KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Malaysian Christians in the peninsula are targeting liberal Muslims as part of their proselytisation mission, controversial Muslim convert writer Ridhuan Tee Abdullah alleged, arguing their vehemence in using "Allah" for God.
Amid the continuing storm over the word of Arabic origin despite the Federal Court ruling on the Catholic Church's bid, the Chinese Muslim insisted that Christians in Malaysia, whom he branded "ultra kiasu", would not lose anything if they did not use "Allah".
"Strangely, those who are most earnest in wanting this term are those from the Peninsula. The intensity of these ultra kiasu is a crafty plan to impair the faith of Muslims, which is shaky today.
"I am confident, their target is the liberal Muslims whose faith is shaky. This group is easy to approach and easily influenced. That's why they are so earnest in wanting ALLAH to be used together," he wrote in his opinion piece published today in Malay daily Sinar Harian, titled "Tanpa ALLAH, Kristian tidak rugi (without ALLAH, no loss to Christians)".
"Ultra kiasu" is a term Tee initially used to label federal opposition party DAP, but he has since applied it to other groups including Christians and the Chinese in general.
In his argument, the senior lecturer with the National Defence University conceded that Christians in Sarawak and Sabah have long used the term "Allah" in their prayers and worship.
However, the East Malaysian Christians were unlike their peninsula-based counterparts, notably the Chinese and Indians, in their pursuit for the right to use "Allah", he claimed.
"Strangely, when the Chinese or Indians enter Christianity, they become ultra kiasu. For what? Because they have been dogmatised to proselytise their religion in whatever situation.
"That is why today those who are so bold as to step forward are the ultra kiasu from the Peninsula who embrace Christianity. Those in Sabah, Sarawak, are so relaxed. Why? Because all this time, they have already been using the term ALLAH," he said.
Tee further argued that while the Malays of yore used to practise Buddhism, Hinduism and even animism, they have since embraced Islam and the religion has become part and parcel of their identity.
As a result, he said the Malays have changed and become gentler, more tolerant and just, which formed the basis for their acceptance of non-Malays as citizens without much question, adding that such a phenomenon did not happen in other countries.
"However for the ultra kiasu, especially among the Chinese, religion is not very important. To them, the economy is most important. Without religion too it's not a problem. That's why we see in Chinese families, there are all sorts of religions," he said.
He urged these peninsular Malaysian Christians to understand the sensitivities of the Malays with regards to the use of "Allah" in their worship, "even though they do not practise and their spirit of jihad is not strong".
He warned against further challenging the Malays and their sensitivities, "I fear the Malays will rise fiercely. That is what is called going on a RAMPAGE".
