Tunku Aziz: Don’t politicize “Allah”

Former Pakatan Rakyat ‘allies’ slam opposition for fanning discord over “Allah” issue.

BUTTERWORTH: Two prominent political commentators today joined the growing chorus condemning Pakatan Rakyat for allegedly politicising the “Allah” issue.

Former DAP national vice-chairman Tunku Aziz Ibrahim and ex-Kedah Kita chief Zamil Ibrahim both opposed Pakatan’s green light allowing  Christians to the use of  the word “Allah” in the Malay edition of their Bible as a reference to god.

Zamil criticised PAS for dancing to DAP’s tune in allowing the use of the term  merely to gain political mileage.

“To PAS, Islam is a political party while for other Muslims, Islam is a holy religion.

“PAS will brand anyone who opposes its political ambitions as infidel,” rapped Zamil, who was also once a Kedah PKR leader.

He said it would not be surprising if PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat promotes DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as a caliph to party members while condemning Perak Mufti Harusani Zakaria as an infidel or pro-infidels.

He said it was shocking that PAS was willing to allow Malay youths to be manipulated to believe that the god described in the Al Quran and Bible was the same.

“Allah gave Islam to all subjects of Prophet Muhammad, not just PAS.

“PAS may consider Islam as a party, but to us it’s a holy religion,” Zamil said in a statement.

Issue being exploited

Meanwhile Tunku Aziz said it was alright if the term “Allah” was used in isolation as mere word.

But, under the Malaysian Muslim context, he said it was understood that the concept of “Allah” is an Islamic teaching to articulate that “there is only one god and the god is Allah.”

Unlike Muslims, he said Christians believe in the trinity concept of “father, son and holy spirit”.

“So it is not right for them to use Allah in Bible.

“Pakatan should not politicise the issue,” Tunku Aziz told newsmen after a low-key political gathering in Raja Uda here last night.

Muslim groups and political analysts have condemned Pakatan for politicising the “Allah” issue to win over Christian voters, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.

They claimed that the ongoing public debate over the use of the word “Allah” by Christians in the Malay edition of Bible was being exploited for narrow political ends.

The controversy initially happened in 2010, after which an understanding was reached to allow Christians in Sabah and Sarawak to continue to recite “Allah.”

Guan Eng allegedly reignited the issue in his last Christmas message.