Allah Goes On Air

Allah Goes On Air

From comments and discussions in print, the 'Allah' issue has gone on air and shows no sign of letting up even as opposing sides are battling out in the courts on whether non-Muslims have the right to use the word.

On Feb. 17, TV1's talk show, Bicarawara, invited three Muslim scholars to examine the question "Should the word Allah be used by all?" One of the panel members was reported to be a former Augustinian monk who had served 12 years in Germany before he converted to Islam. The other was a Chinese Muslim while the third was a professor of Islamic studies from a local university.

Among the points they agreed on were:

• 'Allah' is a special name and pronoun and should only be used in Islam to designate their God.
• Christians in the Middle East use 'Allah' in their Arabic Bible and everyday speech but this is because the Arab Christians had no choice whereas in Malaysia, people can use the word 'Tuhan'.
• If non-Muslims use 'Allah', it would confuse Muslims and weaken their faith because they are not very educated in Islam.
• There must be a "hidden agenda" for the sudden usage of 'Allah' now.

NECF Malaysia maintains that languages and words are universal property and should not be monopolised by any one religion or ethnic group ("Allah for All", Berita NECF, January-February, 2008). That includes 'Allah'.

For a detailed explanation on why we uphold the usage of 'Allah' for everyone, read the article by Kairos Research Centre Director Dr Ng Kam Weng on (See related story on page 7). Meanwhile, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has issued a press statement to support the usage of the 'Allah' word for all Malaysians. The statement said any attempt to proscribe the use of the term 'Allah' in any way to any religion is untenable from the standpoint of language, theology or history.

"No religion can claim exclusive possession or use of this term. Historically, the common use of the term predated the Holy Koran and Islam," said the statement.

The council called on the Government to stop issuing orders prohibiting non-Musliims from using 'Allah'. Instead, if necessary, let the respective religions explain to their communities any difference in theology arising from the use of the common term.

Religious freedom must be respected as a fundamental human right. "As a consultative council of five major religions in Malaysia, MCCBCHST calls on all concerned to always be careful to treat each religion and its practices and beliefs with deep respect," the statement urged.