Allah issue: Long wait for appeal date

 Christianity, Ethnic and inter-religious relations, Islam, Judiciary, Media  8 Responses »
Jan 192011
 

One year on, and the Allah issue is still in limbo.

Or rather we are still waiting for the Court of Appeal to fix a date for the government’s appeal against the High Court’s landmark decision in favour of the church. For now, though, the Catholic Church’s weekly Herald tabloid is unable to use the term ‘Allah’ as the government has obtained a stay pending appeal.

Meanwhile, the Church has reprinted a rare Malay-Latin dictionary, first published in 1631, which shows that Christianity was already using local languages in the region four centuries ago. Continue reading »

End the Occupation: Mid-East bishops

 Christianity, Ethnic and inter-religious relations, Iraq, Islam, Israel and Palestine  13 Responses »
Oct 242010
 

Middle East Catholic bishops meeting at a special synod in Rome over the last fortnight have called for Israel to end the Occupation of Palestinian territories so that a two-state solution can be found.

The bishops are the ones who are familiar with the situation on the ground.

Here is an excerpt from their final joint communique:

IV. Cooperation and Dialogue with Our Fellow-Citizens, the Jews

8. The same Scriptures unite us; the Old Testament, the Word of God is for both you and us. We believe all that God revealed there, since he called Abraham, our common father in the faith, Father of Jews, of Christians and of Muslims. We believe in the promises of God and his covenant given to Abraham and to you. We believe that the Word of God is eternal. Continue reading »

Concern over Western Road burial plots ad

 Christianity, Development issues  20 Responses »
Sep 132010
 

They may worship in separate churches belonging to different denominations, but in death they share the same cemetery in Western Road in Penang. Now, an ad inserted in the local press requiring those with burial rights and relatives of the deceased to register with the MPPP has raised consternation among segments of the local Christian community.

It was the bit about the one-month deadline to register “failing which MPPP would take necessary actions to repossess the burial plots for use” that created something of a stir. See theSun report here and a letter from a concerned reader here who asked, “I am of the opinion that MPPP only has the right to ask descendants, family members and their appointed personal representatives to re-affirm ownership of burial plots. But that is the most that they can legally do. MPPP does not have any legal right to seize old burial plots even if nobody comes forward to re-register claim.”

I got in touch with a couple of MPPP councillors to find out what was going on. Here’s what I learned: Continue reading »

Penang Cathedral denounces ISA before 800 people

 Christianity, Human rights  26 Responses »
Sep 152008
 

The ISA must go now: Fr Fabian Dicom strongly denounces the ISA

We shall overcome: They sang loudly while swaying candles held high

Datuks against ISA: Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon and Dato’ Seri Dr T Devaraj after Mass

Hot on the heels of the Perlis Mufti’s criticism of the use of the ISA, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirt in Penang, the seat of the Catholic Church in the northern region, has delivered a powerful indictment of the draconian law in a special Mass attended by some 600 800 concerned Malaysians.

“We are fed up,” said assistant parish priest Fr Fabian Dicom, in a searing denouncement of the ISA. “The ISA must go now. What we are saying here can be found in the verses of our scriptures.”

From Matthew Chapter 5:

5 Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill.
7 Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

Dicom’s call was echoed in another stirring denunciation by parish priest Fr Francis Anthony at the end of the Mass.

The main celebrant wore purple vestments, “the colour of mourning,” explained Dicom, who concelebrated Mass with half a dozen priests from the Penang diocese including Anthony and Fr Marshall Fernandez, the parish priest of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus.

“We should not rest until we sound the death knell for the ISA,” added Dicom, whereupon the congregation inside heard the faint tolling of a church bell.

The crowd broke out in loud and sustained applause each time the priests called for an immediate end to the ISA and for the release of all ISA detainees. Among those present were Penang-based civil society activists and bloggers as well as folks from the mainland.

Continue reading »