Noh tells Christians to stop 'provocation'

Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar has called on the Christian community to stop "provocations" over their insistence to use the word 'Allah' despite ongoing protests from Muslims.

 

He said as long as the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988, which bans non-Muslim use of the word 'Allah', still stands, everyone in the state must abide by it.

 

"We want to say, stop the provocations, we can respect their (Christians) rights to freedom of religion so they must respect our laws and the Selangor Sultan's decree," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

 

Responding to plans by three Selangor DAP state assemblypersons to propose an amendment to the law, Noh said it was their right but until then, the law still stands.

 

"If the three DAP state assemblypersons want to propose the amendment, that is their right and it is up to the state assembly to decide.

 

"But as of now, the law is not yet amended so the law must be respected," he said.

 

He added that even though freedom of religion is enshrined in the federal constitution, it also says that other religions cannot be propagated to Muslims and this sufficient for Christians to give up the word 'Allah'.

 

The Lady of Lourdes Church today continued with its usual Bahasa Malaysia Sunday mass where the word 'Allah' cropped up a number of times despite a demonstration some 1km away by conservative Muslims group.

 

However, the word 'Allah' was not used during the earlier English and Tamil sessions.

 

Poser from exco

 

The Selangor sultan had earlier last year decreed that non-Muslims may not use the word 'Allah'.

 

Following this, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had said the state will abide by the decree.

 

Contacted today, Selangor exco member on Islamic affairs Sallehen Mukhyi said the statement government will seek an amicable solution with the Christian community.

 

"If they (Christians) can have a mass in Tamil and English without using the word 'Allah' and their prayers can still be accepted, then why not for Bahasa Malaysia?

 

"Perhaps they can use the word 'Tuhan' instead," he said.

 

"We will discuss as much as necessary, to resolve this through dialogue and professionally," he added