Bishop hails Pakatan's deference to reason on 'Allah'

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing described the opinion of the top leadership of Pakatan Rakyat announced after a crucial meeting earlier today that the term ‘Allah’ was not exclusive to Muslims as embodying “a deference to reason and a rejection of myth.”

“I’m not surprised they have reiterated the view they propounded three years ago that the term is not exclusive to Muslims,” said the head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka-Johor diocese.

“By this reiteration, they have shown that their positions are not easily swayed by the vagrant impulses of opportunistic politicians,” said the vocal Jesuit-trained prelate.

The opinion of the Pakatan leadership was delivered by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang after the coalition’s principals mulled the matter at a meeting at the PKR headquarters.

A call by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng late last month that the federal government should allow Christians to use the term precipitated a minor crisis in the Pakatan leadership cohort when subaltern leaders in PAS departed from the consensus of three years ago by asking Christians not to use the term ‘Allah’ in faith education and worship rituals.

There followed a brief period of confusion but Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim moved to quell the contretemps by saying that an urgent meeting would be called to revisit the consensus of January 2010. 

While the Pakatan top leadership was mulling a reiteration of its stand, the Selangor sultan weighed into the controversy earlier today by forbidding non-Muslims to use of the term in his state.
                        
Clarifications from the bishop

“Begging Your Highness’ pardon, I think he at times forgets that ours is a constitutional monarchy,” remarked Bishop Paul Tan of the sultan’s order.

Bishop Paul Tan said that he would like to clarify a few points. These are:

1. The first thing is that I do not pretend to speak for all Christians. I speak only as bishop of Melaka-Johor diocese.

2. I do not take any political side as this would go against the Catholic Church's teaching. Therefore, if anyone were to draw from what I have said that I am for PAS, I would like to make it clear that this is not my stand. 

I will stand up for any person, be he or she an Umno or PAS or DAP or MCA member, who is a rational being and fights for the rights of the people. It does not matter what colour or shape or religious belief he or she has.

3. Although I am fully aware that the ‘Allah’ issue has been made use of by politicians of different hues for their political interests, I felt that I had to speak up on the aspect of religious freedom in the hot topic of ‘Allah’. 

My position is identical with all the Christian leaders in their joint 1989 Kuching Declaration that Christians can and will use the term ‘Allah’.