Garis Panduan) on importation of publications issued by the Home Ministry that conflict with the provisions of the 10-point press statement, to defend their action.
One may envisage the dreadful scenario in the future when the government uses the Court to issue a judgment declaring that Christians may not use the so-called Islamic words. Should that happen, the directives given through the 10-point media statement will be ruled as invalid and be rescinded. In the light of this happening, the 10-point statement will end up as a poisoned chalice offered to the Christian community.
As I see it, the only justification left to defend the government’s restriction of the use of the Alkitab is the existence of some state Islamic enactments that control the propagation of non-Islamic religions amongst Muslims, enactments purportedly made under Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution which provides that State laws may control or restrict the propagation of any religion to Muslims.
It should be stressed that even though Article 11(4) allows for control of propagation of religion among Muslims, the prohibition of the use of the word Allah and other so-called Islamic terms leading to the banning of the Alkitab at best may be used to regulate propagation of faith among Muslims. When applied to Christians, it is ultra vires the Federal Constitution and amounts to a violation of the constitutional rights of Christians to practise their faith using the Alkitab.
However, until someone brings the matter to Court and obtains a judgment that rules that the government gazettes and Islamic state enactments are unconstitutional, the government can continue to rely on these legal fig-leaves to justify its policy of restricting the use of the Alkitab. That being the case, Christians cannot cease from urging the government to repeal the ISA gazette and related guidelines that have allowed government officials to justify their harassment against Christians using the Alkitab all these years. In particular, Christians must urge the government to separate the Home Ministry’s Publication Control Department from the Quran Text Department since it is unconstitutional that the Alkitab and other Christian publications be subject to the control of Islamic/Quranic officials.
Clearly, the government is aware that it has no legal grounds to impose conditions on how the Alkitab may be used in East Malaysia since there are no Islamic state enactments that prohibit the use of so-called Islamic words. It relies on debatable Islamic state enactments to justify imposing conditions on the use of the Alkitab in West Malaysia although a consistent policy should accord the same freedom to Christians in Penang, the Federal Territory (WP) and Melaka where there are no such Islamic state enactments.
It is obvious then that the government’s proposal is only a partial and provisional solution. As such, Christians can only give a guarded and provisional response to the press-statement. That is to say, Christians will accept point 4 and point 5 of the 10-point press statement as a temporary solution.
We urge the government to work in good faith with Christians to bring about a just and lasting solution. This would mean that the government must repeal any enactment that violates the constitutional rights of Christians to practice their faith through the unrestricted use of the Alkitab, whether in West or East Malaysia.
(Note) The Malaysian Insider
(http://www.themalaysianinsider.com)
Statement from the Office of Datuk Seri Idris Jala, 2 April 2011
APRIL 2 — The government confirmed that it has been in dialogue with the Christian groups to look into their specific requests on the Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia Bible and also other religious issues. Taking into account the polarity of views of the different religious groups, including the Muslims, the government decided on a 10-point solution.
1. Bibles in all languages can be imported into the country, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia
2. These bibles can also be printed locally in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. This is a new development which should be welcome by the Christian groups.
3. Bibles in indigenous languages of Sabah and Sarawak such as Iban, Kadazan-Dusun and Lun Bawang can also be printed locally and imported.
4. For Sabah and Sarawak, in recognition of the large Christian community in these states, there are no conditions attached to the importation and local printing of the bibles in all languages, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia and indigenous languages. There is no requirement for any stamp or serial number.
5. Taking into account the interest of the larger Muslim community, for Peninsular Malaysia, bibles in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, imported or printed, must have the words “Christian Publication” and the cross sign printed on the front covers.
6. In the spirit of 1 Malaysia and recognising that many people travel between Sabah and Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, there should be no prohibitions and restrictions for people who bring along their bibles and Christian materials on such travel.
7. A directive on the Bible has been issued by the Ketua Setiausaha (secretary-general) of the Home Ministry to ensure proper implementation of this Cabinet decision. Failure to comply will subject the officers to disciplinary action under the General Orders. A comprehensive briefing by top officials, including the Attorney-General, will be given to all relevant civil servants to ensure good understanding and proper implementation of the directive.
