What I do not like about Malaysia has been this repeated discussion for 33 years since the 1980s. Also, the local-based information including the below has been often inaccurate and incorrect. (Lily)
1．Malaysian Insider（http://www.themalaysianinsider.com）
(1) When, why and how Christians use the word ‘Allah’ – The Christian Federation of Malaysia, 16 May 2013
MAY 16 – Introduction and Background. The objective of this document is to explain briefly to those Christians who do not understand when, why and how Churches in Malaysia use the word ‘Allah’. It is also for Christians who are confused about how to respond, when confronted by the ignorance of non-Muslims about the Christian use of the word ‘Allah’.
There are many (misleading) statements by non-Christians who claim that we should not use the word, because it is an exclusive Muslim term for the God of Islam and can be used only by Muslims. This is a situation peculiar to Malaysia, as elsewhere in the Muslim world, Arabic-speaking Christians use the word ‘Allah’.
Christians themselves are sometimes ignorant, because unless we pray in Bahasa Malaysia, we pray to ‘God’ in our own language. In English services, for example, nowhere do we use the word ‘Allah’.
However, more than 60 per cent of Malaysian Christians only speak Bahasa Malaysia, and the word used for God in the Bahasa Malaysia Bible (Al-Kitab) since its translation in 1731, is ‘Allah’. The word is used by Bumiputera Christians who only have Bahasa Malaysia as their common language in Sabah, Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia, and by the Baba community in Malacca.
Historical Usage and Meaning
1. The word ‘Allah’ was a term used for the supreme God in a pantheon of gods, before the revelation of Islam. The Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam ed., H. A. R. Gibb & J. H. Kramer and The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, ed. John L. Esposito, both affirm and support this contention.
2. Historically, Malay-speaking Christians in South-East Asia have used ‘Allah’ to refer to God. The proof is as follows:
• The Kitab salat as-sawai or Christian catechisms in Malay written in 1514 and published around 1545,
• The printed version of the Gospel of Matthew in Malay by A.C. Ruyl in 1629,
• Malay-Latin Dictionary was printed in Rome in 1631 (The Dictionarium Malaicum-Latinum and Latinum - Malaicum)
• The translation of Genesis by D. Brouwerius (1662),
• M. Leijdecker’s translation (1733),
• H.C. Klinkert’s translation (1879),
• W.A. Bode’s translation (1938), and
• The complete Malay Bible of 1731-1733 containing the word ‘Allah’ for
God.
3. Therefore, from the very beginning, the word ‘Allah’ has been used in the liturgy, prayers and worship of those Christians who speak Bahasa Malaysia.
But for centuries, there has been no opposition or uproar about their use of ‘Allah’.
Language
Objections to the use of the word ‘Allah’ comes mostly from political discourse, or those who argue that the translation and usage of the word is a recent decision. This is not true for the following reasons:
1. In Semitic languages, the word ‘Allah’ has been widely used in the Middle East dating back to the 5th century BC and up to the time of the expansion of Islam and the spread of the Arabic language in the 7th century AD.
2. The translation of the Al-Kitab is not from the English translation but based on the Hebrew and Greek text of the Bible. In the Hebrew language, the word ‘God’ has the same root form as the Arabic language. So, when the word ‘God’ was first translated into Bahasa Malaysia, the translators merely followed the Arabic Christian usage and retained the word ‘Allah’.
3. As stated earlier, the word ‘Allah’ pre-dates Islam. It is not a creation of the Muslims and its existence does not begin in the Al-Quran.
Should Christians Substitute the word ‘Allah’ with ‘Tuhan’?
This is not possible for the following reasons :
1. In the Malay language, ‘Allah’ means ‘God’ and Tuhan means ‘Lord’. As is obvious when we read the Bible, both God and Lord are used in the Bible, and both have different connotations. Therefore ‘Allah’ cannot be substituted by ‘Tuhan’.
2. The word Tuhan has been applied to Jesus Christ and read as Tuhan Yesus. If Christians are to substitute the word ‘Allah’ for Tuhan, it will render many Biblical references to God and Jesus incoherent because:
• The meaning of ‘Allah’ and Tuhan are different.
• This is obvious in just one example. In Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 13; also 43 : 3 and 51 : 15. “For I am the LORD, your GOD...” is translated as “Akulah TUHAN, ALLAH kamu...”. (ALKITAB : Berita Baik. 2001. 2nd edition. Published by the Bible Society of Malaysia).
• It creates an absurd situation if Christians have to translate the biblical phrase ‘Lord God’ as Tuhan Tuhan. The repeated words Tuhan Tuhan indicates plural in Bahasa Malaysia, and creates the impression that Christians believe in many Gods, which is unacceptable.
• Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians will not be able to affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and teach the doctrine of the Trinity as these two foundational words are essential to maintain and communicate these truths.
Consequences of Banning the Word “Allah”
1. Being denied the use of the word ‘Allah’ disregards the constitutional right of Malaysian citizens to freedom of religion under the Federal Constitution. Article 11 of the Federal Constitution safeguards the right of each Malaysian to profess and practice one’s religion of choice. Article 11(3) expressly
provides that every religious group has the right to manage their own religious affairs.
