I have been paying special attention to the BSM work in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia since the early 1990s. I have made frequent contacts with the General-Secretaries of the BSM for my research purpose since that. Thanks to the current General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Simon Wong's strong leadership, the Bible shop of the BSM has been tremendously improved. In December 2012, I could observe rather relaxed atmosphere at the BSM and the staff appeared more confident in their work than before. "This 'Allah' issue was resolved!" Dr. Wong told me confidently.
However, now the similar incident is repeated again. I have a long list of this simple but complicated conflict regarding the Malay Bible and the Malay-related Bibles in Malaysia since the 1980s. Of course, there were some signs of tensions before that.
The point is when this unproductive behavior will end peacefully. See: http://d.hatena.ne.jp/itunalily2/20131015 (Lily)
1. Krisis Praxis (http://www.krisispraxis.com)
The Beginning of Persecution of Christian Minorities in Malaysia?, 3 January 2014
by Dr. Ng Kam Weng
The raid of Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) by the Selangor Islamic authorities, JAIS (Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor) is a flagrant violation of religious liberty and a deliberate affront to the dignity of the Christian community. LINK JAIS’ action suggests that a threshold in inter-religious relations has been crossed, that is, the Islamic authorities have progressed from harassing to persecuting Christian minorities in Malaysia.
The raid is not unexpected, given the orchestrated agitations and provocations coming from Islamic authorities and NGOs in the last few weeks. The decree by the Sultan of Selangor which bans non-Muslims from using the Allah word was followed by a statement by JAIS new Director declaring that JAIS will be sending warning letters to all churches. Islamic NGOs followed suit with police reports against Herald and the Catholic Church. Next, the former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir accused Christians of irritating Muslims in using the Allah word, and the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin publicly supported UMNO Selangor in its campaign against the editor of Herald. Strangely, the Prime Minister has remained silent although he has personally guaranteed Christians their right to use the al-Kitab a few years ago. The ominous beating of war drums can only lead to hostile action against Christians. Observers rightly conclude that the raid portents a foreboding future for the Church in Malaysia. But Christians should not give in to fear. Christian leaders should calmly weigh options in responding to this provocation from JAIS. More importantly, they should set this escalating tension in the light of God’s sovereign providence that they may discern what message God has for his Church in its struggle against ‘principalities and powers.’
Discernment and right action would need to take into consideration the following factors:
First, under the Federal Constitution, Islamic authorities (JAKIM, JAIS, Shariah courts) have no jurisdiction over non-Muslims. It is noted that JAIS has limited powers to restrict and control proselytization of Muslims under the Selangor “Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment, 1988. This power must be properly delegated to JAIS senior officers to investigate on grounds of reasonable suspicion. Even then, they cannot act independently and must include a police officer with the minimal rank of a police inspector to assist them in carrying out the investigations. The Act mentions that the officer may report to a Magistrate if a warrant is required. It is disturbing the JAIS officials are reported in the media as not only failing to produce a search or arrest warrant, but that they were threatening forceful entry into BSM. Any charge arising from the investigations has to be based on Civil law and presented to the Civil Courts.
Second, JAIS probably considered BSM a soft target of high symbolic value when it raided BSM, although BSM has been conciliatory in the Allah dispute. Is this because the Islamic officials concluded that they are less likely to get away with their abuse of power if they act against other Christian institutions that have so far acted clearly and resolutely in their principled stand against JAIS’s unconstitutional threats?
Third, regardless of how the present events may unfold, it must be emphasized that this raid is not an issue restricted to BSM. The action by JAIS (including JAKIM and other Islamic NGOs) has set a precedent whereby an Islamic authority has acted beyond its jurisdiction. It would be irresponsible for any aggrieved party not to challenge legally such violations of the fundamental liberty guaranteed to non-Muslim religions enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
Fourth, Christians are mindful that the officials who acted against various Christian institutions represent fearsome authority of the State backed by enormous resources. They know JAIS’ action is aimed at intimidating the Church to submit in fear, paralysis and compliance. Christians are rightly exasperated by JAIS’ arrogant display of power. Perhaps the raid is an act of cynical political opportunism by the government eager to project itself as a champion for Islam, and to deflect the citizens’ anger against imposition of new taxes and recent removal of subsidies resulting in increase of price of consumer goods. By the same token these officials are acting out of desperation.
Still, JAIS is under legal obligation to produce prima facie evidence to show that BSM has violated the Selangor Enactment of Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims, but it seems such evidence is not forthcoming. The fact they allowed BSM officials free (albeit on police bail) without any specific charge shows that JAIS officials know their accusations are groundless. Christian leaders must stand firm against these harassments. They should take court action if necessary, to ensure such harassments should not be repeated in future. Failure by Christians to stand up for their rights will only embolden the Islamic authorities to carry out more illegal raids against Christian institutions.