8. For the impounded bibles in Kuching, Gideon, the importer can collect all the 30,000 bibles free of charge. We undertake to ensure the parties involved are reimbursed. The same offer remains available for the importer of the 5,100 bibles in Port Klang, which have already been collected by the Bible Society Malaysia last week.
9. Beyond the Bible issue, the government wishes to reiterate its commitment to work with the Christian groups and all the different religious groups in order to address inter religious issues and work towards the fulfilment of all religious aspirations in accordance with the constitution, taking into account the other relevant laws of the country. In order to bring urgency to this work, the Prime Minister will meet the representatives of the Christian Federation of Malaysia soon to discuss the way forward.
10. The Christian ministers in the Cabinet will meet on a regular basis with representatives of the various Christian groups in order to discuss their issues and work with the relevant ministries and PM in order to resolve them.
Datuk Seri Idris Jala said: “I hope this 10-point solution will be received positively by the Christian groups as being fair and reasonable. We have to look for a solution that deals with the Bible issues and also put a way forward to handle other issues raised by the Christian groups”.
“I think the Bible issue is very unfortunate, and in the spirit of Lent, it is time for sacrifice, reconciliation and forgiveness. In our history as a young nation, we achieved a lot in a short period of time, but we have our shortcomings. The government and our civil servants are not perfect as indeed all human beings are ‘beautifully imperfect’ in the eyes of God. And for all our shortcomings in handling the Bible issue, I hope the Christians would find it in their hearts to forgive us. In my church at SIBKL, we have been praying for a Christian revival to take place in our country. For all the hurt that exists as a result of our differences, I believe that we need healing, forgiveness and reconciliation in this country. The Bible says in Matthew 18: 21-22 ‘Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’.”
・Datuk Seri Idris Jala is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
(5) Fact sheet on Alkitab controversy, 11 April 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
・ This fact sheet on the Alkitab controversy was published in The Herald on April 10, 2011.
The recent government offer was released to the public on April 2 evening. The headlines of the news in some mainstream media appear to imply that the issue has been resolved. This fact sheet seeks to clarify the Catholic Church’s present position and future course of action.
Has the matter of Alkitab been resolved?
No. Since, this is a new offer from the government, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) would need to meet and deliberate on this matter. In respect of the last offer from the government (March 22), the component bodies of the CFM, namely the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) and the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBC), engaged in wider consultation with their leaders, both from peninsula as well as from Sabah and Sarawak. On March 31, CFM issued a statement rejecting the offer of March 22 to have the Alkitab stamped with the words “For Christianity” and said that any solution needs to be tied to wider issues concerning religious freedom, e.g. use of religious words (“Allah”), display of symbols, places of worship.
Have all restrictions been removed in the government’s latest 10-point formula?
No. No restrictions have been imposed on the import, publication and distribution of the Alkitab in Sabah and Sarawak whereas some restrictions have been imposed for the situation in Peninsular Malaysia. In other words, the government’s latest proposal provides a two-standard policy — one for east Malaysia and another for Peninsular Malaysia.
The reasons cited by the press statement of Senator Idris Jala are that this two-standard policy reflects the size of the Christian community on both sides of the South China Seas. As, Muslims are the majority in Peninsular Malaysia, such restrictions have to be imposed.
What are the restrictions imposed on the copies in Peninsular Malaysia?
The word “Christian Publication” (Penerbitan Kristian) and cross will be printed or stamped on the cover.
In fact, the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) has already been stamping these bibles with the wording and cross since 2005, pursuant to an agreement between CFM and the government. After a long period of harassment, detentions, imposition of unilateral conditions by government, the CFM came up with this proposal in 2005 and presented in to the then-Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who accepted it. Subsequently, a letter from the Home Ministry was issued to confirm the government’s acceptance of this proposal.
But the agreement of 2005 was only honoured by the Home Ministry in one shipment. Thereafter, additional restrictions and conditions were imposed which eventually led to a series of detentions and finally the two-year detention of 5,100 copies of the Alkitab in Port Klang in 2009.
