Pakatan Rakyat (PR) maintained its stand today that non-Muslims can refer to God as Allah, despite the Court of Appeal’s Monday ruling that banned the Catholic weekly, Herald, from using the word.
"We remain consistent with what we said earlier," said opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) at a press conference at the PKR headquarters in Tropicana today. Also present were DAP’s Lim Kit Siang and Datuk Mustafa Ali from PAS.
The opposition pact had in January this year said they supported the non-Muslims' use of the word Allah in their publications and worship.
"We ask everyone to remain calm while waiting for the judiciary process to continue and the appeal to happen," Anwar said.
Anwar had previously said that Allah can be used by anyone as long as it was used in a proper manner and with good intentions.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had also maintained that there was nothing wrong with non-Muslims using the term in their faiths provided it was not misused or misinterpreted.
On Monday, a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal reversed a High Court ruling allowing Catholic weekly Herald to use the word Allah. It reasoned that the word was not an integral part of the Christian faith and practice.
Anwar criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's silence on the issue, noting that it reflected on his "poor" style of leadership.
“The PM never seems to be around for this issue so I think it reflects on poor leadership in this country. The country is like running on auto-pilot," he said.
Anwar also pointed out that there was no need for those who supported the Court of Appeal's decision to condemn those with deferring views.
"The general consensus is for calm and discourse on the subject and not curse those who may have different views with us," he said, referring to the statement by the former mufti of Johor, Datuk Noh Gadut, who warned that Muslims who questioned the Allah ban could be regarded as infidels.
PAS secretary-general Mustafa said he hoped this issue will not be used by Umno in the Sungai Limau by-election.
"I think Umno will use it to campaign but it is a sensitive issue that will cause a lot of confusion," he said. – October 17, 2013.
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