'Allah ban defies court ruling and PM's circular'

Lawyer Annou Xavier has written to the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) describing the latter’s statement in the prolonged ‘Allah’ issue as going against the spirit of the federal constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, as well as against the 2009 High Court decision in the Jill Ireland ‘Allah CD’ case.

Annou (left), in a three-page letter to the religious council, stated that the High Court had granted Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a Melanau Christian whom he represented, the right to own and use materials containing the word ‘Allah’.

The May 4, 2009 order by the court, according to Annou, stated “the applicant be given a declaration that it is within her legitimate expectation to use the word Allah and have ownership, to obtain, use, and import such materials including printing items with the word for her own practise.”

He further brought Mais’ attention to a circular, dated April 11, 2011 and endorsed by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak himself, which stated that the government has agreed that non-Muslims may import, buy, print, publish, distribute, read and use the bible in any language, including Bahasa Malaysia.

“The purpose I am writing this letter is to bring attention to the court ruling and the PM's circular letter which is attached. It is as if Mais did not respect the court ruling and the circular letter issued by the PM.

“MAIS action in this matter seems not to respect the court’s decision or (is) belittling it.

"We wish to remind that each religious group is allowed to manage their own faith without interference from others, as this is prescribed under Article 11 (3) of the constitution.”

In light of this, Annou hopes Mais would not raise the Allah issue again.

'Respect rights of individuals'

Instead, Mais should respect the right of individuals of all races to practice their respective faiths, and not use the issue to disrupt the unity of the nation’s multi-racial society.

Besides the case described by Annou, the Kuala Lumpur High Court had, in a landmark decision on Dec 31, 2009, declared the Home Ministry’s blanket ban on the use of the word ‘Allah’ for non-Muslims as illegal, null and void.

However, the case is still pending appeal at the Court of Appeal.

Mais, in its statement on Tuesday, had announced a decree by Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (right) declaring all non-Muslims in the state are banned from using the word ‘Allah’ as it is a holy word exclusive to Muslims.

Pakatan and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had, also on Tuesday, announced the opposition’s consensus that Islam does not prohibit other religions from using the word, but reminded all parties that its usage not be abused.

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