A Response to “Seminar Kalimah Allah & Kristology Nusantara”

May 8, 2014, 10:40 am

A Response to “Seminar Kalimah Allah & Kristology Nusantara”  – Come now, Let us reason together, says the Lord (Isaiah 1:18)

The “Seminar Kalimah Allah & Kristology Nusantara (“The word ‘Allah’ and Christology in the Malay Archipelago”) held on 6 May 2014 at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam, has sparked strong protests from the public.

The NECF protests that higher institution of learning should not cause confusion and promote prejudice. The CFM adds that it would amount to abuse of trust and stewardship, “If there is to be sincere and genuine academic freedom, then let us have an intellectual exchange with integrity instead of a one-sided presentation with arguably inaccurate information being disseminated as fact…Otherwise, the seminar yesterday would be nothing more than hate speechand sectarian religious propaganda thinly disguised as academic freedom.”

The protests were in response to several seminar speakers who had mockingly posed questions that suggest the grounds for Christian beliefs are fundamentally flawed. For example, in a forum “Christianisation vs Islamization, the speakers answered pre-prepared questions that included “Did Jesus really die on the cross for the forgiveness of sins?”, “What is the Trinity?”, “Why did Jesus cry ‘Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani’ (Aramaic for “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”) while on the cross?”. Themalaysianinsider

Another speaker argued that the parts of the Bible based on his teachings should simply be called “Tales of Jesus” instead of the “Gospel”. The books in the Bible were written by Christ’s disciples such as Matthew, Mark, and Luke were considered hearsay and similarly should not be considered the Word of God. The so-called gospel is only Jesus’ words, speech, hence should not be called gospel. He asserted, “The Christian gospel is a fake gospel.” The malaymailonline

Two books published by MAIS, “Pendedahan Agenda Kristian” (Exposing the Christian Agenda‎) and “Obligation to Preserve the Sanctity of the Name Allah” were distributed to more than 1,000 students who attended a seminar, warning them to watch out for “tricks” by Christians to sway Muslims from their faith.Themalaysianinsider

The attempt by the speakers to confuse Christians and to promote prejudice among Muslims against Christianity is obvious. However, they will be disappointed to learn that the Malaysian Christianity community is not so easily shaken. Malaysian Christians continue to hold firmly their beliefs in quiet confidence, and indeed welcome questions from these detractors. After all, the Christian faith has weathered centuries of severe historical criticism; it has offered rational demonstration of the coherence of Christianity when challenged by sophisticated philosophical critics informed by the European Enlightenment; and finally, millions of Christians continue to find the Christian faith to be experientially fulfilling.

As an irenic response to the questions raised at the seminar, I invite inquirers of the Christian faith to read the two attached FAQ documents given below: a briefer “Answers to Common Islamic Questions” [taken from Colin Chapman, “The Cross and the Crescent” and a fuller document written by some academics from Yale University, “Questions Muslims Ask.”

Hopefully, reading these FAQs will assure our critics of the intellectual integrity and peaceful intentions of the Christian community. Christians are, after all, mindful of the SOP given in their Holy Book on how to respond peaceably to faultfinders, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:14-15).

Source: http://www.krisispraxis.com/archives/2014/05/answers-to-questions-muslims-ask/

Answers to Questions Muslims Ask. Part 1

FAQ (Brief Document)

ANSWERS TO COMMON ISLAMIC QUESTIONS

1. ‘Why do you believe in the Trinity? Do you believe in three gods?’

We don’t believe in three gods! We believe in one God as strongly as any Muslim. When we speak of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, we are not thinking of three separate and distinct gods. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, as much as Islam. The word ‘Trinity’ is not found in the Bible; but the idea is taught in the Bible .
2. ‘Why do you say that Jesus is the “Son of God”?’
Because Jesus called himself ‘the Son’ and spoke of God as ‘the Father’ and ‘my Father’. We don’t believe that Jesus was the son of God in any physical sense; this idea is as repugnant to us as it is to Muslims.

We believe that ‘God is love’ in his very nature, and that there has always been a relationship of love between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, even before the creation of the universe. Jesus of Nazareth is more than a prophet, since he was fully human and fully divine. When we say that Jesus is the Son of God, what we mean in the simplest possible language is that he was like God in a way that no other human being has ever been. When we look at Jesus, therefore, and see what he was like, we have some idea of what God is like.