2. In 2011, the High Court handed down a judgement allowing the Catholic Church to use the word ‘Allah’. The government (of all Malaysians, including Christians) is appealing the judgement and it is pending.
3. There have been other infringements on the right to use words imperative in the Bahasa Malaysia Bible. See the directive of 5 Dec 1986 from the Ministry of Home Affairs stating that, in addition to ‘Allah’, the words: Al-Kitab, Firman, Rasul, Iman, Ibadah, Injil, Wahyu, Nabi, Syukur, Solat and doa are not to be used in the Al-Kitab. In addition, making such prohibitions through fatwa render them only relevant to Muslims as the Shari’a does not apply to non- Muslims.
4. Prohibiting the use of the word ‘Allah’ and these other terms is unjust. Bumiputera Christians should be given the respect and freedom to call God in the only language they have in common. This is important to their religious and cultural identity.
5. If Churches in Malaysia agree to stop using the word ‘Allah’, it means that the right to edit the Scripture of a major world religion has been given over to a secular government. This would be a shameful and an unprecedented development for any religion and government.
Conclusion
Some Muslims have claimed repeatedly that Christians in Malaysia refuse to stop using the word ‘Allah’ because they want to confuse and convert Muslims, thereby posing a threat to national security. The claim is groundless as there has been no evidence offered of any threat to security. These remain unfounded accusations. On the contrary, such an assertion is made in ignorance of the fact that when Christians use the Al-Kitab, it is simply for Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians. Malaysian Churches have never suggested changing the words ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ to ‘Allah’ and ‘Tuhan’ respectively, in the other languages of the Bible.
・This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
(2) For confused and ignorant Christians, an ‘Allah’ fact sheet, 16 May 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 – Churches in Southeast Asia’s third largest economy were sent an “Allah” fact sheet today by the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) to educate followers confused by its use, as a row over the Middle Eastern word for god rages on in public.
The umbrella body representing 90 per cent of the country’s churches said it issued the backgrounder to explain to Christians the history of the word here and to teach them how to respond when confronted by those who were ignorant about its use in the Christian context.
“There are many (misleading) statements by non-Christians who claim that we should not use the word, because it is an exclusive Muslim term for the God of Islam and can be used only by Muslims.
“This is a situation peculiar to Malaysia, as elsewhere in the Muslim world, Arabic-speaking Christians use the word ‘Allah’,” CFM said in a statement.
It noted that some Muslims here had challenged the Christian use of the word as a bid to confuse and convert Muslims, which they see to be a threat to national security.
But the CFM said such claims were not substantiated by facts.
Malaysia’s supreme law dictates that Malays – who are the country’s largest racial community at 60 per cent of the 28 million population – must also be Muslim. The Federal Constitution recognises this demography as possessing a “special position”.
In contrast, Christians make up just under 10 per cent of the country’s population.
The CFM emphasised that the use of the word was to cater to its Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians, who formed the bulk of its congregation and could be traced to the Peranakan community in Malacca as well as in Borneo Malaysia.
Bumiputera Christians make up one-third of Sabah’s population and more than half of Sarawak’s.
“Malaysian Churches have never suggested changing the words ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ to ‘Allah’ and ‘Tuhan’ respectively, in the other languages of the Bible,” CFM said.
In the three-page fact sheet, it pointed out that the word “Allah” that is used in the Christian context originated from the Hebrew language that dated back to the 5th century BC.
According to CFM, the Hebrew language shared the same root as the Arabic language, which predates Islam and as such should not be confused as a creation by Muslims.
It further explained that the word as used in the Christian context could not be replaced with the Malay word for god “Tuhan” – as has been suggested by some groups – as their holy text used both words to connote different things.
“If Churches in Malaysia agree to stop using the word ‘Allah’, it means that the right to edit the Scripture of a major world religion has been given over to a secular government.
“This would be a shameful and an unprecedented development for any religion and government,” CFM said.
The “Allah” storm had erupted some five years ago when the Catholic Church took the Home Ministry to court after it was barred from publishing the word in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its newspaper, Herald.
In 2009, the High Court ruled the Catholic Church had a right to use “Allah” as the word was not exclusive to Islam.
The Home Ministry is appealing the ruling, and its case will be called up later this month.
Following the landmark judgment however, several places of worship nationwide were attacked. The authorities had also seized imported shipments of the Malay-language bible containing the word “Allah”.
The government had set up an inter-faith committee at the federal level to address religious disputes soon after, but the national panel appears to have fallen into a slump following the death of its first chairman Datuk Ilani Isahak, from cancer in early 2011.
Since then, several groups, including partisan media, have raised the “Allah” issue in an attempt to score political points for their owners ahead of the hotly contested 13th general election, and again in the aftermath.
Umno-owned Malay broadsheet, Utusan Malaysia, had published an incendiary front-page report in May 2011 asking, “Malaysia negara Kristian? (Malaysia a Christian state?)” which alleged the opposition DAP of plotting to install a Christian prime minister and supplant Islam as the country’s official religion.
