`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Monday, June 22, 2015

‘Allah’ back in spotlight as court decides on CD case

Several protesters from Malay groups outside the Federal Court in Putrajaya in 2013 which heard the Herald's case against the Home Ministry's ban on the use of the word 'Allah'. The controversy is set to return with Tuesday's appeal hearing by a Sarawak Christian over the government's confiscation of her religious CDs. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, June 22, 2015.Several protesters from Malay groups outside the Federal Court in Putrajaya in 2013 which heard the Herald's case against the Home Ministry's ban on the use of the word 'Allah'. The controversy is set to return with Tuesday's appeal hearing by a Sarawak Christian over the government's confiscation of her religious CDs. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, June 22, 2015.The "Allah" controversy will once again take the spotlight when the Court of Appeal decides on Tuesday the appeal by a Sarawakian Christian on her right to practise her faith freely.

A loss for Jill Ireland would mark another setback for Christians after last January's ruling by the Federal Court on Catholic Weekly Herald's right to use the word Arabic word in its Bahasa Malaysia publication.
Annou Xavier, who leads the charge in Ireland's case, said instead of forming new NGOs and holding dinner in 5-star hotels, Putrajaya should show commitment to Christians by respecting their constitutional rights to practise their faith.

As such, he said the Jill Ireland case presented a "second chance" for the government to prove its commitment.
"This is now a second chance for them to have a meaningful engagement with the Christian community, no need for dinners in 5-star hotels and new NGOs," said Annou, taking an aim at the newly-formed Christians for Peace and Harmony Malaysia (CPHM) whose launch was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak earlier this month.
Home Ministry officials in 2008 CDs belonging to Ireland at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang.
The CDs, which she bought for personal use, had titles such as "Cara Hidup Dalam Kerajaan Allah", "Hidup Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah" and "Ibadah Yang Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah".
In August the same year, Ireland filed for a judicial review of the ministry's action and a return of the CDs.
She had also asked for a declaration that she has the right to use "Allah" and to continue to own and import such materials.
In July last year, High Court judge Datuk Zaleha Yusoff ordered that the CDs be returned and ruled that only the home minister and not any senior officer had the power to issue binding or permanent seizure orders on any material deemed as a threat to public order.
Putrajaya appealed against the ruling and applied for a stay of the High Court order on the return of the CDs.
Bible Society of Malaysia representative Alfred Tais (left) with Jill Ireland's lawyers Annou Xavier and Datuk Kenny Ng, at the High Court last year. Annou says the appeal this Tuesday is about the Christians' right to practise their religion. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, June 22, 2014.Bible Society of Malaysia representative Alfred Tais (left) with Jill Ireland's lawyers Annou Xavier and Datuk Kenny Ng, at the High Court last year. Annou says the appeal this Tuesday is about the Christians' right to practise their religion. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, June 22, 2014.
Ireland filed a cross appeal against the High Court's decision which had failed to address the issue of her constitutional right to use the word "Allah" as the court had only ordered that the confiscated CDs be returned.

Annou said in the event the decision did not go their way, a leave for appeal would automatically be filed as the poser over the constitutional right of Christians remains unanswered.
"This is about the rights of the Christian community as a whole, so we will not back down or bow to extremist views.
"We will appeal if we fail on Tuesday," he told The Malaysian Insider.
Annou said the decision could go three ways. The appellate court could dismiss both appeals, or allow one of the appeals, or allow both appeals to go through in part.
The concern, he said was that the court would again fail to address the issue of the constitutional right of Christians to use the word "Allah", the crux of Jill's appeal.
Annou said everything else happening in between is insignificant, including the move to come up with a guideline which could bar Malay-language Bibles with the word "Allah" from the peninsula.
According to a draft standard operating procedure (SOP) unveiled last May by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup to Christian leaders in Sabah and Sarawak and to the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), publications with the word "Allah" cannot be imported into Peninsular Malaysia, and if brought in, can only pass through with both states as their final destinations.
Annou added that new SOP and solutions were temporary in nature, and would last until the next minister or prime minister.
"When a new minister or PM comes along, they will have another set of guidelines and another set of solutions.
"There is really no need for this as our rights to manage our own religions affairs are clearly stated in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution." he said.
The Herald case came to an end on January 21, after the Federal Court dismissed a review application by the Catholic Church to use "Allah" in its weekly publication.
"Allah" is widely used by Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, and the church argued that the ban on its use violated freedom of religion.
Christians make up about 9% of the population, or 2.6 million, and two-thirds of them are Bumiputera based largely in Sabah and Sarawak who routinely use Bahasa Malaysia and indigenous languages in their religious practices, including describing God as "Allah" in their prayers and holy books.
Ireland's legal team had stressed that the case was not about Christianity against Islam, but about her constitutional right as a Bumiputera Christian.
They had also submitted that Christians, mostly natives and Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak, have used "Allah" in their religious practices and education since 1647.
Meanwhile, government lawyers said the home minister was guided by a 1986 directive prohibiting Christian publications from using words such as "Allah", "kaabah", "solat" and "baitullah", to prevent misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims that could lead to threats to national security and public order. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.