Please note that there is no legal jurisdiction for the stamping or imposition of conditions on the Alkitab. The above detentions, proscriptions and imposition of conditions have been done at the administrative level, often citing one reason or the other.
What happens now?
The CFM would have to meet to decide on this latest offer, after extensive consultation with all stakeholders. We are not sure when this will take place.
How should the “silence” or delay in decision-making be interpreted?
The silence of the leadership should not be interpreted as a lack of action. Perhaps, the following explanation can be given:
Due to the gravity of the issue and its relation to other matters concerning religious freedom (Herald case, use of the word “Allah”), wider consultation is required. Leaders would also need to consult their own constituents, lawyers and advisers.
There is no hurry for us to come up with an answer for the government’s latest offer, even thought the government seem to have a dateline (Sarawak election on April 16). We should not be dictated by the timetable set by the government but rather the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our deliberations.
Our Christian leaders and bishops are asking all the faithful to act in solidarity with the CFM’s last position and keep this matter in prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament.
・by Rev Father Michael Chua – an ecclesiastical assistant in the Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (AMEIA) for the Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.
(6) CFM Response to Government 10-point Solution, 14 April 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
10-point SOLUTION AD HOC AND SHORT-TERM RESOLUTION
The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) takes note of the Prime Minister’s letter dated 11 April 2011 in relation to the collective decision of the Cabinet on the 10-point solution to address the Alkitab or Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia Bible and other related issues.
We consider the 10-point solution to be an ad hoc and short-term resolution to the two consignments of Alkitab which have been impounded at Port Klang and the Port of Kuching.We reiterate that the Bible is our Holy Scripture and it is our right to read, study and pray with it in the language of our choice as freedom of religion is enshrined under our Federal Constitution.
The 10-point solution deals with the impounding of the Alkitab but not with the prohibition of publications containing the word “Allah”. The root cause of the problem of the impounding of the Alkitab lies in the following:
a. The 1982 prohibition of the Alkitab and the 1983 prohibition of the Perjanjian Baru under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) on the grounds that the Alkitab is prejudicial to national interest and the security of Malaysia.
b. The 1986 administrative order prohibiting the use of the term “Allah” in Christian publications on the grounds of public order and prevention of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians.
c. The Garis Panduan of the Bahagian Kawalan Penerbitan dan Teks Al-Quran of the Ministry of Home Affairs prohibiting the use of the word “Allah”.
In this regard we refer to item 9 of the 10-point solution which reiterates the Government’s commitment to address religious issues. The Government, therefore, should take immediate steps to remove the root causes by revoking the orders made under the ISA and the administrative order and to amend the Garis Panduan to remove the prohibition.
The “one country two policies” approach is confusing and unacceptable. We look forward to working with the Government to address other long standing issues affecting the Christian community including the relevant provisions in the State Enactments.
Yours sincerely,
(signed)
Bishop Ng Moon Hing
Chairman and the Executive Committee,Christian Federation of Malaysia
(7) Response to Muslim Accusation that Christians Conspire to Supplant Islam as Official Religion, 7 May 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
The Malaysia Insider reported that some Muslim bloggers have published wild and groundless accusations that Christians in Malaysia conspire to supplant Islam as the official religion of the country: (Lily's Note: Please see the below)
———-
PRESS STATEMENT BY MCCBCHST
In response to this groundless accusation the Majlis Perundingan Malaysia Agama Buddha, Kristian, Hindu, Sikh dan Tao Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) released the following press statement on 6 May 2011:
MCCBCHST: Let Us Work Together Towards A Harmonious, Judicious And United Malaysia
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is concerned by the statement issued by Dr Yusri Mohamad on behalf of Muslim NGO’s that lslam’s position in Malaysia is under siege.
How could lslam’s position be under siege when all public institutions and other Organs of Government are under the control of Muslims? We Quote ZAID IBRAHIM (Malaysia Today: 29/4/2011; www.zaiduntukrakyat.com).