3. ‘Why do you believe that Jesus was crucified?’

Because this is what our Scriptures teach. The New Testament explains that it wasn’t out of weakness that God allowed Jesus to be crucified. It was his way of showing up the evil in human nature in its true colors. But it was also his way of showing how much he loves us and wants to forgive us for all our sins. Christians see the death of Jesus as a ‘sacrifice for sins’, as the one final and complete sacrifice which does away with the need for any other sacrifice offered to gain forgiveness of sins. God allowed Jesus to experience death because all human beings have to die. But by raising him from the dead, God not only vindicated Jesus and revealed his true identity, but also destroyed the power of death once and for all who trust in him.

4. ‘Your Scriptures have been corrupted.’

I know this is what you have been taught. But have you read them? According to the Holy Quran , the message which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad confirmed the previous Scriptures: the tawrat revealed to Moses, the zabur revealed to David, and the injil to Jesus. If these Scriptures, which were in the hands of the Jews and the Christians at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, were already corrupt, how could the Quran confirm these Scriptures? Can you tell me who corrupted the Scriptures, and when it was done? Would you like to read the life of Jesus as it is recorded in our injil? How can you say that our Scriptures are corrupted if you haven’t read them?

5. ‘Your Scriptures are full of mistakes and contradictions.’

Christians are aware of the so-called contradictions that you find in the Bible, because Christian scholars have been aware of them for a long time. But they have their own way of explaining these differences, and some of them can be explained very easily. Others raise harder questions of interpretation. Are you prepared to listen to the way we explain these difficulties?

Two can play the same game! Some Christians say that they find contradictions in the Quran. How would you feel if I were to criticize the Quran? But I don’t want to do so, because I am not interested in criticizing the Quran. If Muslims don’t like Christians criticizing the Quran, why do Muslims criticize the Bible?

The basic reason you have problems with the apparent contradictions in the Bible is that you are comparing the Bible with the Quran. You believe that the Quran is the very words revealed directly to Muhammad, and you assume that the Bible was revealed in exactly the same way. Christians do believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and that God through his Holy Spirit inspired the different books of the Bible. But the Word of God in the Bible has come through a large number of different authors. The Bible is therefore for us both the Word of God and the words of human beings. The fundamental problem between us at this point is that we have different views of revelation. Muslims believe that the supreme revelation God has given was in the form of a book, the Quran. Christians, however, believe that the supreme revelation was given in a person, Jesus (see further chapter 28).

6. ‘We recognize Jesus as a prophet. Why don’t you recognize Muhammad as a prophet?’

If we did recognize Muhammad as a prophet in the way that you do, we would be Muslims. We are glad to accept the teaching of the Quran about the one true God which we also find in our Scriptures. But we cannot believe the whole Quran, because its teaching is different at many points from the teaching of our Scriptures.

We believe that Jesus was the last of the prophets, God’s final word to the world. We see Jesus as the most complete revelation of God in the form of a human being. We cannot believe that there could be any more complete revelation of God after Jesus.

7. Why do you not recognize that the Bible foretells the coming of Muhammad?’

There are two verses which are often used to support this argument. The first is the words from Deuteronomy about a new prophet who was to come: ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers’ (Deuteronomy 18:15). This could hardly refer to Muhammad, since Moses says that this prophet is to be raised up ‘from among your own brothers’, that is, from among the children of Israel.
The second verse gives us the words of Jesus about the coming of the Paraclete: ‘I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth’ (John 14:16; cf. 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). Christians have always interpreted these as predictions about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus never spoke about another prophet who was to come after him.

FAQ (Fuller Document): QUESTIONS MUSLIMS ASK -PDF File Questions Muslims Ask

You can also read the document online at – Answers to Questions Muslims Ask. Part 2 LINK

Source: Colin Chapman, The Cross and the Crescent IVP Books 2008.

UiTM seminar was 'hate speech', says CFM

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

The seminar on Christianity held at a public university yesterday was "hate speech" veiled as academic freedom, the Christian Federation of Malaysia said.

CFM chairperson Eu Hong Seng (right)said this is because there was no attempt for intellectual discussion involving the Christians themselves.

"If there is to be sincere and genuine academic freedom, then let us have an intellectual exchange with integrity instead of a one-sided presentation with arguably inaccurate information being disseminated as fact.

