1. Krisis Praxis（http://www.krisispraxis.com）
Collated Resources: Christians from pre-Islam Arab Christians to Bumiputera Christians have the Right to Use Allah, 23 January 2013
Christians have offered well-documented evidence and cogent arguments to refute the claim that only (Malaysian) Muslims have the right to use the word Allah. However, the dogmatic assertions (notwithstanding the ‘scholarly garb’) from Muslim scholars in the current flare-up suggest that they have either chosen to ignore the evidence or are simple unable to follow an argument outside their logical Procrustean bed. Undoubtedly, their closed mindedness arises because they learned how to use Arabic without reflecting, much less analyzing the linguistic determinants behind Arabic.
I would like to invite readers who are new to the controversy to read some of my early articles given in the list below:
31 Dec 2007 – No One Religion can Copyright or Monopolize Allah
10 Jan 2008 - ‘Allah’ is for all Malay Speaking People in Nusantara
17 Jan 2008 – Allah and Linguistic Hegemony
19 Jan 2008 – Prohibition of ‘Allah’ and Other Words: Forcing Christians to Dishonor God
1 Feb 2008 - The Semantics of Allah
12 June 2008 – Allah and Bible Translation Again: New Light from an Ancient Manuscript
17 March 2009 -Response to Prof. Dzulkufli Abdul Razak Misreading of the Malay Bible
8 Nov 2009 -Allah is Not a Personal Name (Proper Noun)
20 Nov 2009 - More Academic Resources on Pre-Islamic Use of Allah
5 Jan 2010 - Allah and Tuhan in Bible Translation
8 Jan 2010 – Why Use Allah and Tuhan? Official Explanation from Indonesian Bible Society
13 Jan 2010 – Allah and Conversion in Malaysia: The Facts
17 Jan 2010 – High Court Judgment on Allah controversy: Home Minister Wrong in Four Crucial Areas
27 Jan 2010 – Foreign Vocabulary and Loan Words in the Quran: Historical Facts
7 Feb 2010 – Sacred Language and Vernacular Translation of Scriptures
17 March 2010 – Allah, the Bare Historical Facts Presented
5 April 2010 – Allah or Tuhan in the Rukun Negara?
3 July 2010 - Kitab Salat as-Sawai (1514) was the First Printed Arabic (Not Jawi Malay) Book
28 June 2010 – Refutation of Muslim Scholars’ Arguments in the Allah Controversy. Part 1/3
3 June 2010 - Refutation of Muslim Scholars’ Arguments in the Allah Controversy. Part 2/3
1 July 2010 – Refutation of Muslim Scholars’ Arguments in the Allah Controversy. Part 3/3
10 Jan 2013 - ‘Allah’ is Substitute for Hebrew Words el, eloah, and not for English Word ‘God’
Finally, a bonus article on the essential difference between Biblical and Quranic revelation:
8 Aug 2012 – Speech Act Revelation: Bible and Quran
2. Union of Catholic Asian News（http://www.ucanews.com）
Outrage over plans for Malaysian Bible burning festival，24 January 2013
The country has seen an alarming new outbreak of anti-Christian sentiment.
Malaysia
Leaflets inviting people to a “Bible-burning festival” have stirred outrage in Malaysia. This coincided with a nationalist group leader urging to “seize and burn” Malay-language Bibles, prompting calls for his prosecution.
The flyers, issued by a previously unknown group, promised mass Bible-burning in the Malaysian state of Penang on Sunday. The incident has fueled the flames in an ongoing nationwide debate over the use of the word “Allah” for “God” in Jawi-scripted Christian holy texts.
“To Muslims who have copies of al-Kitab, bring them over to make our Bible-burning session merrier,” the text on the flyers said as published on Malaysiakini web portal. It added that the act should “teach them [Christians] a lesson.”
Such statements should be charged under various Malaysian Penal Code sections, including “incitement or abetment to commit criminal offence,” if not under the government’s Sedition Act, Malaysian Bar council president Lim Chee Wee said in a statement.
Wee has also backed the Malaysian opposition demands that charges should be brought against MP Ibrahim Ali, the founder of Malay supremacy group Perkasa, who is said to have made similar remarks recently.
Ibrahim Ali, who advocates for Malay Muslim majority dominance, is notoriously known for threatening Christians with a “holy war” and speaking against Malay-language Bibles containing the word “Allah.”
Opposition-ruled Penang state chief minister Lim Guan, also spoke out against the remarks, urging that authorities “impose stringent measures to prevent such abhorrent and vile acts that would endanger national harmony and heighten religious tensions,” referring to the calls for Bible-burning.
