The occurrence of the word ‘Allah’ in the Malay Bible is not an error, and a minister’s claim that it was all right to urge its burning as such was “offensive and unacceptable”, said a Christian group.
“It is offensive and unacceptable for the honourable minister to attempt to justify the urging by Ibrahim Ali to burn our holy scripture by saying that our holy scripture contains errors in printing.
“The use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Al-Kitab is not and has never been an error of printing as claimed by the minister.
“Such a suggestion is insensitive, insulting and inflammatory. We reiterate that it is the express right of the Christian community to use the word,” said reverend Eu Hong Seng (right), chairperson of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM).
He was responding to Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan saying Ibrahim’s urging to burn the Bible could not be compared with the acts of the blogger couple Alvivi in allegedly insulting Islam.
This week the couple Alvin Tan Jye Yee, 25, and Vivian Lee May Ling, 24, pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to three charges related to their action in posting their Ramadan bak kut teh greeting on their Facebook page and pornographic pictures in their blogs.
“It is offensive and unacceptable for the honourable minister to attempt to justify the urging by Ibrahim Ali to burn our holy scripture by saying that our holy scripture contains errors in printing.
“The use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Al-Kitab is not and has never been an error of printing as claimed by the minister.
“Such a suggestion is insensitive, insulting and inflammatory. We reiterate that it is the express right of the Christian community to use the word,” said reverend Eu Hong Seng (right), chairperson of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM).
He was responding to Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan saying Ibrahim’s urging to burn the Bible could not be compared with the acts of the blogger couple Alvivi in allegedly insulting Islam.
This week the couple Alvin Tan Jye Yee, 25, and Vivian Lee May Ling, 24, pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to three charges related to their action in posting their Ramadan bak kut teh greeting on their Facebook page and pornographic pictures in their blogs.
Critics have cried foul over the harsh treatment of the two youths who have been denied bail, when others who have allegedly insulted religious sensitivities such as Ibrahim have been let off scot-free.
'Uphold cabinet promise on Al-Kitab'
Eu also criticised Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir's statement forbidding non-Muslims from using the word Allah.
"The mentri besar of Kedah’s recent statement to forbid the non-Muslims from using the word 'Allah' in his state is unconstitutional.
"The federal constitution in Article 11(1) and (3)(a) gives the right to every individual to profess and practise his religion, and at the same time it also gives every religious group the right to manage its own religious affairs," he said.
Eu also criticised Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir's statement forbidding non-Muslims from using the word Allah.
"The mentri besar of Kedah’s recent statement to forbid the non-Muslims from using the word 'Allah' in his state is unconstitutional.
"The federal constitution in Article 11(1) and (3)(a) gives the right to every individual to profess and practise his religion, and at the same time it also gives every religious group the right to manage its own religious affairs," he said.
On July 15 Mukhriz reportedly decreed that non-Muslims in Kedah were barred from using the word ‘Allah’.
According to Bernama, he was addressing a group of volunteer religious teachers in Kubang Pasu.
Eu urged the government to uphold the 10-point solution decided by the cabinet in 2011 that allowed for the circulation of the Al-Kitab - the Malay language Bible that uses the world 'Allah' to refer to God - with conditions and was communicated to the Christian community.
"The federal government must ensure that the 10-point solution is abided by all levels of government and all relevant authorities.
"The rights guaranteed to all religious communities under the federal constitution must be respected in all states in our beloved country, including Kedah," he said.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also hit out at Abdul Rahman’s suggestion that the burning of Bibles with supposed “misprints” is proper, stating if that were the case such matters of disposal should be dealt with by the religious community itself and not others.
“Can a Muslim burn a Bible in anger and protest? Non-Muslims should not be allowed to burn any holy books of another religion, whether there are misprints or not, as it is best left to the respective religions,” he said in a statement today.
Abdul Rahman’s statement, he said, disrespects the minister’s fellow cabinet members who are non-Muslims as well as ordinary voters, on top of showing that he is not a minister for people of all faiths.
Lim also urged the non-Muslim members in the cabinet to state their stand on Abdul Rahman’s position.
According to Bernama, he was addressing a group of volunteer religious teachers in Kubang Pasu.
Eu urged the government to uphold the 10-point solution decided by the cabinet in 2011 that allowed for the circulation of the Al-Kitab - the Malay language Bible that uses the world 'Allah' to refer to God - with conditions and was communicated to the Christian community.
"The federal government must ensure that the 10-point solution is abided by all levels of government and all relevant authorities.
"The rights guaranteed to all religious communities under the federal constitution must be respected in all states in our beloved country, including Kedah," he said.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also hit out at Abdul Rahman’s suggestion that the burning of Bibles with supposed “misprints” is proper, stating if that were the case such matters of disposal should be dealt with by the religious community itself and not others.
“Can a Muslim burn a Bible in anger and protest? Non-Muslims should not be allowed to burn any holy books of another religion, whether there are misprints or not, as it is best left to the respective religions,” he said in a statement today.
Abdul Rahman’s statement, he said, disrespects the minister’s fellow cabinet members who are non-Muslims as well as ordinary voters, on top of showing that he is not a minister for people of all faiths.
Lim also urged the non-Muslim members in the cabinet to state their stand on Abdul Rahman’s position.
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