Burn ‘Allah’ Bibles, Perkasa chief to Muslims

Proclaiming he is not instigating communal tensions, Ibrahim Ali, says it's the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring sensitivities

PERMATANG PAUH: Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has called on Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term “Allah” or other Arabic religious words.

Stressing that he was not instigating communal tension, the Pasir Mas MP insisted that it was the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring the sensitivities and sentiments of the majority of population in the country.

He said certain non-Muslim groups were out to provoke the Muslims by using the term “Allah” or any other Arabic religious words in the Bible.

Under the Non-Islamic Religion (Control on Expansion Among Muslims) Act 1988, he said non-Muslims are prohibited from using several Arabic religious terms, including Allah, in their prayers or scriptures.

“Muslims must unite to protect their religion. They must seize those Bibles, including the Malay editions, which contained the term Allah and other Arabic religious terms, and burn them.

“This is the way to show our anger against disrespect to our sensitivity,” he told a press conference after delivering his presidential speech at a Perkasa convention here today.

‘Pre-election tactic’

Held at UiTM campus, the convention was on ‘Economic and Education Transformation of Penang Malays’.

Ibrahim was referring to a police report lodged by Persatuan Mukabuku Pulau Pinang this week alleging that two men have distributed Bibles to Muslims pupils at the entrance of a secondary school in Jelutong town on the island.

He said it was wrong for non-Muslims to distribute Bibles to Muslims as such activities were also banned under the 1988 Act.

He said certain non-Muslim groups dared to infringe the law to stir Muslim religious sentiments merely to fish for votes in the forthcoming general election.

He claimed that their pre-election tactic was to provoke Muslims to be busy in a polemic among themselves on religious issues, such as using “Allah” in the Christian holy book, Bible.

“This is a deliberate attempt to divert the Muslim attention from political issues,” said Ibrahim.