Perkasa has responded to the heightened criticism by claiming they have nothing to do with plans to burn Malay Bibles, with the groups secretary-general stating “That is not Perkasa’s program,” adding that they will “leave this event to the police.”
Religious tensions once again flared in Malaysia recently, after the sultan of Selangor state issued a decree banning the word “Allah” from being used by non-.Muslims.
The word has appeared in Malaysia’s, as well as neighboring Indonesia’s Christian texts for centuries due to the language peculiarities. There is no other word for “God” in the Malay language.
The struggle comes on the eve of tight Malaysian elections, where the ruling coalition and the opposition candidates will be running in a close race according to the polls.
Source: RT.com
3. Christian Post(http://global.christianpost.com)
Malaysia 'Bible-Burning Festival' Over Use of 'Allah' Threatens Country's Stability, 24 January 2013
by Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter
Tensions between Muslims and Christians in Malaysia have quickly escalated in the recent days following the advocacy of a "Bible-burning festival," an idea fueled by a parliament member's recent comments.
The controversy stems from recent comments made by independent parliament member Ibrahim Ali, founder and leader of Perkasa, a non-governmental Malay Supremacy organization which advocates the rights of the Muslim Malay majority in the country.
In a recent media program, Ali reportedly advocated that all Muslims burn Bibles which give reference to God as "Allah," as extremist Muslims in the country believe that term belong solely to Islam, according to The Malaysian Insider.
Following this controversial proclamation, a small, unknown group has created flyers advocating a "Bible-burning festival" in the Penang state of the country for Sunday, Jan. 27.
"To Muslims who have copies of al-Kitab, bring them over to make our Bible-burning session merrier," reads the text on the flyer, which was also reportedly published on the Malaysiakini web portal, according to RT.com.
Additionally, the flyer reportedly suggested that a Bible-burning would "teach [Christians] a lesson."
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Malaysia's National Evangelical Christian Fellowship's chairman the Rev. Dr. Eu Hong Seng recently told Christians in the Asian country to maintain moderation in response to parliament member Ali's recent comments.
"This unfortunate proposal to burn Malay Bibles containing the word 'Allah' serves as a serious reminder to all Malaysians to be more measured in our responses the next time we hear of some unreasonable people in the West wanting to burn other people's Scriptures because we too have our fair share of unreasonable people," Eu said in a three-paragraph statement, according to The Malaysian Insider.
"We are a peace-loving people who will continue to pray for the well being of our great country," the Rev. Eu added.
Some are calling for the prosecution of Ali due to his recent comments, arguing that they violate the country's penal codes regarding seditious acts.
"This incident together with the contemptuous statement by another Perkasa leader against a judge and the judiciary suggest that Perkasa is allowed to behave with impunity," Bar Council President Lim Chee Wee, who oversees professional lawyers in the country, said in a recent statement, as reported by Reuters.
The latter part of Lim's statement is in reference to a letter written by another Perkasa leader in early January of this year attacking a high court judge presiding over a defamation case.
The contention between Malaysia's minority Christian and majority Muslim population regarding the use of the word "Allah" in the Bible dates back to 2010, when a high court ruled that the Roman Catholic Church also has the right to call their God "Allah," along with the Islamic religion.
Additionally, in March 2011, the Christian Federation of Malaysia, which is comprised of the nation's largest Christian denominations, spoke out against the reported detainment of imported Bibles written in the national Bahasa Malaysia language.
The umbrella Christian organization suggested that the seizures are linked to the 2010 debate regarding use of the word "Allah" in the Christian faith.
As Reuters points out, this recent controversy among Christians and Muslims comes at an unstable time for the country, when an upcoming election must be decided by April 2013.
In order to maintain power, the ruling Barisa National coalition of Prime Minister Najib Razak must reportedly seek the vote of the country's majority Malays, as the coalition has substantially lost the approval of the country's 25 percent ethnic Chinese population, a substantial number of which are Christian.
4. Free Malaysia Today（http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com）
(1) Burn the Bible, and you burn the church, 24 January 2013
by Priscilla Prasena
Pentecostal Churches of Malaysia representative Bishop Robert Judah Paul also expresses resentment against Perkasa chief’s Bible burning plan.
KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa’s plan to burn the Malay edition of the Bible, which carries the word “Allah” to refer to God, is equivalent to burning churches, the Pentecostal Churches of Malaysia representative Robert Judah Paul said today.
