Seriously, we should give 'Allah' row a rest

 

Honestly, I would have chosen to conveniently forget and bury this ‘Allah’ issue. Unfortunately, it resurfaced now and again, and it did so with the High Court ruling yesterday.

Perhaps it's not my intention to forget it totally, but I am placing it as a low priority in my list of public concerns, even though I am a Christian, a Catholic to be precise.

It so happened that the Catholic Church had been heavily involved in court battles over the Allah issue for the past many years. Like it or not, I have also been caught in it because it concerns my faith.

After the Catholic Church lost its final appeal on its use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Malay language section of its newspaper, The Herald, in 2015, I had hoped that would close the Allah chapter.

The Federal Court decision then brought an end to a protracted legal battle over constitutional rights.

I have been following the Allah controversy closely and find it very demoralising and depressing. It is particularly so because I think it is even petty as we have been quarrelling over the use of a mere word. Not for one or two weeks but for years.

The more sober among us will realise that there can never be a winner in an argument about God or religion. Who are we, mere mortals, to decide who is right or wrong on matters of the divine?

After the 2015 ruling, things were quiet for more than two years till Oct 19, 2017, when the Jill Ireland case came up in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. Then too, we heard the same old arguments being played up again by her lawyers.

I must concede that after the 2015 decision against The Herald, I did not think that Jill Ireland’s case would make much headway.

So, I was pleasantly surprised but very happy with the High Court ruling yesterday in which Judge Nor Bee Ariffin allowed the legal action by Jill Ireland in the 13-year long-running saga.

She ruled that the government has erred in issuing the 1986 ban on the use of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims. Thus, a Melanau Christian has the right to use the word ‘Allah’ for religious and educational purposes.

With this decision, it’s one-all on the Allah court battles so far. You win one, you lose one. Shall we let it end here and give ‘Allah’ a break, please?

Can we all be magnanimous (it does not matter which side we are on) and laud the verdict as one that displays the judiciary’s readiness to safeguard the sanctity of the Federal Constitution and the law?

Let the law of the land win. I sincerely hope there will be no appeal so that we can earnestly close the Allah chapter and move on. Let the Jill Ireland case be the last.

Burning of Bible

This long-running saga has done the people and nation more harm than good. It has even brought out the extremist in some, like Perkasa leader Ibrahim Ali, who called for the burning of the Bible in 2013. But it’s nice to note that Ibrahim has mellowed a lot since then.

The issue has torn Malaysians apart. It strikes at the very core of what we, Malaysians, have long cherished - our precious religious tolerance and harmony.

Do we want to see it destroyed just because of our differences over a single word? We, Malaysians, are surely much better than that.

So, let me say it again. Seriously, we should give ‘Allah’ a break.

To politicians, let me remind all of you that you are the last people on earth who should be deciding for the rakyat how we should practice our faith.

How often have we heard of politicians declaring that they would be prepared to die for their faith and love of god, but behind that veil of purity, they are the most corrupt people enriching themselves with what’s not theirs in the first place?

They do not care a damn if their excessive greed causes untold misery and suffering to their fellow Malaysians. So, stop preaching to us!

My message above is particularly directed towards those few bigots and extremists in a religion-based party.

Of late, I must concede that I’m not in the best of mood when it comes to talking about politicians. For now, to me at least, they are the most despicable and low-life group, untrustworthy and shady characters who do not deserve our support. And they are from both sides.

Politicians are the last people who should weigh in on the Allah issue. As a Christian, I wish to see the closure of this Allah chapter and move on. So, please shut your trap and do not politicise religion, now or ever.

In case you do not know, religion is really beyond your tiny brain.

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a political observer from Sarawak who has zero tolerance for the current crop of politicians. He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com. - Mkini

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.