Support pours in for Catholic church as ‘Allah’ appeal date nears

The World Council of Churches has thrown its supports behind the Catholic church as it heads to the Federal Court on March 5, to defend its use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Malay section of Herald. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 1, 2014.Just days before the Catholic church resumes it battle to use the word “Allah” at the Federal Court, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has thrown its support behind the Malaysian church, and described its resolution as an important milestone in interfaith relations.

The WCC, which represents more than 345 churches in 110 countries, said it stood in solidarity and in support of the church as it prepared to face the court on March 5.

In a letter addressed to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei president Archbishop John Ha and Council of Churches of Malaysia general-secretary Rev. Dr Hermen Shastri, the WCC said it was "deeply concerned" with the developments in Malaysia that have had an adverse effect on interfaith relations.

"Freedom of religion and belief for all, and inter-religious dialogue and cooperation between faith communities, are essential foundations for social cohesion and human dignity and rights in all countries," WCC general-secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said in the letter dated February 27.

"The WCC has, therefore, been deeply concerned by recent developments that jeopardise these fundamental values and the long history of multi-religious co-existence in Malaysia."

He said the Court of Appeal's decision in October last year to reverse a High Court ruling which allowed the Catholic church to use the word "Allah" in its weekly publication Herald, was a sign of "troubling developments".

"I am writing to express the WCC's solidarity and support in your efforts to address this challenge and to restore the example of Malaysia’s multi-religious society," Tveit said.

The Herald won a High Court decision in December 2009 that overturned the Home Ministry's ban on the use of the word "Allah" in its Bahasa Malaysia section.

However, the Court of Appeal reversed that decision last October, saying that the word was not integral to Christianity.

The Catholic Church then filed an appeal against the decision with the Federal Court, which is expected to hear the case on March 5.

Tveit said that the shared use of the word "Allah", the Arabic for "God", for centuries by Christians and Muslims had built a bridge for interfaith dialogue when speaking of the Divine.

"And in the ongoing dialogues between Christians and Muslims on the global level in which WCC has been engaged, the use of the word ‘Allah’ has never been contested," he added.

"As members of the family of Abrahamic faiths, Muslims and Christians share a common belief in the unity of God, and a common theological thread of love of God and love of neighbour has been central to interfaith relations in societies where these faiths co-exist.”

However, the legal precedent in Malaysia, he said, referring to the Court of Appeal’s decision last year, obscured the recognition of this shared heritage and political discourse.

"I share the concern expressed by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, that this case may have far-reaching implications for religious minorities in Malaysia, and the region," Tveit added.

"I pray that the application and the arguments supporting it will find favour with the court, and that your efforts and ongoing witness for justice and human dignity will help secure the common future of all Malaysians.”

WCC joined other church groups worldwide who have come out to express their solidarity and support for the Catholic church in the "Allah" dispute.

The World Methodist Council (WMC) had previously expressed shock and consternation over the ban, adding that it was praying that all Malaysians may be able to practise their faith freely.

"The Malaysian courts need look no further than neighbouring Indonesia to see that Christians and Muslims refer to God as Allah, without incident or controversy," WMC general-secretary Bishop Ivan Abrahams said in a letter last month.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), in a letter to the Council of Churches of Malaysia, also said that in Christian communities in the Muslim world and in countries where Arabic words permeate local languages, God has always been referred to as Allah.

"This is not just a matter of faith, but also a reality of history and language.

"It is with great sadness that we witness the burden you bear in the controversy in Malaysia over the use of the word Allah," said ELCA's Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in the letter dated February 5.

Tension over the "Allah" issue heightened earlier this year after the Selangor Islamic Department raided the Bible Society of Malaysia and seized more than 300 Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban languages, containing the word "Allah".

A Selangor enactment prohibits non-Muslims from using the word, along with 33 other Arabic words.