http://www.themalay sianinsider. com/index. php/opinion/ breaking- views/50156- malay-provocatio n--philip- bowringMalay provocation - Philip Bowring
JAN 20 - One ought to be able to laugh at the absurdity of it. But the
message is one of ignorance, religious and racial prejudice and political
opportunism.
Last week, the Malaysian government declared that Christians in one part of
the country could use "Allah" as the word for God when speaking Malay, but
that those in most of the country could not.
This is the same government that is currently running a public relations
campaign called One Malaysia emphasizing the common identity of the nation's
racial and religious mix.
In reality, a government dominated by the United Malays National
Organization (UMNO) is using spurious religious/linguisti c arguments to
shore up its support among a majority Malay electorate, which has been fed
for years with preferences and privileges. Meanwhile, non-Malay money and
talent exits the country.
The government had earlier tried to stop the use of the word Allah by all
Christians. This was successfully challenged in the High Court.
But instead of letting the matter rest, the government declined to back
down, setting the scene for the fire bombing of churches. While these could
not be laid directly at the door of UMNO, hotheads in the party may well
have taken their cue from what non-Muslims see as a deliberate attempt to
stir up ethnic/religious issues for political gain.
Last year it was Hindus who were the target of Malay provocation.
UMNO political calculation demands that the organization sticks to its
demands about the use of the word Allah in peninsular Malaysia, where all
Malays are deemed Muslims and where Christians are ethnic Chinese or Indian,
but not in the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak where there are large
communities of Malay-speaking Christians.
The UMNO-led coalition needs the support of the multi-ethnic parties in
those states.
The word Allah has always been used without Muslim objection by Christians
in the Arab world, as well as those in Malay-speaking Indonesia, where there
are 10 times as many Muslims as in Malaysia.
The word is itself derived from pre-Islamic Semitic language roots. Even
Malaysia's strictly Islamist opposition party, Parti Islam (PAS), agrees
that all Abrahamic faiths are entitled to use the word Allah.
But such facts are of little relevance to UMNO politicians determined to
drum up any issue that can be used to show their commitment to defending
Malay and Muslim privileges and thus retain the support of a Malay majority
against the appeal both of PAS and the multi-ethnic Keadilan party of the
former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
UMNO cannot claim to be a party of the pious. Half a century in power has
turned it into a vast patronage machine that enriches the Malay elite,
providing support for luxurious lifestyles.
Its insistence that all Malays are Muslims (and cannot convert) is an
attempt to give religious backing to the message of Malay racial preference.
That is barely in accord with the universalist notions of global Islam but
keeps the loyalty of many Malays otherwise resentful of growing income gaps.
However, the racial and religious divides among the opposition still make an
UMNO-led government seem a better choice than the alternatives - most likely
ones in which the fundamentalism of PAS would replace the opportunism of
UMNO.
So despite the deterioration of communal relations in peninsular Malaysia,
no major changes are in sight.
This carries two main dangers.
The first is the continuing large scale exodus of capital and of talented
non-Malays. Five years of generally good prices for its main commodity
exports, oil, gas and palm oil, have delivered huge trade surpluses and a
current account surplus of more than 10 percent of gross domestic product.
But economic growth has been slow due to very weak private investment, only
partly offset by large government deficit spending. Once a major recipient
of foreign capital, Malaysia is now a source of flight capital.
This is only sustainable while commodity prices remain at double levels of
five years ago and three times those in 2002.
A longer term danger, at least as perceived by some leading Malays, such as
the former Finance Minister Tunku Razaleigh, is that a combination of
religious intolerance and resentment of federal exploitation of their
natural resources will generate secessionism in the Borneo states.
They joined Malaysia in 1963 without much enthusiasm but as the best option
open to them as the British withdrew from empire. They do not want their
traditions of racial and religious diversity to be poisoned by peninsular
prejudices.
Their separate treatment on the Allah issue will have some immediate
benefits for Kuala Lumpur, but can only underscore just how different they
are.
In short, the episode is sad commentary on a nation whose mix of races, its
fine infrastructure and wealth of resources has held such promise. If only
there really were One Malaysia. - NYT
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or the newspaper. The Malaysian
Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.
____
http://thestar. com.my/news/ story.asp? file=/2010/ 1/20/nation/ 5507622&sec=nation
Wednesday January 20, 2010
Groups divided over 'Allah' use
PETALING JAYA: Key Muslim groups are divided over whether to reject or
accept the High Court ruling on the use of the term "Allah" in the
Herald.
This is the scenario following a meeting hosted by PKR leader Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim to discuss the issue on Monday night, which ended
without the consensus he had hoped for, with one side adamant that the
term is exclusive to Muslims and the other side advocating an open
mind.
PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayob said some groups were very firm
that the Quran did not forbid non-Muslims from using the term.
He said the groups also saw the issue as an opportunity to better
explain Islam to non-Muslims.
