Malaysian Muslims support “Allah Ban”

Posted on January 6, 2010
Filed Under "Allah" ban |

I just read an article called Most Malaysian-Muslims support ‘Allah’ ban on Malaysian Insider. I assume the writer is Muslim who tries to be neutral but clearly he is not quite informed about the historical context, concept and usage of “Allah” as used by Christians in Malaysia.

I wrote a response, but my response is subject to review by the admin of the site. What the heck. I might as well publish my response here on my own blog.

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Let me help educate you a little more.  Sure, you write not to please people or for popularity but at least be informed when you write anything.

This issue is not about “fairness” or stomping on anyone’s “sensitivities”.

The term “Allah” has been used in the Malay language Bible “first, in the printed edition of the Matthew’s Gospel in Malay (Ruyl, 1629); then, in the first complete Malay Bible (Leijdecker, 1733), and in the second complete Malay Bible (Klinkert, 1879) and the translations since.” (Source: Malaysia Bible Society)

If Muslims in the Peninsula are only now aware that the term “Allah” is being used by Christians in Malaysia and are in an uproar and foaming at the mouth over it, is it the fault of the Christians?  Should Christians meekly stand down and bow to the pressures of the ill-informed Muslims and stop using “Allah” in their publications and Bibles?

Malaysian Catholics are not the only ones who will be affected by any ban on the use of the term “Allah”.  All our publications, our Bibles in our mother tongue will essentially be made illegal.

Talk about insensitivity!

It is the height of ignorance and fanaticism for Malaysian Muslims to say it is OK for Arab Christians to use “Allah” but this is Malaysia, and it is not OK.  They are essentially saying that their faith is so shallow that they are easily misled, easily confused, and easily intimidated by Christians in Malaysia who use “Allah” to refer to their Almighty God!

“Allah” as used by Christians, has a context and a concept.  It is a linguistic term that is not easily substituted for “Tuhan” as many are suggesting Christians should use to pacify the enraged Muslims.  The Christian “Allah” is not the same as the Muslim “Allah” even though some might like to think so.

“Allah” has been used by Christians in this part of  the world for well over 400 years, and to ban it just because Muslims are offended, and just because a fatwa says only Islam can use the term, is clearly an exercise in stupidity, ignorance, and fanaticism, and clearly willfully ignoring the historical context, concept and usage of the term.

Instead of fanning the flames of self-righteous anger, instead of allowing protests and furthering and fostering misunderstanding and disharmony, and be the party opposing the legal decision  of the learned judge, the government should educate the Muslim population that the term “Allah” has never been and never will be the sole domain of Islam’s.  No matter how much Malaysian Muslims would like it to be so.

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