Finally, the ban of the Allah word (and 40+ religious terms) and the al-Kitab brings fatal consequences to the Malaysian church. The national education system ensures that the primary language of the next generation of Malaysians will be Bahasa Malaysia. English will be relegated to functional purposes in science and commerce. The next generation of Christians can connect spiritually to the Christian faith only if they read the al-Kitab and Christian literature in Bahasa Malaysia, since Bahasa Malaysia has become their language of aesthetic, ‘heart language’ or ‘language of the soul.’ With the emotional and spiritual roots of their faith effectively cut off from Christian scripture, their faith will inexorably be suffocated. The Allah word ban ensures that Christianity in Malaysia will be decimated within two generations.
Christians in Malaysia from churches of all language streams are inseparably joined together in their fight against the current abuse of power by JAIS/JAKIM, which if left unchecked will lead eventually to religious persecution. Did not Saint Paul write, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ…that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12: 12, 26). It is imperative that the body of Christ take a firm stand together.
Christians must ask for discernment from the sovereign God regarding his message to the Malaysian Church. In the end the raid is not just a matter of political dispute. It is a test of the faith and faithfulness of Christians (1Peter 1:3-7). Christians are assured that no external forces can overcome the Church of Christ (Matthew 16:18). But the duty of Christians is to remain firm and faithful to God. Perhaps, it is time for Malaysian Christians to search their hearts, review priorities in their lives and renew their commitment as obedient disciples of Jesus Christ as they will be called to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
2. Malaysiakini (http://beta.malaysiakini.com)
Jais raids Bibles Society, seizes Malay Bibles, 2 January 2014
Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) today raided the Bibles Society of Malaysia (BSM) and confiscated hundreds of copies of the Malay language Bibles found on the premises.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, BSM chairperson Lee Min Choon said the Islamic authorities took away 321 copies of the Malay Bible in 16 boxes, and of the society's staff are expected to be charged.
He added 10 other Bibles in the Iban language were confiscated as well.
The 15 Jais officers were aggressive and rude when they arrived at the office at about 1pm today, and tried to force open the premises' gate, said Lee.
“We don’t know what will happen, but I guess this is something to do with the 'Allah' word fiasco.
“We asked them to show a warrant and relevant documents, but they shouted at us… We allowed them to come in eventually, rather than to create a scene there,” he said.
Lee added that he was brought to Damansara Utama police station, together with the society's secretary-general Reverend Simon Wong and office manager Sinclair Wong.
The trio is now waiting for the police to confirm the charges against them.
[More to follow]
3. Malaysian Insider (http://themalaysianinsider.com)
(1) Selangor cannot stop Christians from using ‘Allah’, says non-Muslim group, 28 December 2013
by V. Anbalagan, Assistant News Editor
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikkhism and Taoism president Jagir Singh says it is only an offence by non-Muslims to use the word 'Allah' to propagate their religion to Muslims. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 28, 2013. Selangor religious authorities cannot enforce a state law which prohibits Christians from using the word “Allah” as the legislation was declared unconstitutional by the courts four years ago.
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikkhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) president Jagir Singh said the 2009 decision by High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan ruled that non-Muslims could use words like “Allah” provided it was confined to their own religious groups.
"It is only an offence by non-Muslims to use such words to propagate their religion to Muslims," he told The Malaysian Insider.
The Federal Constitution does not allow the propagation of any other faith to Muslims but there are also state Islamic laws that prohibit some words from being used by other faiths.
Among the laws is an enactment restricting the use of the word “Allah” passed in the Selangor assembly 25 years ago and enforced in July 1988.
The Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) has cited the law when announcing the prohibition for other faiths.
Jagir said 10 states, including Selangor, had passed enactments to stop non-Muslims from using between 18 and 25 words, one of which was “Allah”.
"We took a strong stand in 1988 as it was a clear interference in the religious practice of non-Muslims.”
He said all states had identical legislation barring non-Muslims from using words exclusive to Muslims.
Jagir said Lau had ruled that the enactment to prevent non-Muslims from using words like “Allah” was unconstitutional as it was contrary to Article 11 (4) of the Federal Constitution.
Article 11 (4) states that state and federal law could only control or restrict the propagation of religious doctrines or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.
On December 31, 2009, in a landmark ruling, Lau allowed the Catholic church's judicial review application and lifted the home minister's ban on the use of the word “Allah” in the Herald.
Lau had said that the church had a constitutional right to use the word “Allah” in its weekly on the grounds that religions other than Islam could be practised in peace and harmony.
However, the Court of Appeal on October 14 allowed Putrajaya's appeal to ban the use of “Allah” in the Herald.
A three-member bench headed by Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali ruled that the prohibition was to protect the sanctity of Islam and prevent any confusion among Muslims.
He also said that if the word was allowed to be used by Christians, it could threaten national security and public order.
