‘Allah’ issue an opportunity for positive dialogue

‘Allah’ is the Arabic word for God and it is used by Muslims as well as Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews.

However, in the context of Islamic theology, ‘Allah’ is specifically used to refer to the God of Islam, who is considered to be the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians.

So, while the word ‘Allah’ itself is not exclusive to Muslims, its specific usage within Islamic theology and practice is closely associated with the faith.

That paragraph above is what an artificial intelligence (AI) generated when I typed in: ‘Is Allah a word only used by Muslims?’ Sorry! Everyone is using AI now for everything and I just got caught up on the bandwagon.

It’s a great tool for research although a lot of verification still needs to go into the results that it generates. At the moment, nothing still beats the human element when it comes to journalism.

I remember covering the issue of the word Allah being banned from being used by the Catholic church’s newspaper The Herald as a reporter back in 2007.

At that time, it was argued that the word Allah was exclusive to Islam and allowing the usage of the word could lead to confusion and religious tension.

I was a little bit perplexed. A year before that, I had travelled to the Middle Eastern countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran shooting a documentary called ‘I’m Muslim Too!’.

From my observations and interaction with society there, I learned that the word Allah was used by everyone there no matter what religion they were. It was just the Arabic word for God.

However, the context in Malaysia is a little different. Islam is very closely associated with Malay-ness and the practice of Malay culture and Muslim beliefs has become almost synonymous.

So, many Malays in Malaysia see the word Allah as exclusively theirs, or at the very least, exclusive to Islam. It’s just what they have been exposed to in this society.

Debate reignited

After the case in 2007, appeals have taken place over the course of the past years and most recently, the government withdrew its appeal against a decision by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur to allow Sarawakian Jill Ireland, who is not a Muslim, to use the word Allah.

As you can obviously notice, this has sparked the debate on the issue again.

Personally, I feel that the ban on the use of Allah by non-Muslims could have negative effects on Malaysia’s multicultural society. Although a majority of Malaysians are Muslims, there is a significant number of people who are not Muslims.

Multiculturalism has been a core tenet of how Malaysia has always wanted to be seen as upholding.

Firstly, we have to note that the word Allah has been used by non-Muslims in Malaysia for centuries, particularly by communities in Sarawak and Sabah.

The most common medium of language for these communities is Malay and hence the word Allah has always been used in their religious texts and worship rituals. So would it be right to suddenly now say that they can’t use it?

Secondly, wouldn’t the ban on the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims be a violation of their right to freedom of religion and expression?

It is merely a word in a specific language, and depending on what language a certain community uses, whatever word it is, means just that.

We all know that certain Abrahamic religious names are different but the same, such as Isa and Jesus, Abraham and Ibrahim, Musa and Moses, and so on and so forth.

So it shouldn’t be a big deal what language is being used just as long as the definition is clearly understood. Allah, God, Lord, or Tuhan - these are just words and a person’s faith will determine what that word actually means.

Tolerance, acceptance

Thirdly, the ban could also send a message that Malaysia isn’t a tolerant, inclusive, or understanding society. As I have mentioned, Malaysia has always wanted to be known as a multicultural country with a rich diversity of religions and cultures.

It is important that we recognise and celebrate this diversity instead of imposing one belief over another.

Finally, the ban can also curb the opportunity for open dialogue and understanding between the different religions and ethnic communities in the country.

We should not be framing it as a conflict between different communities. Instead, we should see it as a catalyst to promote the understanding and acceptance of differences.

Everyone can also be able to understand their own beliefs better and strengthen their faith.

With that being said, the government’s decision to withdraw its appeal is a positive step. It has brought the issue back into the limelight and instead of fighting, it is important that we steer the direction of the discussion towards something more positive.

We could foster better understanding and respect between the different communities, and work towards a more harmonious and inclusive Malaysia. - Mkini

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ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. The Sheraton move really frustrated him but maybe after November 2022, he can start feeling better again. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.

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