KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — Malaysia should look to Indonesia and learn how Muslims and Christians in the country live in peace without either party claiming exclusive rights over the word “Allah”, a Christian group said today.
World Methodist Council General Secretary Ivan Abrahams said the recent decision to bar the Arabic word from being used in the Catholic weekly newsletter, Herald, or in worship services has the possibility of creating unnecessary division between Christians and Muslims in Malaysia.
“The Malaysian courts need look no further than the neighbouring country of Indonesia to see that Christians and Muslims refer to God as ‘Allah’ without incident or controversy.
“As daughters and sons of Abraham, we share the same God, and to claim exclusive ownership over the name to whom we pray would constitute a divisive action in a time when religions should be working together to unite believers,” he said in a statement.
The World Methodist Council, which represents 80 million believers in 130 countries, said the ban is a “troubling attempt” by the courts to allow one religion to take ownership over universal terminology.
Abrahams added its members would pray that Malaysians will be able to practise their faith freely, and that they will be able to unite and remain peaceful.
He added that the church would pray for those seeking to create divisions would learn the power of reconciliation and hope.
The Catholic Church is appealing the Court of Appeal’s landmark decision in October which overturned a lower court’s 2009 decision in its favour.
Malaysia’s highest court, the Federal Court, will hear arguments on March 5 before deciding if the Church is allowed to appeal.
In addition to the Herald, two other cases concerning the use of “Allah” by Christians are pending at High Court level.
The first was filed by the Sabah Sidang Injil Borneo (Borneo Evangelical Church) against the Home Ministry over the confiscation in 2007 of its Malay-language children’s books containing the word ‘Allah.’
The other was brought by Sarawakian Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, after the government seized her audio compact discs, which also contain the word “Allah”, in 2008.
