| Malaysia does an Allah Climb Down |
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| Written by Our Correspondent | |
| Monday, 31 December 2007 | |
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A small Catholic newspaper is given a reprieve over its use of the word ‘Allah’ for ‘God’ In the face of widespread adverse public reaction, the Malaysian government has backed away from canceling the publishing license of a Roman Catholic newspaper for using the word “Allah” interchangeably for “God” in the Malay language section of the paper. “There are no conditions, there was no mention of the Allah ban," the editor of The Herald, Lawrence Andrew, told The Associated Press. After The Herald refused to drop use of the word Allah, the government said the paper’s license would be revoked. The internal security ministry, which issues the permits, had given no reasons for the earlier ban but the unusual delay in getting the permit renewed followed warnings over the Herald’s use of the word "Allah." A December 24 Asia Sentinel story on the proposed ban drew dozens of fevered comments on the site, split between Muslims and non-Muslims on whether the word Allah was exclusive to Islam. It was the closest Asia Sentinel has come to hosting a theological forum. In the original story, Malaysia Takes God’s Name in Vain, Malaysia’s Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum, was quoted as saying: “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from (the Arabic language). We cannot let other religions use it because it will confuse people. We cannot allow this use of ‘Allah’ in non-Muslim publications, nobody except Muslims. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right.” But in fact, in God and Allah mean the same in different languages. Muslims, like Christians, do not worship a person called Allah. They worship a single supreme being, which the Arabic language denotes as Allah. The very word Allah derives from the singular nature of the monotheistic deity. In the Arab world Allah has always been used by Christians (a significant minority) and Jews (a smaller but important minority until the creation of Israel) to denote the “one God” which the religions share. The Herald had earlier filed a suit seeking to declare using the word "Allah" a constitutional right regardless of religion. Meanwhile, in a separate development, al-Jazeera has reported that a church in Sabah is suing Malaysian authorities for banning the import of Christian literature containing the word "Allah.” Sabah Sidang Injil Borneo Church filed the case earlier this month after six titles used for Sunday school classes were banned. According to al-Jazeera, letters from the internal security ministry said the books used words that were exclusive to Islam, including "Allah."
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Simplified Mock Trial
written by buyer , January 12, 2010
We have created the Simplified Mock Trial - Only Muslims can use 'Allah' for students to further explore the role of government in controlling freedoms of relegion and speech.
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Malaysia bowing to Islamic fundamentalism and apartheid
written by Zheng He , January 08, 2010
Intolerant of other religions but condone and cover up corruption, treason and crime. Malaysia - a modern and moderate Muslim state. Must be kidding!
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Islam propagated by radicals becomes obsolete and dangerous in the real world
written by Classico , January 08, 2010
Moderate and educated Muslims must initiate and rise up to the challenge of bringing Islam up to date, a "reformation" similar to what the Christians had gone through. Lest not forget that the Christians were intolerant during the middle ages, not much different from radical Islam.
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Allah was actually a pagan God and Islamic countries translations of bible refer to God as Allah
written by Zhengho , January 08, 2010
The word "Allah" has been politicised by idiotic Malay politicians who have no respect for the judiciary's independent ruling and want to escalate it for their selfish racist agenda. For the ignorant, Allah originated as a pagan God in pre-Islamic times.
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louis vuitton
written by louis vuitton , October 22, 2009
We have created the Simplified Mock Trial - Only Muslims can use 'Allah' for students to further explore the role of government in controlling freedoms of relegion and speech.
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Islam and Allah
written by Don , August 12, 2009
The term Allah loosely translated
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'The God' would be closest to the term 'Elaha' the aramaic name of of God. There is no patent that i am aware of. It is used by Christian Arabs for centuries without much consternation from local Muslims. A better term for God would be 'Yahweh' from the exodus account. report abuse
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in the making
written by flip flop , April 15, 2008
another attempt to modify the bible? now they want to use moslems god's name, next will they add mohamed to isa (jesus) , and change bible name to koran, church to mosque etc etc etc? soon they corrupted they themselves
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Allah
written by Slurpking , February 10, 2008
Let the muslims keep their word for themselves. The malayss should be ashamed of themsleves, to be controlled by some arabic words. The malays have "tuhan" use this lah!.
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The malays are so stupin that they let the arabs control their lives. This is what the SIS is fighting for. Everything malay is being arabised... so soon there will be no malay race!!!! report abuse
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...
written by All's Not Fair In Religion , February 09, 2008
If Islam is subject to the same scrutiny as other religions especially Christianity, it will be proven to have so many holes it can't even hold a bucket of water.