“…Even without recent “unity call”, the Malays are in complete political control. More than two-thirds of the cabinet is Malay….more than two-thirds of Parliamentarians are Malay or Bumiputra. The Sultans are Malay. All except one of the Menteri Besars and Chief Ministers are Malay Bumiputra. Eighty-five percent of Civil Service is Malay’ including the diplomatic Corps and the educational and judicial services. The Armed Forces and Police are composed primarily of Malays. Rela Members are mostly Malay.
….Government-linked companies (GLCS) such as Maybank, Petronas, Telekom Malaysia, TNB, Khazanah Nasional, PNB, Media Prima, Felda, Sime Darby and many others the vast majority of which are owned by the Government and managed by Malay-Bumiputras? The G-20 group of largest listed GLCS alone possesses RM353 bilion (around half) of the market capitalization of the entire Bursa Malaysia”.
We are further amazed to read that the designation of a Non-Muslim affairs exco in Penang is unconstitutional and threaten’s lslam’s position. There is no prohibition anv where in the Federal Constitution aqainst the desiqnation of a Non-Muslim affairs exco. ln fact, currently most states under Barisan Nasional have Non-Muslim Affairs Committees to address religious, places of worship, burial grounds and other issues faced by the Non-Muslims.
ISLAM’S POSITION
The MCCBCHST is not aware of any person or body having questioned lslam’s position as enshrined in Article 3 of the Federal Constitution.
ARTICLE 3(1) provides that lslam is the religion of the Federation and concludes with “…other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.”
ARTICLE 3(4) provides that “Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of the Constitution….” This means that Article 3 does not extinguish anything else in the constitution. Professor Shad Faruqi (STAR: 3/5/2011 page N51) stated;
“…Further, Article 3 (on lslam) does not extinguish anything else in the Constitution. Article 3(4) provides that “Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution. This means that Articles 3 cannot be employed to challenqe the validity of a druq traffickinq law on the ground that some of its provisions were Un-lslamic (Che Omar Che Soh (1988). Nor-can Article 3 be relied on to trump any other constitutional provision – whether on fundamental rights or system of parliamentary government…”
Thus, one cannot use the position of lslam as the religion of the Federation to question other’s rights. lt has to be based on the provisions of the Federal Constitution.
Therefore, fundamental and other rights guaranteed in the Federal Constitution cannot be over-ridden by Article 3 and some such rights are:-
Article 4(1) – “This Constitution is the Supreme law of the Federation…”
Article 8(1) – “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law”.
Article 11(1) – “Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and subject to clause (4) to propagate it”
Article 153(1) – “The legitimate interest of other communities” most of the time ignored”.
Article 153(9) – Which prohibits restriction of business or trade solely for Malays is also totally ignored.The MCCBCSHT reiterates and accepts unequivocally the Position of lslam as the religion of the Federation as provided for by Article 3. We note however that Article 3 cannot be used to challenge any other constitutional position.
The MCCBCHST therefore calls on Dr Mohamad Yusri and the Muslim NGO’s to work together with all citizens towards a harmonious, judicious and united Malaysia.
Reverend Dr Thomas Philips
President
MCCBCHST
To download the pdf version of this press statement: (http://www.necf.org.my/view_file.cfm?fileid=360)
———————–
Malaysia Insider ((http://www.themalaysianinsider.com)
Pembela blames ‘aggressive Christians’ for Muslim siege mentality , 7 May 2011
by Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Islam is under siege in Malaysia because aggressive Christians are determined to convert Muslims who are nonchalant about their faith, several Islamist groups alleged today.
The Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela) accused Christians of strategising an elaborate plan to ensure that more and more Muslims leave the faith, which is illegal in Malaysia.
Pembela president Dr Yusri Mohamad said the Christian community’s demands over the “Allah” issue as well as the Alkitab row proved that they wanted to convince Muslims to embrace Christianity and abandon Islam.
“We are dealing with aggressive, confrontational groups of Christians.