“Burning the Bible is equivalent to burning churches and the churches have every right to bring it to their highest authority. Churches which are linked to international non-governmental organisations will seek the international voices to air their grievances… and this would reflect badly on the country,” he told FMT in an interview.
He said Pentecostal Christians will stand by the Catholics in protecting their religious rights if it comes to that.
“Churches are united and we strongly feel it is a political move rather than a social threat,” he said.
Recently, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali announced that the organisation will seek out Malay Bibles which carries the word “Allah” and burn them. This caused a furore among Christians in the country.
While the issue is more religious in nature, politicians have not missed the bandwagon, especially with the general election just around the corner.
About 9% of the country’s 29.1 million population are Christians, practising various denominations of Christianity.
“Ibrahim made a wrong statement which incites anger and hatred among Malaysians. We, as Christians are against the statement and totally abhor what he said,” he added.
Robert said if Ibrahim proceeds with the burning of the Malay Bibles, the Churches will initiate legal proceedings against him.
He said there are various reasons why the Malay Bible was being targeted by the ultra-Malay group.
“The Sikh holy book also refers to God as Allah while some Hindu scriptures also do the same. Why target just Malay Bibles? I feel that it is because Christianity is the closest to Islam. Maybe they see Christianity as a threat to Islam.
“Christians will take to the street if our voices are not heard legally. Ibrahim and whoever are behind him are very narrow-minded and are not looking at the bigger picture”, he added.
(2) Bible burning: ‘Don’t listen to rumours’, 24 January 2013
Penang chief police officer Abdul Rahim Hanafi says action would be taken against the organiser of any such event.
GEORGE TOWN: The police today advised the people against believing in a rumour that Malay versions of the Bible are to be burnt at the Bagan Luar town field in Butterworth on Sunday.
State chief police officer Abdul Rahim Hanafi said the police had received a report from a priest about a leaflet on the matter placed in the letter box of a church on Jan 20.
“We ask the people not to believe the rumour or sensationalise the issue because it can undermine public order and disunite the people,” he told reporters here.
Abdul Rahim warned that the police would act against the organiser and participants of any such event if it took place.
On the reported distribution of copies of the Bible to Muslim students in front of a school in Jelutong last Thursday, he said the police had recorded statements from 17 individuals.
“The investigation papers have been handed over to the public prosecutor for further action,” he said.
Abdul Rahim said police investigation showed that the distributed copies of the Bible were in the English language and there was no use of the word “Allah” in any of them.
“So far, the police have received seven reports on the issue, four from students and the rest from members of the public,” he said.
Meanwhile, in KOTA BARU, more than 50 people of Kampung Padang Enggang, among them several PAS supporters, today staged a demonstration in protest against the proposal by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to allow the word “Allah” to be used in the Malay version of the Bible.
The villagers carried banners, condemned Lim and stamped on the DAP flag, and their leader, Mohd Rosli Ghazali, 52, called on PAS to withdraw from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat pact.
“In the name of Islam, PAS should get out of Pakatan,” he said. The Pakatan comprises PAS, PKR and DAP.
Mohd Rosli also called on all quarters to accept the decision of the PAS Ulama Council which prohibits the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.
The issue cropped up after Lim, in his Christmas Day message last month, urged the federal government to allow the word “Allah” to be used in the Malay version of the Bible.
The PAS Ulama Council issued a ruling that the word “Allah” could not be used by non-Muslims to avert confusion. This was supported by PAS leaders, including president Abdul Hadi Awang and the party’s spiritual leader, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
- Bernama
5. Malaysiakini(http://www.malaysiakini.com)
(1) Threat to burn Bibles heightens polls tensions, 24 January 2013
by Siva Sithraputhran, Reuters
The Bar Council said that Pasir Mas parliamentarian Ibrahim Ali should be prosecuted on grounds he urged the mass burning of Bibles as religious tensions flare ahead of a tight election which must be held within months.
Ibrahim, the head of Perkasa, a right-wing group which has close links to the ruling coalition, was reported in media as advocating Muslims should seize and burn copies of Bibles which use the word ‘Allah' to refer to God.
That statement should result in charges under various laws, including those governing sedition, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said in an e-mailed statement.
"This incident together with the contemptuous statement by another Perkasa leader against a judge and the judiciary suggest that Perkasa is allowed to behave with impunity," he said.
The latter refers to a Jan 7 article written by a senior Perkasa member attacking a High Court judge presiding over a defamation case brought by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Neither Ibrahim Ali nor the Home Ministry were available for comment.
The events foreshadow an intense election struggle as the country prepares for an election which must be called by April.