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The fact is any criticsm is seen as a hostile attack and it is this inability to withstand objective analysis that relegates the faith to nothing more than a system of mind control. It to my mind is the new threat to world peace and the likes of Osama & Co prove my point. It is a fallacy to state that "Islam is a religion of peace" - George Bush made the faux pas after 9/11 when muslim leaders are very touchy about any criticism against the religion. They can't even tolerate a cartoon when other religious founders eg Jesus Christ have been subject to far worse ridicule and caricature. It shows their intolerance and immaturity. Freedom of expression has been dealt a serious blow today because of the threat of violence from mad mullahs and their followers. How can you trust people who kill others because they dont like what is said about them or their religion. In the open market place if Islam is subject to open debate and muslims are free to come and go in and out of the religion you can be sure many would be leaving it in droves. The Malaysian government is so unjust and hypocritical. It uses religion to deceive the simple rural Malays and garner their political support while muslim leaders live lifestyles that would embarass Hugh Hefner. It makes me sick to think of how people can use religion to imprison the human mind. It is the most serious threat to our human freedom. Even muslims don't all agree with their leaders who suffer from a compulsive obsession to make life miserable for others in the name of religion. Muslims are slaughtering one another and we have to clean up their dirty deeds. Look at the Middle East, Iraq and where muslims are battling muslims. Honestly which religion creates the most violence today? The Catholics were like that once upon a time and the Papacy controlled everything but they learned their lesson. It is time the muslims learn the important lesson that man cannot be allowed to play God. But muslims insist on their rights in Western countries but deny others the same rights they demand in muslim countries. That speaks a lot for those who tell us that their religion is a religion of justice. Muslim governments are the unfairest toward non-muslims and create trouble and bloodshed in many places. If I have to choose to accept a religion it will not be Islam for sure. I dont know why Christians want to use the word Allah (although the Arabs used it long before Islam I know) when the Muslim Allah is so diffrent from their teachings on God. Give me the Christian God anytime because he does not seem so cruel as the Muslim version. report abuse
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Allah : Belittling their fellow Muslims...
written by Andrew Peris , January 13, 2008
It is really sad to see how the Dep Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum can openly belittle his fellow Muslims in their faith. For all the centuries past, Christians in the Middle East have referred to God as "Allah" or "the Almighty One". Is he implying that Muslims who have practiced their religion since birth are so poor in faith, that they can or may be influenced by other religions. Surely not. I strongly believe that my Muslim brothers and sisters are not as naive as the said Minister that they could be easily swayed into switching faiths.
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I hav yet to come upon any non-Muslim who has converted to Islam, if not for marriage and love for Muslim man or woman, because it is required. But I do know of Muslims who have left Malaysia to live with their spouses overseas and practice other faiths simply because they do not want to be told how and when to pray. Allah hears our prayers in whatever language, and He (or She)is not a racist as most politicians are in our Malaysian Parliament. To my Muslim brethren, "Assalamualaikum", and to YB Dato Johari Baharom, read the Quran more and learn what it preaches about respect for other religions, before you open your mouth with racist, anti-religious remarks. report abuse
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old
written by jerng , January 12, 2008
This article is no longer immediately relevent. The word 'Allah' is now banned to non-Muslims.
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On the flipside
written by Arthur Borges , January 04, 2008
Islamic literature in English uses either term, depending on who you read. If the Malaysian publication is in Bahasa, then "Allah" seems professionally justified as a terminological equivalent.
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That said, both Christianity and Islam have an injunction to spread the faith, so the Christians like the confusion and the Muslims don't. report abuse
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Allah
written by Rosewell , January 04, 2008
The Islamic Malaysian Government has become a laughing stock in this progressive world for their backword thinking and lack of confidence in their own Muslims fo their claim on exclusive use of the word "ALLAH". Even the Almighty God will laugh at their stupidity. Having borrowed the word from Arabic, they now want to prevent people of other faith from using it. There is no point in calling Allah all the time when you continue to be racist. Your brains have become so demented that nothing can educate you.
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Editor
written by Keerock Rook , January 01, 2008
We have created the Simplified Mock Trial - Only Muslims can use 'Allah' for students to further explore the role of government in controlling freedoms of relegion and speech.
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The link is http://www.lfslessonsasia.com/...esson.html report abuse
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