Allah decision a “tragedy”, says theologian Reza Aslan

Calling the court decision on the usage of the word Allah a "tragedy", theologian Reza Aslan (pic) has said it has robbed Malaysia of the opportunity to portray itself as a moderate Muslim nation in the eyes of the world.

"Malaysia has chosen to 'mire itself in religious conflict and intolerance' at a time when it could have demonstrated to the world how Christians and Muslims can live in harmony in a pluralistic Muslim majority state," the American-Muslim theologian told The Malaysian Insider in an e-mail interview.

He described this as "shameful and disappointing", particularly at a time when relations between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East are at their lowest point in generations.

"This is perhaps the greatest tragedy…," Aslan said, referring to the recent Court of Appeal ruling which banned the use of the word Allah in the Catholic weekly, Herald.

The best-selling author of No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, had previously criticised the court ruling, pointing out that the word Allah was merely an Arabic term for God, "any God".

"Allah is construction of the word al-Ilah. That's what the word is," Aslan had explained during an interview on BFM Radio's Evening Edition programme on Monday.

"Al-Ilah means 'The God'. Allah is not the name of God. Frankly, anyone who thinks that Allah is the name of God, is not just incorrect, but is going against the Quran itself. It is almost a blasphemous thought to think that Allah has a name."

The Allah issue sparked an international debate among Muslim scholars and clerics, with many appearing to be mystified with Malaysia's ruling, arguing that the word was used by both Christians and Jews to refer to God even before the advent of Islam.

"There is only one way to resolve this issue. Annul the decision," Aslan stressed today, echoing former attorney general Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, who pointed out that the Home Minister should revoke a 1986 ministerial order which banned the use of the word in all non-Muslim publications.

Aslan reiterated his earlier contention that the ruling was more of a “political decision than anything else”, adding that this made the court's decision “even more embarrassing”.

Aslan was born a Muslim, converted to Christianity during his teenage years, and converted back to Islam a few years later.

He hit out at Malaysian critics who had highlighted his background in questioning his credibility and authority to speak on the Allah issue.

"That makes me an even better authority to comment on the use of Allah by Christians and Muslims alike.

"In any case, my expertise does not come from my religious background. It comes from my academic background as a scholar of religions and an expert in Islam," Aslan added.

He holds a degree in religions, a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and another one in Fine Arts. Aslan also received a Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology, focusing in the history of religion. He is also a Visiting Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Iowa.

Aslan's scathing reaction to the Allah ruling was reported earlier, where he slammed those who argued that the faith of Malaysian Muslims could be undermined if Christians use the word Allah.

"This notion that Malaysian Muslims need to be protected by the court because you can't think for yourself, you can't make decisions on your own. We are laughing at you.

"This idea that not only should Christians not be able to use this word, but that using the word is somehow a threat to Islam... that Malaysian (Muslims) are so stupid if they hear a Christian use the word Allah, they will accidentally become Christians. I mean, the idiocy of that statement speaks for itself," said the author, whose latest book Zealot is a biography of Jesus Christ.

Aslan revealed that he had received scores of emails from Malaysians who agreed with his views following the earlier report.

"I expected that. Malaysia is a modern, urban, pluralistic, and democratic country. Its population is pious but also highly literate and sophisticated," he said.

"Malaysians don't need me to tell them how this decision effects the country's image abroad. They know it themselves," he added.