BN banking on Malay votes
Opinion polls show that the ruling BN coalition of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in power since independence from Britain in 1957, has all but lost the support of ethnic Chinese, who account for about 25 percent of the population.
The coalition will have to rely on more votes from Malays, who make up around 60 percent of Malaysians.
Christians account for about nine percent and a significant number are Chinese.
The ruling coalition suffered its worst election result in 2008, losing its two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time.
The next election is predicted to be even closer, although the coalition is still widely expected to win.
Malaysia has not experienced a major race riot since May 1969, when violence erupted after largely ethnic Chinese-based parties made unexpected gains in the general elections.
'Let's teach 'em a lesson'
The chief minister of opposition-ruled Penang state yesterday put police on alert after a note was found at a church promising a Bible-burning ‘festival' on Sunday.
The note, shown on online news portal Malaysiakini, signs off with "Let's teach 'em a lesson".
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng urged the home minister to "impose stringent measures to prevent such abhorrent and vile acts that would endanger national harmony and heighten religious tensions".
He also urged stern action to be taken against Perkasa's Ibrahim.
The tussle over the word ‘Allah' goes back to 2009 when the Catholic paper Herald successfully challenged in court a government ban preventing non-Muslims from using the word to refer to God.
The government wants to prevent ‘Allah' being used by Christians, saying it is subversive and aims to convert Muslims.
The sultan of Selangor state this month issued a decree banning the word from being used by non-Muslims.
- Reuters
(2) Stay calm over Bible-burning threat, says Koh, 24 January 2013
by Bernama
Malaysians must remain calm and not over-react to the issue relating to the use of ‘Allah’, and subsequent threats of burning the Malay-language Bible.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Koh Tsu Koon (right in photo) said this was the opinion of cabinet members after the issue was raised and discussed during a meeting yesterday.
“In the meantime, all sides should refrain from open polemics on the issue of the use of ‘Allah’, since the case is still pending in the Court of Appeal,” he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
He was responding to Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali’s call for the Malay-language Bible to be burned, describing it as insensitive and irresponsible.
Koh, who is also Gerakan president, said that despite Ibrahim’s attempt to explain the context of what he had meant, the public perception was that he had definitely gone overboard, hurting the feelings of the Christian community.
“Although Ibrahim can champion Malay nationalism and rights, as a member of parliament, he has a civic responsibility to take cognisance of our multi-religious society and refrain from making such remarks for the sake of peace and stability.
“If Ibrahim's intention was to handle the alleged proselytisation of Muslims by non-Muslims from his perspective, he could have advised Muslims being given Bibles to surrender them to the police, rather than suggest burning them as a solution,” he added.
- Bernama
(3) Ignore Bible-burning rumour, say police, 24 January 2013
by Bernama
The police today advised the people against believing in a rumour that Bahasa Malaysia versions of the Bible are to be burnt at the Bagan Luar town field in Butterworth on Sunday.
State Chief Police Officer Abdul Rahim Hanafi (left) said the police had received a report from a priest about a leaflet on the matter placed in the letter box of a church on Jan 20.
"We ask the people not to believe the rumour or sensationalise the issue because it can undermine public order and disunite the people," he told reporters in George Town.
Abdul Rahim warned that the police would act against the organiser and participants of any such event if it took place.
On the reported distribution of copies of the Bible to Muslim students in front of a school in Jelutong last Thursday, he said the police had recorded statements from 17 individuals.
"The investigation papers have been handed over to the public prosecutor for further action," he said.
Abdul Rahim said police investigation showed that the distributed copies of the Bible were in the English language and there was no use of the word ‘Allah’ in any of them.
"So far, the police have received seven reports on the issue, four from students and the rest from members of the public," he said.
PAS called on to withdraw from Pakatan
Meanwhile, in Kota Baharu today, more than 50 people of Kampung Padang Enggang, among them several PAS supporters, staged a demonstration in protest against the proposal by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to allow the word ‘Allah’ to be used in the Malay version of the Bible.
The villagers carried banners, condemned Lim and stamped on the DAP flag, and their leader, Mohd Rosli Ghazali, 52, called on PAS to withdraw from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat pact.
"In the name of Islam, PAS should get out of Pakatan Rakyat," he said. The Pakatan Rakyat comprises PAS, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and DAP.
Mohd Rosli also called on all quarters to accept the decision of the PAS Syura Council which prohibits the use of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims.
The issue cropped up after Lim, in his Christmas Day message last month, urged the federal government to allow the word ‘Allah’ to be used in the Malay version of the Bible.