"Otherwise, yesterday's seminar at UiTM would be nothing more than hate speech and sectarian religious propaganda thinly disguised as academic freedom...

"(This) causes a great diminution of scholastic integrity, greater disservice to intellectual honesty, and greatest discredit to the reputation of the public institution," he said in a statement today.

Eu added that academic freedom does not entail presenting things as facts and not allowing interested parties room for rebuttal.

By doing so, he said UiTM had clearly "abused trust and stewardship" as a public institution of higher learning.

CFM, an umbrella body for Christian groups in Malaysia, was commenting on a seminar held at UiTM entitled 'The word 'Allah' and Christology in the Malay Archipelago'.

Anti-Christian material were distributed to the 1,000 students, including those from secondary schools, who attended.

The Muslim speakers presented their interpretations of the Bible and alleged that Christians were on a campaign to convert Muslims in the Malay archipelago.

Earlier, the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF)  expressed concern over the seminar that it said trampled on, rather than tackled, inter-faith issues.

NECF said this was aimed at confusing and prompting Muslim students at the seminar to be prejudiced against people of other faiths.

"One could perhaps ask how Muslims would feel, if followers of other faiths were to invite their experts to interpret how the Quran should be written.

"This seminar smacks of gross insensitivity and goes against the grain of Prime Minister Najib's 1Malaysia policy," NECF secretary-general Eugene Yapp said in a press statement today.

In similar vein, the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) also slammed such extremism.

Although he did not point to the seminar, its CEO and former Umno MP Saifuddin Abdullah urged the government to take action.

"Stop anti-Chinese and anti-Christian sentiments before it turns to something worse.

"Authorities should investigate & act accordingly," Saifuddin wrote on his Twitter account.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/262137

Christianisation: Sabah bristles with anger

Ng Suzhen

 | May 8, 2014

Conversion is a sore issue in Sabah which has seen its once majority native communities now marginalised as a result of a covert 1990s operation to keep Umno-BN in power.

KOTA KINABALU: Controversy shrouding a recent lecture in Universiti Technologi Mara (UiTM), which “bullied” Christians and warned Muslims about the threat of Christianisation, on the back of another incident in Sarawak involving a Majlis Amanah Rakyat’s (Mara) scholarship interview has got Sabah leaders bristling.

Conversion is a sore issue in Sabah which has seen its once majority native Christian communities – Kadazan Dusun Murut – nuetralised and marginalised by legalised illegal immigrants under the infamous 1990s Project IC to ensure Umno and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) stay in power.

Following reports of the incidence, Sabah BN partner, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun MurutOrganisation (Upko), has demanded that Putrajaya act against bigots and extremists.

“Enough with the warnings. It is very difficult to explain the injustice to people,” said Upko Information Chief Albert Bingkasan.

“The policies of the government have always been good and beneficial for Malaysians as a whole.

“But for some reason, when it’s passed down to the lower levels, there tend to be many ‘little Napoleons’ who misuse and misinterpret the policies.

“Everybody (Muslims and Non-Muslims) should be equal under the constitution.

“Now when a non-Muslim commits an offence action is swift but the same cannot be said for Muslim offenders,” said Bingkasan.

He said Putrajaya should deal  a swift and harsh hand on all those who committed offenses against the federal constitution.

Bingkasan was responding to a Mara scholarship interview involving top scorer Nigel Unchart Jeremiah and the latest report of 12 Christian students from Sabah allegedly being pressured into converting following a forum in UITM which also warned Muslims about Christianisation.

In the case of Nigel, he was plied with questions on Islam by the interviewer despite him declaring that he was a Christian. Nigel had applied for a scholarship to do mechanical engineering.

Muslimisation in Sabah 

Earlier this week during a seminar held in UiTM, a speaker claimed that Christians were using fundamental knowledge in both religions to convert Muslims.

President of Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (MUAFAKAT) Abdul Karim Omar had ‘warned’ the 1,000 strong crowd comprising secondary and university students of the Christianisation of Muslims in Malaysia.

Karim cited a thesis, “Religious identity and life of Malay Christians of Malaysia” by John Cheong. In his 2012 thesis, submitted to the Trinity International College of Illinois, Cheong revealed the existence of ‘cloaked Christians’.

