BALIK PULAU, March 5 — The alleged distribution of booklets about Jesus Christ containing the word “Allah” has stirred an uproar among Muslims in a village here who call the materials “confusing”.

Sungai Pinang Federal Village Security and Development Committee chairman Mohd Yusof Salam claimed that more than 50 copies of the Malay-language booklets titled Ringkasan Kisah Nyawa Nabi Isa (The Chronicles of Jesus) were placed in front of houses in seven villages here yesterday morning.

“We thought the green booklets were ordinary religious materials until we read its content and it contained confusing information about Jesus with claims that he married Mary,” he told a press conference called by Teluk Bahang state assemblyman Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah at his service centre here.

Christians have dismissed claims that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and had children.

Yusof said today he believed that the booklets were distributed in the middle of the night as no one witnessed the booklets being dropped in front of people’s homes.

Seven police reports were lodged by Balik Pulau Umno and others over the issue.

Southwest district police chief Supt Lai Fah Hin, when contacted, confirmed receiving the reports and said the case is being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code, which prohibits attempts to cause disharmony or disunity on grounds of religion.

Balik Pulau Umno Youth chief Hisham Abdul Hamid said at the same press conference that the booklets are confusing as it contains information contradictory to the teachings of Islam.

Shah Headan labeled this a brazen act meant to confuse people and told the police to discover who was behind the distribution of the booklets.

“I call on those who have these materials to hand it over to their local leaders or to the police for further action,” he said at the press conference.

The “Allah” issue is a hot button topic in Penang after Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said last December that there is no ban against non-Muslims from describing God with the Arabic word.

He backed his statement by pointing out that fatwas and the Administration of Religion of Islam (Penang) Enactment 2004 do not apply to non-Muslims.

Two years ago, there have been allegations of Bahasa Malaysia bibles being distributed to students in a school here, but these claims later turned out to be false.