The PAS Syura Council issued a ruling that the word ‘Allah’ could not be used by non-Muslims to avert confusion. This was supported by PAS leaders, including president Abdul Hadi Awang and the party's spiritual leader, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
- Bernama
(4) Burn the bibles, and pay the price，25 January 2013
'Let the police, the people and the voters step up and say resoundingly that we will not tolerate this.'
Bible-burning 'plan': Police told to step up security
Anonymous #19098644: There appears to be an intentional, systematic plan to cause disunity and unrest by subversive elements. Starting with Perkasa's seditious call to burn bibles and now followed by the leaflet about the Sunday ‘bible-burning festival'.
This incident cannot happen if it is not condoned or supported by the ruling regime. The objective is to create unrest and conditions to declare an emergency, which will be used to suppress opponents of the BN.
Mirror On The Wall: Why does it have to take Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to direct the police to step up security on such an egregious matter?
Aren't the police are supposed to be pro-active and swing into action the minute the report was lodged?
The inaction of the federal leaders who have yet to even say something, much less do anything, speaks for itself.
Dude: If BN wants to be voted in, it simply has to show that it is a political party for all Malaysians. Religious-wise or otherwise.
At the moment, it is obvious that BN is playing the racial and religious card. If BN is a party that is good for the country, every Malaysian, irrespective of race, will support it.
Obviously, it has shown otherwise on so many issues, including this bible-burning controversy. By the way, I am not a Christian.
Myop101: The church grows under persecution. Let it be known that we will not repay violence with violence but with love and prayers. But come GE13, we will know what we should do.
Dont Just Talk: Ibrahim Ali is only good at talking as he outsources to others to do his dirty job.
Let Perkasa burn the Holy Bible if they have the gall to do so, then you will find more Christians voting for Pakatan. Just do it, Ibrahim Ali. Don't just talk.
Anon 1: I wonder whether the plan is to create chaos and a bloodbath, Kampung Medan-style, so that the dictators can declare emergency rule and delay elections. It's not beyond them to come up with this.
Hopefully the Fire Department can strangle these lunatics with their hoses.
Xiao Zhu: Strange, why do it in Penang? Another excuse to take over the state (through emergency rule)?
2zzzxxx: Imagine, if someone were to replace the word 'Bible' in the leaflet with the name of another holy book.
Perkasa and Umno bigots will go completely amok. Clearly, Umno is trying hard to divert attention from the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) in Sabah and other issues.
Changenow: Let them burn the Bible in lorry loads. They have after all burnt a church before. That's their mentality.
The sanctity of Islam gets tainted by the acts of these cheap politicians. I have yet to come across a god who instructs his followers to fight people of another religion.
Surprisingly, there is no response from elected government leaders such as the home minister, and non-Muslim parties - the MCA or MIC.
Goat: If the Christians fall into this trap, then God save them. Ibrahim Ali is a paid servant to divert the public's attention from the Sabah RCI on illegal immigrants.
The Christians should remain calm - if they want to burn the Holy Book, let them, they will eventually pay for it.
Omega: Calm down, all good followers of religion know that it is more important to have the essence of the Almighty in their hearts instead of in books.
Those who publicly burn holy books do not understand this and make themselves look silly and sinister.
Anonymous #85701391: If Umno-BN claims that they have nothing to do with Ibrahim Ali/Perkasa, now is the time to prove it.
All it needs to do is; don't interfere with the police, allow them to do their job. Also instruct the attorney-general to go on leave immediately and Umno-BN might still have hopes in the coming GE.
If Ibrahim Ali/Perkasa is allowed to continue with its lunatic acts, the objective of Umno-BN is then clear - to create chaos. The Umno-BN government will then have a valid reason to dissolve Parliament and declare an emergency.
Umno will then continue to rule with its Mickey Mouse government with a selected group of tainted BN leaders.
Little Hantu: The only way to rid of this problem is to vote BN out. Isn't it scary that the PM visits Gaza to get support from Muslim voters in Malaysia while Ibrahim Ali threatens to burn the Bible?
Anonymous_40f4: The 1Malaysia PM as usual won't comment. He is busy with his public relation exercise in Gaza, using taxpayers money to fool the Muslims.
AngryBird: Perkasa chief and Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali should be arrested and charged for sedition. If the police don't do that, than it is crystal clear they practice double standards.
Anonymous #89734714: Ibrahim Ali, let me ask you. If you are not trying to hurt the non-Muslims or Christians, then who are you trying to hurt by your bible-burning remarks?
Arrest him and put him in jail and throw away the keys.
・The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments.
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