Can MCA tell Umno to back off on 'Allah'?

YOURSAY 'Now that Pakatan has decided on the issue, can MCA tell Umno to back off? Will BN call a PC to announce its ‘consensus' on the matter?'

Hadi: Islam doesn't prohibit others from using 'Allah'

YF: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, thanks for making an honest stand on this ‘Allah' issue. There has been too many ignorant comments over this that many people wonder whether religion makes you a hypocrite or a saint.

Your comments have saved the integrity of your faith and enhances your stand for truth. And this is where real Christians and Muslims have in common.

Ferdtan: When Hadi Awang, a learned Islamic graduated from Madinah and Al-Azhar universities, said that Islam doesn't prohibit others from using 'Allah', it carries weight.

Will the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) and the Selangor sultan, who earlier decreed that all non-Muslims in the state are banned from using the word ‘Allah', respond to this?

To be fair to all non-Muslims in Selangor, the sultan should immediately grant an audience to Hadi Awang to get his views and to come up with an agreement that is not conflicting for the good of all Selangorians.

Can we say that since we are supporters of Pakatan Rakyat, we are obliged to follow the PAS president version of the issue? Or should we as Selangoreans follow our sultan's decree?

If the palace doesn't respond to this different view on the use of ‘Allah', why should we be bothered with the royal decree? Indeed, who is right?

Not Convinced: Now that Pakatan has decided on the ‘Allah' issue, can MCA tell Umno to back off? Will BN call a press conference to announce its ‘consensus' decision on the matter?

Anonymous #19098644: The contrast between Pakatan and BN is very clear as exemplified by their opposing stands on the usage of the word ‘Allah'.

PAS' stand is based on holistic and fundamental understanding of the Quran. BN's stand is based on polemics and their narrow-minded, bigoted and divisive interpretation of the Holy Book.

The BN practices the rituals, but not the teachings of Islam. They indulge in outright corruption such as the latest controversy involving the Mindef (Defence Ministry) land, abuse of power to rob the native Sarawakians of their customary lands and many other scandals.

They are a disgrace to Islam and any other religion they profess. Such people cannot alllow free and fair elections and there can only be one outcome.

Asli Sarawak: ‘Allah' is a name both Muslims and Christians ascribe to their own perception of God, and both use the term in a reverent manner. There is no question of abuse unless one side insists on telling the other side that the later's perception is wrong.

There is also a practical problem if ‘tuhan' is to be used to describe the Christian God. The Rukun Negara will have to be changed to "Kepercayaan Kepada Allah". But that would be a problem for non-Muslims, no?

Azizi Khan: No one owns the name ‘Allah'. Not BN and not HRH (His Royal Highness) Sultan Selangor, as it is His name.

Muslims (nor anyone else for that matter) can claim right over others'. (This is why real Muslims have not claimed the name over a thousand years).

Umno Muslims need to ask themselves - do they own ‘Allah' ? Are they claiming to be mightier than ‘Allah'?

Rangerboy: Non-Muslims in Selangor are banned from using ‘Allah'? How then to sing the state anthem, "Allah lanjutkan usia tuanku"...?

Nicholas Lim: Luckily, ‘Allah' is not banned in Johor. Otherwise I cannot sing the Johor state anthem too.

Ah Boss: The statement of the sultan cannot apply to Sikhs, as they cannot be stopped from reciting their Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib, in its original text.

So whereever the word 'Allah' appears in the original text - and it does, 38 times or so - they are entitled to recite it as it is.

They are not translating from another language, and as such, the sultan could not have been referring to them.

Hopeful123: I used to wonder why the rulers are so dependent on their seemingly unqualified advisors. In this current age of Internet, everything is available at the fingertips.

Gone are the days when the rulers had no choice but to rely on such advisors. I find it strange that the rulers are not even able to comprehend simple and straightforward affairs.

Do they still need such advisors? They seem to be totally dependent on them that they can't even come to terms with simple matters.

Bumiasli: Here is a logical and reasonable explanation by a qualified man, Hadi Awang. So now what? Anyway taking God's law into their hands? What is the big issue here?

Nobody is insulting the word ‘Allah'. It is used as a respectful term by all races. How does it hurt if non-Muslims use it? And talking about banning the usage, what action can be taken against a non-Muslim who uses it?

Caripasal: I sometimes wonder if the ordinary Muslim ever bother about the use of ‘Allah' by others. One cannot steal Him away by simply uttering the word. - Malaysiakini