“Their demands over the Alkitab, kalimah Allah are connected to their attempts to spread Christianity… They are using this strategy to tame Muslims, by using terms that we are familiar with in our own religion,” Yusri said today during a Pembela function here.
The syariah lawyer said these are direct attempts to “compromise the position of Islam” as the country’s official religion.
Muslim convert Ann Wan Seng, who was part of a panel today to discuss whether “Islam was under threat?”, said the problem with Muslims in the country was that they did not feel that they were under siege.
“We need to feel threatened; the problem is our people don’t feel anything, even when we are actually being threatened.
“We cannot just blame the Christians for doing their work, we are not doing ours,” he said.
Ann alleged that Petaling Jaya currently serves as a hub to spread Christianity and Muslim apostasy.
“Christians have been doing it in quiet and also in the open, they have been passing leaflets to our Muslims students.
“I have seen it happen in Universiti Malaya. The girls wear tudung but when you take away the tudung, they are wearing a crucifix,” Ann charged.
He claimed that something similar happens in Johor, where the “Malay Christian Association of Singapore” sends people over to Johor to convert Muslims there to Christianity.
Another panellist, Zaid Kamaruddin from Jemaah Islamiyah Malaysia, said Muslims could not afford to rest on their laurels and expect their rights to be protected by the federal constitution or even political parties.
“We cannot rely on political parties or the federal constitution because this can be amended.
“All Muslim groups, NGOs need to be united on common ground,” he said.
Utusan Malaysia had carried out a front-page article today titled “Malaysia, a Christian country?” (Malaysia, negara Kristian?), based entirely on blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers.
The bloggers had charged the DAP with sedition for trying to change the country’s laws to enable a Christian to be prime minister, pointing to a grainy photograph showing what they described to be a secret pact between the DAP and pastors at a hotel in Penang on Wednesday.
The federal constitution does not expressly specify race or religious requirements for the position of prime minister. Article 43(2)(a) of the constitution states only that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint as PM a member of Parliament who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the Dewan Rakyat.
In a posting headlined “Agong under threat? DAP wants to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia?” blogger Marahku (marahku.blogspot.com) accused the DAP of trying to amend the federal constitution to allow a Christian to become prime minister.
“The whole point of changing the official religion is to allow a Christian to become prime minister of this country,” the blogger said.
On bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com, the writer claimed to have received a message that the DAP’s Jeff Ooi had organised a dinner for pastors from Sarawak and overseas at the Red Rock Hotel in Jalan Macalister, Penang.
“Among the activities that night included the 35 pastors taking a group oath. They formed a circle and touched each other’s shoulder and vowed in English to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia and put a Christian prime minister in office,” the anonymous writer said in his blog under the headline “Making Christianity the official religion?”
He also pointed to the same grainy picture he posted at the top of his blog page, which he had captioned “Partying pastors or pastors doing the party do and vow to have a Christian as Malaysian prime minister”.
The blogger further alleged that the DAP had labelled the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as an “anti-Christ agent” in the run-up to polls in Sarawak, showing the opposition party was “openly against BN on religious grounds and they are now making it their clarion call, their rabble rousing horn”.
The blogger said it was a seditious and religiously-divisive statement that was never investigated by the police “or at least they did not tell us about any investigations on the matter”.
He called on the authorities to investigate the allegations for sedition, warning that if the authorities failed in their duty the country may be “shattered again”.
The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship, said the claims against their community were lies, and has already denied the bloggers’ allegations last night.
Similarly, Ooi said the dinner had been organised by the Christian pastors in recognition of the DAP team who had visited them while in Sarawak for the state election and that the prayer sessions — one before dinner and one at the end — were a usual part of their worship, and not a pledge as alleged.
In response, another panel speaker at the Pembela forum today said that even though there were no legal provisions as to the race or religion of the country’s prime minister, the prime minister must be Muslim.
“The PM must be a Muslim. Or else he cannot advice the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Islamic matters… how can you have a non-Muslim advise the Agong on Islamic matters?” said lawyer Datuk Zainal Rejal.
