1. Malay Mail Online (http://www.themalaymailonline.com)
Academic: Arabification of Islam behind ‘Allah’ ban ,12 June 2014
by Boo Su-Lyn
BANGI, June 12 — Malaysia’s recent adherence to Saudi Arabia’s “literal Islam” is the cause of the Muslim-Christian tussle over the Arabic word for God “Allah” here, an academic said today.
Dr Mohd Faizal Musa, research fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s (UKM) Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation , said the dominant religion in Malaysia grew stricter a decade or two ago and focused more on jurisprudence, due to influence from the Arabic country.
“It’s historically obvious that the usage of ‘Allah’ was already here since from the start,” Faizal told reporters after presenting a talk titled “An introduction to religious minorities in Malaysia” at UKM.
“The Nyonya Baba also used ‘Allah’ to refer to God. And how can we deny the usage of ‘Allah’ among the indigenous in Sabah and Sarawak? Literal Islam came to Malaysia 10, 20 years ago, promoted by Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Faizal called for Christians to be allowed to use the Arabic word “Allah”, and urged a different approach to interpreting Islam, saying that the religion has been institutionalised in Malaysia.
“There are many faces of Islam,” he told the audience.
“If Muslims are willing to let go of the literal Islam… this complicated problem will be resolved and there will be harmony,” Faizal added.
The academic also said that “literal Islam” has caused disputes and bloodshed in Islamic countries, unlike the “mystical Islam that promotes love”.
He said a priest from Syria recently told him that Christian Arabs call God “Allah” and that the man of the cloth was surprised by the ban on the Arabic word in Malaysia.
The Catholic Church in Malaysia is fighting in court for their right to refer to God as “Allah”, with the Federal Court set to decide on June 23 on whether the Church can appeal a ruling that upholds a government ban on the Arabic word in the Church’s weekly paper.
Faizal, who has written a book titled “Perempuan Nan Bercinta” under the pen name Faisal Tehrani that was recently banned for purportedly promoting Shia teachings, told reporters later that when Sunni Islam arrived in the region, the adherents were “mystical” in nature.
“When Islam first came to this region, it was Shiah Islam. Then Sunni Islam came and it was mystical,” he said.
Most Muslims in Malaysia belong to the Sunni denomination, the largest denomination of Islam in the world.
Malaysian authorities consider Shiah deviant, though the Islamic denomination is predominant in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.
2.Union of Catholic Asian News (http://www.ucanews.com)
Selangor orders Jais to return Bibles , 12 June 2014
by Sheridan Mahavera
The Selangor government today ordered its religious authority to return the Bibles seized from The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) after yesterday's announcement by the Attorney-General that there was no justification for the raid.
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the exco in charge of religious affairs Sallehin Mukhyi and the state’s legal advisor Datuk Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman will assist the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) in returning the Bibles.
“Salehen Mukhyi and Jais have also been asked to start discussions with the affected parties, especially BSM to harmoniously resolve their differences of opinion to preserve good inter-religious relations,” said Khalid in a brief statement.
The 321 Bibles in Malay and Iban were seized by Jais six months ago on grounds that they violated a 1988 Selangor enactment against propagating to Muslims.
Jais’s actions were widely criticised as being excessive by non-Muslims and Muslims, given that the bibles were meant for Christians in Sabah and Sarawak who worshipped in those languages.
Khalid did not specify when the Bibles were to be returned.
He said the state government had been advised by Selangor’s legal chambers to take the necessary steps to handle the seized Bibles.
“The Selangor government welcomes the Attorney-General’s decision that there is no case against Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and there will be no prosecution (in this issue),” Khalid said.
The saga of the seized Bibles began on January 2 when a Jais team raided the BSM offices in Damansara Kim and seized 321 Malay and Iban Bibles.
Then BSM president Lee Min Choon and office manager Sinclair Wong were detained and taken to the police station. They were released on bail.
Jais said the raid was to enforce a 1988 Selangor enactment which forbade non-Muslims from using 35 Arabic words including Allah and Injil.
The Selangor government said it was up to the Attorney-General to decide on the case and whether there was to be any prosecution.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail yesterday said the 321 copies of the Alkitab and Bup Kudus, the titles for the Malay and Iban bible respectively, were not a threat to national security.
Gani also said that the books did not contravene the 1988 Selangor enactment. – June 12, 2014.
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