'Allah ruling crucial test for BN'

The lifting of the ban on the use of ‘Allah’ in Catholic publication The Herald is a litmus test for the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, said experts.

Universiti Malaya ethnic and racial politics expert Noor Sulastry Ahmad believe that this is because the government’s response will also reflect the BN’s commitment to Islamic issues.

She explained that the issue, which has been heavily sensationalised, has seen a large section of the Malay-Muslim community up in arms, as it is close to their hearts.

Nor Sulastry said the BN government has no choice but to appeal the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision, in order to show that it is committed to defending Islam and the rights of Malays and Muslims.

"If they don't... the Malay-Muslims will ask, 'If they can't even defend religion, then how can we expect them to defend other 'rights', like bumiputera and Malay rights?'”

As the issue may be brought up in the next general election, she said the government  needs to tackle it now - at least until tempers have settled, because the appeals process is typically a long one.

“The fact is there is great doubt over BN's ability to defend things that matter to a section of the Malay community. This is one of its chances to prove otherwise,” she said.  

Noor Sulastry added that, while appealing the decision may win BN political support from some, it is not necessarily a step that aids national unity.

“We are already politically and racially divided. This issue will feed into the internal conflicts of the nation and become a cancer which will further segregate the people,” she added.  
        
Bar Council human rights committee chairperson Andrew Khoo agreed that religion is much politicised in Malaysia.

“Religion has always been a sensitive issue but it is not devoid of political undertones,” he said.

“If they don't appeal the decision then there will be a sense that they are not taking seriously the concerns of the section of the Muslim community, for which this is an important issue.”

While the government has the right to appeal, both experts believe that the ideal situation is for the leaders to take a stand against prolonging the matter.

“It would be good for the government to provide leadership at this critical point to say ‘enough is enough’ and accept the decision,” said Khoo.

Sikhs also affected
                    
The Sikh community also uses the word “Allah” in prayers.

“Any kind of restriction on use of the word 'Allah' will definitely interfere in the reciting of prayers,” said Malaysian Gurdawars Council president Harcharan Singh.
        
Rather than hold a mass protest, Harcharan is in favour of dialogue, that leaves politics out of the equation.

“No one should try to politicise the issue, which can cause tension and disharmony among the races,” he said.

Political analyst and constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari agreed, saying “I think this 'Allah' issue is just an unnecessary distraction”.

He contended that people should not lose sight of the bigger picture, namely, to make Malaysia more prosperous through greater democratisation and accountability.

The real shame, said Abdul Aziz, “is that after more than 52 years of self-rule we are still stuck in language, indigenous poverty and religious controversies”.

“If democracy and constitution have been respected we would have now gone beyond all these petty issues,” he said.

Even assuming that the fears of Muslim NGOs are justified, they should not jump the gun and make too many assumptions or paint a bleak picture of the Christian community, he said.

“The Christians are not in the majority, and above all they are sensible and peace loving,” he noted.

Abdul Aziz also said he believes “we have more than enough laws to deal with the problems, should we come to that stage later”.

For now, though, he urged everyone to give the High Court ruling a chance.

‘Leave it to courts’
            
Political scientist and Abim executive councillor Marzuki Mohamad, took a different view.

“The NGOs also have a constitutional right to express their views and opinion, as long as they remain calm,” he said.

As for how the government should handle the issue, he believes that “this is an issue for the courts...the best way is for the government to appeal the matter”.

In making a final decision, he hoped the courts would take into account expert opinions of religious scholars.

“Most of the ulama (religious scholars) see the word 'Allah' as being exclusive to Islam. Only a few say that 'Allah' is generic. So the consensus should be ‘Allah is only for Islam’,” he said.

Certain personalities like Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad (right) and PAS strategist Dzulkefly Ahmad have supported the lifting of the ban, but Marzuki begged to differ.

“I have read their comments on the matter and I believe that their views are political rather than adding religious weight to the argument,” he added.

The Herald, which is printed in four languages, has been using the word 'Allah' as a translation for 'God' in its Malay-language section, but the government then argued that the word should be used only by Muslims.

The term 'Allah' is widely used among indigenous Christian tribes in Sabah and Sarawak, many of whom speak Bahasa Malaysia.

Last Thursday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court set aside a Home Ministry ban on the use of the word by the Catholic publication.