The appellate court said the prohibition was reasonable on the grounds that the word Allah was not an integral part of the Christian faith and practice.
However, Jagir said the Court of Appeal did not consider the legal position of the state enactments as discussed by Lau in her judgment.
"The Court of Appeal set aside the High Court order on different grounds (national security) but did not consider the prohibition which Lau had declared unconstitutional," Jagir said in response to Jais' move to send a letter to churches in Selangor to remind them to obey a 1988 state law banning non-Muslims from using the word “Allah”.
Jais director Ahmad Mohd Saad said the Islamic authority would draw up a list of Selangor churches before sending letters seeking their compliance with the enactment.
Jagir said Jais had no locus standi to issue directives to churches and other non-Muslim denominations because the Constitution allowed each religious group to manage its own affairs.
Meanwhile, the former president of the Catholic Lawyers Society, Joy Wilson Apukuttan, said Jais’ move could pave the way for another legal challenge in court.
"They are acting beyond their authority," he said.
He said Pakatan Rakyat (PR), which currently administered Selangor, should take proactive steps to diffuse the situation.
"Perhaps, PR should amend the state enactment which encroached into the rights of non-Muslims," he said.
Utusan Malaysia had earlier this week claimed that a Christian group known as the International Full Gospel Fellowship had held a closed-door function at an unnamed hotel in Klang and purportedly sang songs containing the word “Allah”.
The Umno-controlled Malay daily further reported that a board in the hotel lobby had featured the words: “International Full Gospel Fellowship: keluarga Allah satelit Nilai dan satelit Puchong, dari dalam gelap akan terbit terang”(“God’s family, Nilai and Puchong satellites, Light will shine strong from the darkness.”)
(2) Selangor Islamic authorities raid Bible Society of Malaysia, 300 copies of Alkitab seized, 2 January 2014
by Jennifer Gomez
The Selangor Islamic Religious department (Jais) has raided the Bible Society of Malaysia and carted away 300 copies of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban this afternoon.
A council member for the society said its chairman, Lee Min Choon, and manager, Sinclair Wong, were detained and taken to the Damansara Utama police station.
The member said, as BSM was conducting a stock take today, they were told not to open the office when some 20 Jais officers accompanied by two policemen arrived about 1pm.
When office workers refused to open the door, the Jais officers told the office staff to contact someone in authority for permission to let them in.
"They told our people in the office that they had five minutes to open up, otherwise they would force themselves in. When the office called me, I told them not to let anyone in because Jais has no authority over non-Muslims, neither did they have any letter or warrant to search the premises," said a council member.
He said that soon after, Lee arrived at the office and allowed five Jais officers in.
"After seizing some 321 holy books in 16 boxes, Lee and Wong were told to follow the religious officers to the Damansara Utama police station," he added.
The seized items included 300 Alkitab and 10 copies of the Bup Kudus in the Iban language and other works on Christianity.
He said that one of BSM's main roles was to import Bibles from Indonesia for distribution here.
"At the door, they said they wanted to come in as there were Bibles containing the word 'Allah'. But that is nothing new and should not come as a surprise, this is what we do, import Bibles containing the word as allowed in the 10-point solution made by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala," the council member said.
Today’s raid comes after Catholic weekly Herald editor Rev Father Lawrence Andrew said that Catholic churches in Selangor would continue to use the word “Allah” in their weekend services in Bahasa Malaysia, which is primarily attended by Sabah and Sarawak folk.
The comments came following a statement from the new director of Jais Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad, who said the state religious authorities would draw up a list of Selangor churches before writing to ask them to comply with the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
“We will write to all the churches in Selangor to respect the law that is in force in relation to this,” he was quoted as saying.
The enactment, which was passed by the Barisan Nasional state government, prohibits non-Muslims in Selangor from using 35 Arabic words and phrases, including “Allah”, “Nabi” (prophet), “Injil” (gospel) and “Insya'Allah” (God willing).
Andrew's statement caused an uproar among various non-governmental organisations, which among others, described his action as not only challenging the sensitivities of Muslims, but also a sign of disrespect for the law.
Umno Selangor threatened to protest at all churches in the state on Sunday unless Andrew apologises for insisting that Christians could use the word “Allah”, reported Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia today.
Umno Selangor liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Abdul Shukor Idrus said Andrew was challenging the sultan of Selangor’s decree prohibiting non-Muslims in the state from using “Allah” to describe God.
The tussle over the word “Allah” arose in 2008 when the Herald was barred by the Home Ministry from using the Arabic word.
The Catholic church had contested this in court and won a High Court decision in 2009 upholding its constitutional right to do so.
Putrajaya later appealed the decision and successfully overturned the earlier decision when the Court of Appeal ruled this October that "Allah was not integral to the Christian faith". – January 2, 2014.
（End）
