KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — The decision to allow Malay-language Bibles to be freely distributed nationwide has drawn the ire of Muslim lawyers who said today that the government was being manipulated by Christian groups.
The Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela) threatened to challenge in court the 10-point solution offered by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala (picture) if there was no review done in consultation with Muslim representatives.
“For those who have followed this issue since it was raised by Christian groups, the Idris Jala formula is clearly a decision to give in and bow to the strategy of confrontation, manipulation and pressure by these groups to achieve their goals,” said spokesman Yusri Mohamed.
“This move is part of an unhealthy trend that will encourage repeated confrontation and manipulation to make demands that contravene the constitution, laws, history and culture of the country,” he added in a statement today.
Faced with an unyielding Christian community days ahead of a crucial state poll in Sarawak, the government offered on Saturday a 10-point solution to the Alkitab impasse which will allow the Bible to be freely distributed across the country in all languages.
The Cabinet offered a new list of suggestions to put an end to the month-long stand-off in a bid to head off a possible backlash against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the April 16 vote by Christians who make up half the population in Sarawak.
However, it insisted that Malay-language bibles in the peninsula be marked with a cross and “Christian Publication” on the front cover.
This was despite a pending appeal by the government over the High Court’s decision to allow non-Muslims to use the term Allah in their printed publications.
Pembela echoed today the stand of both the Perak and Selangor muftis who said that the decision ran foul of the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Enactment, which bars non-Muslims from using Allah to refer to God in all states besides Sabah, Sarawak, Penang and the federal territories.
“If the government does this, just cancel the law. I feel disappointed with the government as the law already says it cannot be allowed. If we really want to do this, just abolish the enactment,” Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.
“When the government allows other religions to use Allah, it insults the Quran,” he added.
In the statement, Yusri said despite Muslim interests in the matter, the decision gave the impression that Idris and the Attorney-General were given the main roles to draft a solution to the Alkitab row in consultation with the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) but without the any Muslim representation.
“We want to ask if this is the government’s new method of handling religious issues,” he said.
He added that the offer made by Idris on Saturday did not take the view of the Special Committee to Promote Inter-Religious Understanding and Harmony that was established by the Cabinet itself.
“He seems to have taken priority over ministers Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon who will be responsible for explaining why the committee was overlooked in this matter,” he said, referring to the ministers in charge of Islamic affairs and the interfaith committee respectively.
Pembela called for the “Idris Jala formula” to be reviewed and realigned according to legal provisions and the existing understanding between the different races and religions by taking the views of Muslim representatives as it concerned the position of Islam and its followers.
“If this demand is not given due attention, Pembela will consider challenging the legality of the Idris Jala formula in court,” Yusri said. - Malaysian Insider
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