(Note)
The Malaysian Insider
(http://www.themalaysianinsider.com)
Christian leaders condemn claims trying to usurp Islam, 6 May 2011
by Debra Chong
Ooi was accused of organising the ritual in which pastors purportedly took a vow to put a Christian in the PM’s office. — file picKUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Organisers of a Christian meeting in Penang denied today allegations from pro-Umno bloggers that they were conspiring with the DAP to supplant Islam’s position as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.
The heated religious rhetoric from before the April 16 Sarawak election appeared to have died down immediately after, only to flare up again this week as right-wing Malay groups sounded the alarm over the rising popularity of the Chinese-dominant DAP.
The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship, said the claims against their community were lies and slammed the pro-Malay rights groups for driving a further wedge to create social disharmony in multicultural Malaysia apart from being seditious.
“The organiser vehemently denies such a claim as being unfounded and totally untrue aimed at creating division and social disharmony in multi-ethnic society of Malaysia and appears to be seditious,” the Christian group said in a statement this evening.
“The so-called special convention this morning was in fact an unashamedly ethical marketplace seminar organised to discuss and address the issue of bribery and corruption in the marketplace and the Christians’ contribution in addressing such issues.
“It has nothing to do with political succession,” the organisers explained.
The group added that last night’s dinner, mentioned in the blogs, was held to honour several pastors from Sarawak who were in Penang for the meeting.
“Such fellowship dinners are common amongst Christians and are part and parcel of the Christian custom of love and fellowship,” it said.
Several pro-Malay rights blogs posted today articles charging the secular party of sedition for trying to change what the bloggers believed to be the country’s laws to enable a Christian to be prime minister, pointing to a grainy photograph showing what they described to be a secret pact between the DAP and pastors at a hotel in Penang yesterday.
The Federal Constitution does not expressly specify race or religious requirements for the position of prime minister. Article 43(2)(a) of the constitution states only that the Yang diPertuan Agong shall appoint as PM a member of parliament who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the Dewan Rakyat
In a posting headlined “Agong under threat? DAP wants to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia?” blogger Marahku (marahku.blogspot.com) accused DAP of trying to amend the federal constitution to allow a Christian to become prime minister.
“The whole point of changing the official religion is to allow a Christian to become prime minister of this country,” the blogger said.
“In order to change the status of Islam as the official religion of Malaysia, they would not only have to change the constitution with a two-third majority but would also have to get the consent of the Agong, as head of Islam in Malaysia to demote it to second spot behind Christianity... I think the only way DAP is going to achieve this is by putting a gun to the Agung’s head [sic],” he added.
On bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com, the writer claimed to have received a message that the DAP’s Jeff Ooi had organised a dinner for pastors from Sarawak and overseas at the Red Rock Hotel on Jalan Macalister in Penang.
“Among the activities that night included the 35 pastors taking a group oath. They formed a circle and touched each other’s shoulder and vowed in English to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia and put a Christian Prime Minister in office,” the anonymous writer said in his blog under the headline “Making Christianity the official religion?”
He also pointed to the same grainy picture he posted at the top of his blog page, which he had captioned “Partying pastors or pastors doing the party do and vow to have a Christian as Malaysian Prime Minister”.
The blogger further alleged that the DAP had labelled the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as an “anti-Christ agent” in the run-up to polls in Sarawak, showing the opposition party was “openly against BN on religious grounds and they are now making it their clarion call, their rabble rousing horn”.
The blogger said it was a seditious and religiously-divisive statement that was never investigated by the police “or at least they did not tell us about any investigations on the matter”.
He called on the authorities to investigate the allegations for sedition warning that if the authorities failed in their duty, the country may be “shattered again”.
At the same time, the blogger sounded the battle cry to Malay-Muslims, urging them to “make a vow to defend the position of Islam as the official religion and the position of Malays as Bumiputra in their own homeland till the last man standing”.
He said the community must stop making excuses because “as an Islamic country, Malaysia has been tolerant of all religious views as long as it does not encroach into Islam and in Sarawak where the Christian population is significantly larger than the Muslim community, there are more churches than mosques to reflect the situation”.
