YOURSAY ‘Is Allah in the peninsula different from Allah in Sabah and Sarawak?’

'Herald' editor out to hurt Muslims, says Mahathir

Onyourtoes: Former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, you repeat your ranting, we repeat our comments:

Tens of thousands of Malay-speaking Christians from Sabah and Sarawak are now working in Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in states such as Selangor, Penang and Johor. A whole generation of Malaysians have grown up using Bahasa Malaysia as their medium of instruction in schools.

Even if the word ‘Allah’ was not used in the past (but it was proven it was used even before we achieved independence in the peninsula), why can't it be used now? Why, because you said so?

The Christians knew the odds when they went to court over the issue. I believe they know the odds when they appeal to the Federal Court which is now pending. We did it despite the odds because it is our symbolic struggle for freedom of religion, our right to practise our faith and the right to administer our religious affairs.

Umno has the power to resolve this issue, not Christians, unless through divine intervention which we will pray unceasingly. This is not showing you are right and we are wrong. This is not even showing God's attributes on your part.

This is the big brother-small brother relationship; this is dominance-subservience relationship. This is bigotry and the flexing of political muscle. This is ungodliness actually - pretending to “protect” God when the true intention was something else.

God is Almighty who needs no protection and shelter from anyone. People of the monotheistic faith ought to know that. Christians will never resort to clandestine propagation of their faith to others.

My goodness, some of you are even doubting the honesty and goodness of religion.

Spinnot: "The usage of ‘Allah’ in Sabah and Sarawak has been in place for a long time, but why suddenly they want to use it in peninsula?" asked Mahathir.

Answer: Because unlike in the past, there are now many Sabah/Sarawak Christian natives working in the peninsula, being unable to find a job in their BN-led home states.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Are you stupid, Mahathir? So Allah in the peninsula is different from Allah in Sabah and Sarawak? So East Malaysians living and working in West Malaysia cannot use the word?

The Court of Appeal did not ban the use of the word in the Alkitab. It only confined its ruling to Catholic weekly The Herald.

Is Mahathir suggesting that East Malaysians cannot speak Bahasa Malaysia? For his information, the East Malaysians and Christians from Indonesia working or living in the peninsula can only speak and worship in Bahasa Malaysia and not in English or Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic.

Can Jews and Christians also demand that Muslims stop referring to our common prophets such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc, in the Quran because they predate Islam?

For Mahathir. only Malay/Muslims must be respected and not hurt while other races and religions can be treated with contempt and disdain.

Perhaps the West should take a cue from this and prohibit Muslims from referring to Jewish and Christian prophets in the Quran and in their worship?

Ranjit Singh: Maybe Mahathir's justification was wrong. But Herald editor Father Lawrence is not above the law.

Jiminy Qrikert: Ranjit Singh, which law is that?
  • Article 11 of the federal constitution provides that every person has the right to profess and to practice his or her religion and to propagate it (except to Muslims).
     
  • Or the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988?
     
  • Or, is it the appellate court decision that ‘Allah’ is exclusive to Islam? And if exclusive, will you now surrender your Sikh holy book for confiscation?
Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida said: “Could the real problem be the anger of poor Malay Muslims over the rising prices of fuel and basic commodities? And could this be an attempt by some in the Malaysian government to deflect that anger?”

So, is it Father Lawrence who is trying to hurt Muslims or a failed Malay-Muslim government that is hurting poor Malay-Muslims and trying to deflect their anger at being betrayed?

Geronimo: Mahathir, you said that Father Lawrence was out to hurt the Muslims. Let's get some facts right. The world Muslim population is 1.2 billion, while Malaysia is 16.8 million. This shows that Malaysia's share of the global Muslim population is 1.4 percent.

Ever since the Court of Appeals decision was made, Muslims worldwide condemned us for misinterpreting the word ‘Allah’ to the extent of even calling us “stupid”. Are you then saying that our 1.4 percent is right and 98.6 percent wrong?

Wira: Dr M, don't be a bigot. Is it reasonable to expect East Malaysians Christians to leave the name of their God at home when they come to the West to work?

No church will deprive them that, just as no mosque will deprive its worshipers the name of their God when Muslims migrate to non-Muslim countries.

YUNoAnon: To those who are adamant that the word is exclusive to a select group of people only, I plead with you to tell your East Malaysian Christian friends (if you have any) to never use the word in the peninsula and tell them if they don't like it, go back to East Malaysia.

I truly hope you do so and hasten the separation and independence of east and west. This is the only way to give you extremists what you want.

Angel: Mahathir, not all Muslims are hurt. Marina is not.

Hold Awam Accountable: Mahathir suffers from both megalomania and paranoia. As long as I can remember, he has always rejected any kind of perceived criticism as coming from troublemakers who are "jealous of our success".

And just because he is mean-spirited, he expects others to be mean-spirited too.

ACR: Mahathir is talking rubbish as usual but what we need now is a massive rally against the rising cost of living in Malaysia.

Fulfill the requirements of the PAA (Peaceful Assembly Act) and start preparation for this rally. That will be the antidote to this ongoing saga played out by Umno and its lackeys.

Chris Wong: Dr M does what he does best. First he riles up Malaysians with race and religion, divert them from matters of national importance, then he makes overtures for peace and sounds like a moderate.

We have lived through enough of his nonsense, and already know his SOP (standard operating procedure).


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