2. Malaysiakini(http://www.malaysiakini.com)
Allah issue is yet another diversion from Umno, 17 May 2013
'It's a nice relief after the ‘Chinese tsunami' bashing, the Christians have returned to claim the top spot on the list of scapegoats.'
Muslim lawyers: Act against Christian group using 'Allah'
Lexicon: The High Court ruled against the ban on the use of ‘Allah' by non-Muslims. So until the Court of Appeal overturns the decision, there is no ban.
Where did these so-called lawyers from the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association (PPMM) get their law degrees? Off the Internet?
They should be found in contempt of court. They are certainly in contempt of Malaysians and of common sense.
Pemerhati: This looks like the continuation of PM Najib Razak and Umno's multi-pronged approach to play the race and religious card to the maximum so as to try and win back the support of the Malays who voted for Pakatan Rakyat in large numbers during the 13th general election.
Najib fired the first racist salvo when he attributed the poor performance of BN to the ‘Chinese tsunami'. Umno's gutter press then continued with racist statements such as, ‘what more do the Chinese want?'
Then a senior judge and a pro-chancellor came out with more racist statements against the minorities.
Expect more unprincipled lackeys of Umno to come out and try to cause racial and religious discord between the Malays and non-Malays.
Gerard Lourdesamy: The PPMM is nothing but an Umno outfit. Perhaps the Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs in the legal profession should form their own associations to articulate their religious positions.
Firstly, a declaratory judgment of the High Court cannot be stayed even if the parties consent to it.
Secondly, the Federal Constitution and state laws restrict non-Muslims from propagating their religions to Muslims. The use of the word ‘Allah' by Christians and Sikhs among their own followers is not propagation to Muslims.
Thirdly, does the Constitution allow state Islamic laws to apply to non-Muslims? No, except in cases of propagation.
Lastly, the rulers are the heads of Islam in their respective states. They have no constitutional powers to restrict the religious practices and forms of worship of non-Muslims.
So PPMM president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, go take a hike. May Almighty Allah forgive you for your ignorance.
2zzzxxx: This is another attempt from Najib to divert attention to his disastrous performance in GE13. What simpler way than to use these bigots and racists in Umno to create trouble.
Boonpou: I am so sick of these idiots. Mind you, they are supposed to be lawyers. I wonder how they managed to pass the law exam, or it is their ignorance mistakenly taken for knowledge.
Unless something is done to the education system in Malaysia, and one that is rid of ‘bangsa' politics, Malaysia will continue to produce these not only half-baked lawyers but racist bigots.
Mr KJ John: Sorry PPMM, but the High Court judge had ruled in Catholic Herald's favour and not otherwise. Therefore, why not you make the police report and make a fool of yourselves. Do not ask others to do it, please.
The Herald has always used ‘Allah' and now, Christians are free to continue to use it, until the Appeal's Court says otherwise. Let us move away from emotions to reason.
Proarte: Umno and its proxies like the PPMM have no regard for the truth and will persist head-long with racial and religious division. ‘Allah' is a generic term for God used by the 'Abrahamic' faiths.
The Quran explicitly states that Allah sent the Torah and Bible as part of Allah's message to humanity. Arab Christians were using the term ‘Allah' long before the advent of Islam.
Indeed, Prophet Muhammad's father was called Abdallah - literally meaning 'servant of Allah'. Abdallah died before Muhammad was born and thus was not privy to the revelations by Allah in the Quran.
It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that the usage of the term 'Allah' was pre-Islamic. If this is the case then, the PPMM should educate themselves on basic Islamic knowledge and apologise to Muslims and Christians for trying to ignite religious tension.
MA: It's a nice relief after the ‘Chinese tsunami' bashing, the Christians have returned to claim the top spot on the list of scapegoats.
Actually I was waiting for this during the GE13 campaign, but I guess it was too risky for these zealots to do so as they needed the Christians votes, too.
Geronimo: Go on, carry on with your persecution of the Christians, and yet you are wondering why you people are not getting votes from the non-Malays. Their stupidity knows no bounds.
Gunner: In hindsight, Sabah and Sarawak should not have participated in the formation of Malaysia. One of terms agreed by all parties at that time was that there should not be any official religion in North Borneo.
But later it was 'nullified' by the then Mustapha regime in Sabah. Have we been cheated?
Anticonmen: As lawyers and professionals, would it not be better if you could protest against mismanagement and bad governance instead of a petty non-issue on how to call God by another human?
As someone wise said, "Will you take up the sword against your brother just because he calls God by a different name?"
Sali Tambap: You don't have to look far and wide. The Malay-speaking Christians are using the word ‘Allah' because it is part of their language. And also the Dayaks and the Kadazan-Dusun-Murut races.
One just need to go to the church during a mass, and the word ‘Allah' is uttered. Sorry to tell you, but the word ‘Allah' has been used by them long before you were born or long before Umno came into existence.
One wonders what is the action against those Christains that utter the word ‘Allah'? What does Zainul has in mind? Would it be for them (the Christians) to be thrown into the lion's den?
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