A group of about 200 to 250 Muslims protested this morning in Penang against the High Court verdict granting the Herald the right to use the term ‘Allah’.
The gathering, in front of the Dewan Sri Pinang, opposite the Penang High Court, began at 10.15am and ended before 11.15am, according to an eyewitness. It was organised by the Badan Anti IFC (Inter-Faith Council) network, known by its acronym Badai, and comprised representatives of various groups. Badai was the same loose group that gathered some 200 demonstrators and disrupted an Article 11 forum at a hotel in Penang in 2006.
Uniformed and plainclothes police were out in numbers this morning, but the gathering, though emotionally charged, was peaceful.
The group called on the government and the Conference of Rulers to intervene.
Other Muslims, however, have different views. Check out Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad’s stand on the use of the term ‘Allah’.
This issue will create tensions amongst Catholics and Muslims. Our country leaders must stand out for the Malaysians. This is all about language. It hurts feelings of so many Malaysians.
There you are…sensitive issue! Neither side want to give in. There is no end to it. For the good, our leaders should appeal to all media to avoid this topic now.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The Christians in East Malaysia have been using Allah for the One God for a long long time, NOW IT IS THE TIME FOR EAST MALAYSIAN TO USE THE 1 MALAYSIA VOTE TO VOTE OUT THE BN UMNO IN THE NEXT GE. THE ACTUAL CHRISTIAN POPULATION OF CHRISTIANS IN SARAWAK IS 56%
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I am agreed. Most Sarawakians language is just Bahasa Melayu. But that does not warrant Catholics to make a issue out of it. Again, the Bahasa Melayu has to be clearly define Tuhan and Allah. Sarawakians may have dialects and their written language maybe just Bahasa Melayu.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I read in one of the UMNO-supported blogs saying that Islam is the sole property of the Malays. He is wrong, Islam is a universal religion, just as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism are universal religions. Where in the constitution was it stated that Allah cannot be used by others? The east Malaysians and the Sikhs have been using the word “Allah” for hundred of years. I doubt that Sabah and Sarawak would be willing to be part of Malaysia if it were known that they cannot use the word “Allah” in their worship of God. In so doing, have they insulted Allah and have the law being thrown at them? No, it did not happen for years since Independence, but only recently when UMNO were forced against the ropes by their opponents did they exploit the sanctity of Islam to sanction their misdeeds.
Religion is a very powerful tool and whoever controls it wrongly would bring untold misery for the masses. History is replete with many horrible atrocities, all committed in the name of religion. The decaying Roman Catholic Church before the Reformation, Hilter and many Islamic regime today all used religions as the basis for their justification to do harm.
Even before there is a Islam, the word Allah was used. Islam, Christianity and Judaism worship the same God so it doesn’t matter what name is used for God. It can be interchangeable with the language that is being used. Christianity believe that the message of God should be transmitted in the local language unlike Islam Hadhari which wants its believers to imitate the Arabs. So like the east Malaysians who only speaks the local language, Allah has been in use for many years. Mahathir confirms this: “I accept the term ‘Allah’ had been used in Sabah and Sarawak before the two states joined Malaysia.” For Christians who speak other languages such as English, Chinese or Tamil you don’t find them referring to God as Allah because that was not the term of God in that particular language. Just like if we use the term “car” in English and “kereta” in Malay it doesn’t mean that “car” is a horse and “kereta” is a buffalo. Both refer to a road vehicle with four wheels.
Was there anywhere in the Koran where the name of Allah is confined within the Islamic religion only? In fact the Koran states that it would be a confirmation of the greatness of God if other religion should refer him as Allah. Because “Allah” is the term for God in the Arabic language. In Islam Allah is unfathomable to the mind of mere mortals. Words are insufficient to describe the attributes of God. That’s why there are 99 other names for Allah and still it would be wanting. Allah is all-powerful. It’s only men who have inferiority complex who want to confine Allah in a gilded cage. As a Muslim one should be proud that other religion wants to use Allah as a term of reference.
Let’s be frank about it. The Islam that is practiced in Malaysia is purely political Islam. It is about control and stupefying the masses into accepting man-made rules. UMNO which is so corrupt does follow the true dictates of Allah but only uses Islam to perpetuate their rule with cruelty and unIslamic methods. Religion is just a tool for them to silence any divergent views. Pity the Malays who do not see this subterfuge of UMNO. The Malay race will not progress for a thousand years with such siege mentality and inferiority complex until they throw off this yoke of UMNO bondage.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
What we see today in Malaysia a political party UMNO feeling so insecured, trying to gain political mileage in the name of Islam/Allah, nothing else. Disgraceful!
I am sure to The Herald(supported by many Muslims and non-Muslims alike), it must be a matter of principles, the BULLYING HAS TO STOP! No one has the right to claim ownership of another, not even a word …”ALLAH”.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
… If the Malaysian Muslims want to claim that Allah is rightfully and exclusively theirs, for God’s sake, give them back la, why do Catholics want to quarrel over God’s name?
Really, Malasian, greatest joker in the world !!!
Just wonder whether can I call my God as HeHeHaHa, that means my God is a happy God.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Both side is missing the big picture: WHY is Najib AND Muhiyiddin, BOTH without real legal expertise, SO CONFIDENT that the Appeal Court ‘will resolve the issue’???…
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
JUST WHO IS IN CHARGE IN UMNO? IS IT TDM? NAJIB? DPM? HISHAMUDDIN? NAZRI? IT IS JUST SO CONFUSING!
NAJIB SAID HE WILL TAKE THE DECISION ON THE ALLAH ISSUE AND ASKED THE REST TO STOP THE DEBATE, BUT, OH MY GOD! IT JUST SHOWED HOW HIS INSTRUCTION ARE SO BLATANTLY IGNORED BY SO MANY OF HIS SUBORDINATES! NOW EVEN WANITA UMNO AND ALL THE UMNO NGO’S ARE GETTING INVOLVED! SUCH A LAUGHABLE MATTER, AS THEY SHOULD KNOW THE MALAYS TODAY AIN’T THAT STUPID NO MORE! NO MORE POLITICAL CAPITAL! TOO MANY SCANDALS! TOO MUCH CORRUPTION! FAILING ECONOMY! HIGH CRIME RATES! DETERIORATING EDUCATION SYSTEM! MASS MIGRATION OF PROFESSIONALS OF ALL RACES! AIYOH YOH, POR CHI LA! 1MALAYSIA.
JUST BECAUSE HE NEVER WALK THE TALK, NO ONE BOTHERS TO LISTEN TO HIS TALK! JUST SO WEAK AND TO MAKE MATTER WORSE, HE HAD NOT SPOKEN A WORD SINCE THE OTHER UMNO WARLORDS STARTED SHOUTING THEIR WAR CRY!
SO WEAK IS OUR PRIME MINISTER EVEN HIS COUSIN IS DEFYING HIS INSTRUCTION! AS MENTIONED EVEN BEFORE THE SANDIWARA ESCALATED, IT IS THE PR WHO WILL COME TO THE RESCUE OF THE MASSES FROM THESE EXTREMISTS! WHO ELSE BUT PAS & PKR? PLEASE DO NOT PLACE ANY HOPES ON MCA, MIC OR GERAKAN!
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0