Ooi, the Jelutong MP named in the articles, admitted that the picture posted in the blogs were authentic, but contested that he had organised the dinner, let alone led the Christian leaders in making a pledge to make Christianity the official creed.
“I’m not a Christian,” he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.
He said the dinner had been organised by the Christian pastors, in recognition of the DAP team who had visited them while in Sarawak for the state election and that the prayer sessions — one before dinner and one at the end — was a usual part of their worship, and not a pledge as alleged.
He added the pastors had also prayed for his safety.
Ooi said he had told Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia the same thing when they called him for a response.
“I suspect the Special Branch has infiltrated the pastors... some of them didn’t want to shake my hand,” he told The Malaysian Insider, when asked how the photograph of the closed-door event made its way onto the websites.
“I’m not disturbed, I’m not concerned because bigdog didn’t call me names,” he added, when asked if he was worried it would be used against him and the DAP.
“But I think the Christians are,” he said.
(8) Utusan Shameless ‘Report’ on Christians Slammed, 7 May 2011
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
a) span class="deco" style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;">Malaysiakini(http://www.malaysiakini.com)
Archbishop slams 'irresponsible' reporting, 8 May 2011
Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Murphy Nicholas Pakiam, has slammed reports alleging a conspiracy to turn the country into a Christian state.
Describing the reports as “irresponsible, baseless and provocative”, Pakiam demanded that the authorities take action against what it said were quarters that seek to threaten the harmonious, multi-cultural and multi-religious make-up of the country.
A “thorough investigation” into the matter should be made to determine the source of these “insidious, provocative and malicious lies” and take action against those behind it, said Pakiam in a statement.
He was responding to the blog postings, on which an Utusan Malaysia report was based, accusing DAP of colluding with Christian pastors to make Christianity the country’s official religion so that a Christian can become prime minister.
‘We’ve never been treasonous, hateful’
Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi (left) was named in the blog postings as the DAP leader who attended the meeting and joined the prayer session with the pastors, who were reportedly attending a mega-ceramah at the Catholic Christian Centre in Penang on Saturday.
“On behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, I would like to categorically refute the allegation that such a meeting had taken place or will take place in a Catholic venue in Penang,
“It is clear that this reporting is baseless and highly irresponsible as the reporters and editors of the above newspaper have not taken any reasonable steps whatsoever to verify the allegations made by anonymous bloggers.
“Furthermore, this report comes after the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), one of the organizers of the above meeting, having refuted the claims of those bloggers and the same was carried on online media.
“The NECF has further clarified that this meeting only covered the topic of ethical leadership and had no treasonous agenda as alleged by the bloggers and news report,” said Pakiam.
Pakiam said Christian authorities teach the community to be God-fearing and law-abiding citizens and conscientious decision-makers “based on justice which is reflective of moral and divine laws.”
Even in the Al-Kitab issue over which the Christian Federation of Malaysia has been in dispute with the government, Church leaders had always reiterated their commitment and readiness “to dialogue and work together with the government” and all parties for a just and reasonable solution.
“It is clear that our position has never been treasonous nor have we advocated hatred, antagonism or animosity towards any religion or groups of persons,” said Pakiam.
“I continue to call upon all Catholics, Christians and all Malaysians to pray, dialogue and work together to strengthen national unity and harmony. May God bless our leaders with a firm vision and the courage and strength to uphold and realise it.”
‘Utusan playing with fire’
Lending his voice in support of Pakiam’s remarks, PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan (right) also described the blog and Utusan reports over the alleged conspiracy as “irresponsible” and potentially destabilising.
“Other than potentially threatening the peace, such speculations are seen as a means of seeking cheap political publicity and (part of) continuous efforts to hide weaknesses and failure in protecting the sanctity of the (Islamic) religion,” said Nasrudin in a statement entitled ‘Utusan playing with fire’.
Nasrudin said it is a well-known fact that Islam is enshrined as the official religion of the federation, with Muslims making up the majority in Malaysia’s pluralistic population.
