Umno is mightier than Allah, says PKR’s Chua

Chua said that even the Prophet knew that the term 'Allah' predates the arrival of Islam

PETALING JAYA: Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng last night blamed Umno for the controversy over the use of ‘Allah’ because they considered themselves as being greater than the Quran, Allah and Prophet Muhammad.

“Almighty Umnoputra Muslims consider themselves greater than the Quran and its Prophet, and even God by banning Christians from using ‘Allah’,”said Chua via micro-blogging site, Twitter. Chua is a Christian by faith.

He added that even the Prophet knew that the term ‘Allah’ predates the arrival of Islam and is a common word referring to God by Muslims, Christians and Jews.

His statement echoes PAS’ president Abdul Hadi Awang’s announcement that non-Muslims are not committing an offence when they use ‘Allah’ as long as it is not misused.

“There is no law that does not allow other people to use the word ‘Allah’, but if they interpret it wrongly to Muslims, they need to answer because ‘Allah’ means He is the only God to be worshiped,” said Hadi yesterday after launching a sharia seminar in Universiti Selangor, Shah Alam.

Both these comments favoring the use of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims comes in less than 24 hours before the Appeals Court in Putrajaya decides whether the Catholic Church would be allowed to use ‘Allah’ in their weekly publication, the Herald Catholic.

In 2008, the Home Ministry along with the Islamic Development Board decided to enforce a sharia law that forbade non-Muslims from using the word ‘Allah’.

Archbishop Murphy Pakiam who leads the Catholic Church challenged the enforcement by filing a case at the High Court.

In 2009, High Court judge Lau Bee Lan ruled in favour of the Christians on the grounds that it was their constitutional right. The government then appealed against the judgment.

On Jan 8 this year, Pakatan Rakyat made a common stand to allow non-Muslims use ‘Allah’ even though the Selangor Sultan decreed that the term was off limits to non-Muslims.

A week later PAS’ Syura Council made a U-turn by echoing the government’s stand that ‘Allah’ was only exclusive to Muslims.