The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) says non-Muslims should be allowed to use the word ‘Allah’. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 6, 2014.
State Islamic authorities should stop regulating other faiths, including banning non-Muslims from using the word "Allah", as it goes against religious freedom, Malaysia's largest interfaith group said.
President of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) Jagir Singh said the Arabic word could be used by non-Muslims in their own religious teachings and practices.
"Our stand has always been that non-Muslims can use the word Allah as long it is not used to proselytise those professing Islam," he told The Malaysian Insider today.
He made the comment in reference to a plea by the Sarawak-based Borneo Evangelical Mission or the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) to the prime minister for the right to use the word “Allah” in worship throughout Malaysia
Jagir said it was common knowledge that the Arabic word predated Islam and Muslims all over the world acknowledged that it was not the monopoly of that religion.
SIB president Reverend Dr Justin Wan said the state Islamic prohibitions had taken away "the most important thing in our lives".
The church finally broke its silence over the issue, weeks after the Selangor Islamic authorities returned to the state churches some 300 Malay and Iban Bibles containing the word “Allah” seized in January from distributor Bible Society of Malaysia.
Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) chairman Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa had said the return of the Bibles was made with strict conditions that they were not to be distributed in the state, especially among Muslims, and would only be used by Christians in Sarawak.
"This settlement is to respect each other's religious beliefs and maintain the sensitivity of various religions in the country.
"In addition to the above, His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor expects other faiths to also respect and protect the religious sensitivities of Muslims in the country, especially in Selangor, and hopes that the distribution as well as the printing of Bibles that contain the word 'Allah' is no longer done in the state of Selangor, as it is an offence under the Non-Islamic Religious Enactment (Control Development Among Muslims), 1988," Adzib had said.
Jagir said the enactment must be subject to Article 11 on freedom of religion in the constitution, the supreme law of the land.
He said Article 11 (3)(a) guaranteed every religious group the right to manage its religious affairs.
Jagir, a lawyer by profession, said the council was also aware that Article 11 (4) allowed state and federal laws to impose restrictions on non-Muslims to propagate their religious doctrine or beliefs among Muslims.
"We welcome prosecution if there is evidence that non-Muslims had used the word to propagate their religious doctrines on Muslims," he added.
Jagir said 10 states, including Selangor, had since 1988 passed enactments to stop non-Muslims from using between 18 and 25 words, one of which was “Allah”.
In Selangor, those who used 29 Islamic words and 10 expressions in relation to a non-Islamic religion could be fined up to RM1,000.
Jagir said Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was right not to frame charges against BSM as there was no evidence the word “Allah” was abused or that the Bibles were distributed to Muslims.
Gani had said last month that Bibles were not publications and BSM was neither the author, publisher or printer of the books within the meaning of the Selangor enactment.
BSM had merely imported the books which were published and printed in Indonesia with the intention to distribute them to Christians in Sabah and Sarawak only.
However, Gani said the Home Minister's ban on the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia section of Catholic publication, Herald, was premised on national security as it raised sensitive religious issues.
He said the prohibition was done in accordance with provisions in the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and subsidiary legislation.
Gani had also said that last year's Court of Appeal decision was confined to the publication of the weekly Herald and not the AlKitab, two entirely different publications.
He said the AlKitab is the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible and meant for Christians and for use in churches, while Herald is a publication which is also accessible online and could be read by Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
"The crux of the issue in the whole Kalimah Allah debate is whether it could be used to propagate Christianity to Muslims. It is not an issue of freedom of religion for Christians themselves," he added.
In 2011, Putrajaya had made a policy decision under the 10-point solution to extend the use and distribution of Malay Bibles among Christians in the peninsula.
However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last year clarified that Putrajaya’s move was subject to state laws.
With the exception of the Federal Territories, Islam comes under the purview of state governments and the ruler of the state is the head of the religion.
Gani also said the court had noted that the prohibition did not prevent the Christian community from practising their religion.
On June 23 this year, the Federal Court dismissed the Catholic church's leave application to appeal the Home Minister's ban on the use of the word "Allah" in Herald.
The church has filed an application to review the decision which will be heard on January 21.
- TMI
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