Other groups, meanwhile, feared it would open the floodgates to
greater confusion among Muslims and were concerned that the term might
be misconstrued and used inappropriately by non-Muslims.
The groups, which attended the meeting that was held at Anwar's house,
included PKR, Jamaah Islah Malaysia, Persatuan Ulama Malaysia, Muslim
Youth League Malaysia and Teras,
Teras president Mohd Azmi Abdul Aziz stressed the term was central to
the sensitivities of Muslims in the country.
"The Muslim NGOs are not against each other but we differ in our view
on the implication of the issue on the future of Muslims as well as
the co-existence of Muslims and non-Muslims in the country," said
Mohd Azmi.
Anwar, whose party stands with PAS in supporting the court decision,
had called the meeting to hear out the concerns of these groups.
The Muslim non-governmental organisations are quite powerful opinion
shapers and he is anxious to get them behind PKR and PAS on this
issue.
There was also a suggestion that polling agency Merdeka Centre be
asked to gauge opinions on the matter, but some felt a survey on such
a sensitive matter could lead to more controversy.
Merdeka Centre director Ibrahim Suffian, who was present, said the
split in opinion was "rooted in fundamental insecurities which Malay
leaders must come to terms with".
"The discussion served to demarcate the position of the various
groups, although it would have been quite different if the more
hardline personalities were invited.
"The polemic going on also underlines Malay concerns and insecurities
since the March 8 general election," said Ibrahim.
PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang could not make it because he was
overseas.
____
http://www.malaysia kini.com/ news/122384Axing 'Herald' BM pullout 'not an option'
Yip Ai Tsin & Yoong Pui Shen | Jan 20, 10 4:13pm [extract]
Catholic weekly newspaper Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew said it
is "not possible" for the Bahasa Malaysia pullout to be restricted to
Sabah and Sarawak, as this is akin to "splitting a strand of hair".
"It is not possible. The permit includes all three pullouts as well,"
he said when met in his office yesterday.
He added that using other words to replace 'Allah' is "very wrong" as
"that would be changing scriptures which we have no right to change".
On Jan 5, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had called for a
'compromise' suggesting that only Herald's edition in Sabah and
Sarawak be allowed to use 'Allah' and not the peninsula publication.
[...]
____
http://www.malaysia kini.com/ letters/122397LETTERS: 'Ridhuan Tee has committed a seditious act'
Hai Hiung | Jan 20, 10 5:14pm
I refer to the letter The 'Chinese ethnic Islamic scholar' is his own worst
enemy.
http://www.malaysia kini.com/ letters/120787Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah is at it again and this time he has managed to
shame all us Malaysians with his ultra-racist article on his blog. He
claimed that his argument is intellectual and of high moral, yet he labeled
all those who disagree with him as 'ultra-kiasu' .
http://ertee. blogspot. com/2009/ 12/accused- as-criminals- better-than- being.htmlSo, if I disagree with his view, I'm an 'ultra-kiasu' according to his
logic. Such hypocrisy. If he is sound in his argument, he would not be
resorting to labelling people who disagree with him with a label -
'ultra-kiasu' .
I feel ashamed to share the same nationality with this PhD holder. Giving
credit to his academic achievements I presume in his article has
intentionally omitted at least three facts:
Fact 1: Catholic Christians in Sabah and Sarawak have been using the term
'Allah' long before Malaysia was formed.
The Catholic Church has in their possession hard copy evidence - a
Malay-Latin dictionary published in 1631 which shows the translation for
'Allah' plus a Catholic prayer book published in 1894 brought over from Hong
Kong to prove that they have been using the term 'Allah' as the name of God
since four hundred years ago.
http://www.heraldma laysia.com/ news/storydetail s.php/3283- 1-0-Christians- here-called- God-Allah- four-centuries- agoFact 2: It is impossible to 'confuse' Muslims here for it is illegal to
distribute any pamphlet, letter, magazine or articles on religious matters
to a Muslim unless it is about Islam. The law has dictated that the Catholic
weekly 'Herald' can only be circulated amongst the non-Muslims and therefore
it would never fall into the hands of a Muslim.
So if Muslims would never get the chance to even hold a copy of this weekly
newspaper, how are Muslims going to get 'confused' by it?
Fact 3: Christians in the Middle East have been using the term 'Allah' as
God's name before the advent of Islam.
This Tee plays up racial sentiments and disguises himself as championing
Islam. The oft-repeated words used in his article is the 'tolerant' Malay
and the 'ultra-kiasu' Chinese.
This itself is evidence enough that the intention of his article is to stir
racial sentiments. Ridhuan Tee has committed a seditious act.
____
No shortage of fatwas on Allah word
http://www.mysinche w.com/node/ 34263?tid= 14Nazri’s Offer of a Way Out: A Commentary - NH Chan
http://loyarburok. com/the-system/ bolehland/ nazris-offer- of-a-way- out-a-commentary /------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
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