“For these reasons, Islam should not be in a position of being jeopardised and the Muslims would not allow Islam to be threatened,” he added.
If Islam is indeed perceived as getting weaker, said Nasruin, it was because of Umno’s failure to fulfil the mandate with which it had been entrusted to govern the nation, particularly in protecting religious practices and the people’s welfare.
“If Umno had taken care of (the practice of) Islam well and strengthened it, I believe and am convinced that such speculations (by Utusan) of moves to make Christianity the official religion of the nation would not have arisen.
“At the same time, Muslims would feel at peace and comfortable with practising their religion,” he added.
b) The Malaysia Insider (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com)
Interfaith Chief Says Utusan Report Fans Religious Divide, 8 May 2011
by Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Utusan Malaysia and Muslim groups are fanning a religious divide when they should raise reports of purported attempts at a Christian Malaysia with the Cabinet’s special faith panel, the national interfaith council chief has said.
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) chief Reverend Thomas Philips said there was a special subcommittee to deal with such “sensitive” matters.
“We already have a Cabinet interfaith committee. They should raise it there. They are fanning this issue out of control. Why do they need to evoke the emotions of people?” he said to The Malaysian Insider, referring to the allegation, which was based entirely on blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers and reported today by Malay-language paper, Utusan Malaysia.
Several Muslim organisations lodged police reports after reading a front-page article in the Umno-owned daily titled: “Malaysia, negara Kristian? (Malaysia, a Christian country?).
Philips said the special subcommittee was scheduled to meet next week but that the meeting has been postponed indefinitely.
The working committee on seeking an understanding on issues among adherents, under the Cabinet’s Special Committee to Promote Interreligious Understanding and Harmony, was among four subcommittees formed on December 2 last year.
It is jointly helmed by Datuk Mustapha Ma and Reverend Hermen Shastri, and it last met on March 17, though sources told The Malaysian Insider that there was no headway in talks on thorny issues as Muslim representatives had failed to turn up for the meeting.
The MCCBCHST president reaffirmed that the non-Muslim council has made it very clear that nobody was scheming to usurp Islam’s position as Malaysia’s official religion.
“We’ve already made it very clear that nobody is threatening Islam. Nobody can undermine Islam’s position as the official religion because it is in the Federal Constitution.
“We want to uphold the Federal Constitution and we will not do anything to change it and we accept the position of Islam,” Phillips said, repeating the MCCBCHST’s statement reported yesterday.
The Mar Thoma priest also told The Malaysian Insider the Cabinet faith panel was also scheduled to meet with ministers in charge of the committee, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, next week, ostensibly to discuss the replacement for its Cabinet-appointed coordinator, Datuk Ilani Ishak, who died of cancer on February 24.
“But the May 12 meeting has been postponed,” he said, adding that no replacement date has been given.
“If it happens, it happens. What else can we do?” he said.
The heated religious rhetoric from before the April 16 Sarawak election appeared to have died down immediately after, only to flare up again this week as right-wing Malay groups sounded the alarm over the rising popularity of the Chinese-dominant DAP and accused Christians of laying Islam under siege.
The Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela), an umbrella coalition that had filed police reports over the allegations, accused Christians of scheming to draw more and more Muslims into Christianity, which is an illegal act in Malaysia.
Pembela president Dr Yusri Mohamad said the Christian community’s demands over the “Allah” issue as well as the Alkitab row prove that they want to convert Muslims to Christianity.
“We are dealing with aggressive, confrontational groups of Christians.
“Their demands over the Alkitab, kalimah Allah are connected to their attempts to spread Christianity … They are using this strategy to tame Muslims, by using terms that we are familiar with in our own religion,” Yusri said yesterday during a Pembela function here.
The syariah lawyer said these are direct attempts to “compromise the position of Islam” as the country’s official religion.
Utusan Malaysia reported from several blogs whose owners have accused the DAP of sedition in an alleged conspiracy with Christians to change the country’s highest law to put a Christian in place of a Muslim as prime minister.
(Lily's Note) To be continued.