These individuals are Malays who perform the obligations of a Muslim such as fasting and going to the mosque, but they are in fact believers of the Christian religion,” said Karim.

Just before Karim, another speaker, a former Catholic priest from Indonesia named H. Insan LS Mokoginta, had used basic messages in both religions to convince Christian students that every follower of Jesus should convert to Islam otherwise it would be a betrayal to him.

Meanwhile Bingkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan has dismissed claims of ‘Christianisation’ of Muslims.

If reports are any gauge it’s more the other way round in Sabah.

“Christians do not blatantly go around converting people. There is still the constitution guaranteeing the freedom of religion, and the rights extend to the Muslims,” he said.

Last December, it was reported that abject poor  Christian natives in Pitas were converted for Rm100 each. The natives claimed they were not aware that they had been converted.

According to a pastor, the situation is widespread in rural Sabah, which is the poorest state in Malaysia according to a World Bank Report.

In January, the Protestant Church in Sabah (PCS) president Rev Jensey Mojuin reportedly said the church was concerned over “unofficial” reports of what was happening in the parishes of Kudat, Kota Marudu, Kanibongan, Paitan and Pitas.

He said there were also unconfirmed reports of forced, coerced or induced conversion in north and east coast of Sabah.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/05/08/christianisation-sabah-bristles-with-anger/

If Christians continue to grow, they will outnumber us by 2100, says Muslim group

BY ELIZABETH ZACHARIAH
MAY 06, 2014

(Muslims converted to Christians: 1983-1989 = 66,000; 2006 = 250,000)

The “threat” of Christianisation was brought up again today at a forum at a public university where a crowd of about 1,000 was told that Christians will outnumber Muslims in Malaysia by 2100.

‎Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (Muafakat) president Abdul Karim Omar said this was based on the rapid increase of Christians in Malaysia.

He said this is what Malaysia will face if Christianisation is allowed to continue here.

‎"According to our research, the percentage of Christians increases by a huge amount every decade," he said at a seminar on the use of the word Allah and Christology at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) today.

He said the latest statistics showed that the number of Christians in Malaysia ‎stands at less than 10% of the population, while Muslims are more than 60%.

"But if Christianisation continues, by 2100, ‎there will be an equal number of Christians and Muslims - 40%."

"And it will continue to increase, he said.

Karim used South Korea as an example, saying that in 1905 the number of Christians in the country were only 0.5% of the population.  But because of rapid Christianisation in the 1970s and 1980s, it increased to almost 30% in 2005, he said.

"This happened in South Korea‎ and could happen here," he added.

Karim earlier said his speech was meant to “expose the planned agenda and the ill-intention of Christian evangelists”.

‎He also told the 1,000 people gathered, including secondary school and university students, the number of Muslims who converted to Christianity in the early 1900s "could be counted with fingers".

“But in a Parliament white paper, the then PAS president Yusof Rawa revealed that 66,000 people had turned away from Islam.

“And in 2006, Perak Mufti Datuk Seri Hurusaini Zakaria said the number had increased to 250,000‎. I don't know how much it is now,” he said, adding that the situation painted a “scary picture”.

‎An Indonesian former Catholic priest also told the seminar that Christians were betraying God if they do not convert to Islam.

H. Insan LS Mokoginta, ‎said that every follower of Jesus should convert to Islam otherwise it would be a betrayal to Him.

Mokoginta, who converted to Islam in 1976, said this in his speech entitled "the Threat of Christianisation". – May 6, 2014.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/if-christians-continue-to-grow-they-will-outnumber-us-by-2100-says-muslim-g

Put a full-stop to all these Christian bashing — MCA Religious Harmony Bureau

May 8, 2014

MAY 8 — MCA Religious Harmony Bureau is totally shocked that the panellists at the seminar on the  ‘Allah’ word and Christology in the Malay Archipelago hosted at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on May 6, 2014 had turned the forum into a Christian-bashing session where doubts were casted on the contents of the New Testament of the Bible while distrust and suspicion were fomented against the Christian community. Such a move will only polarise our society further between Muslims and non-Muslims.

It is not up to the presenters to determine whether the religious beliefs and practices of another faith are right or wrong. They should keep such opinions to themselves rather than blurting it all out in a public arena, thereby instigating the audience against Christians. Even worse, the panellists are in no position to belittle the religion of others.

Considering that UiTM is a public university funded by tax-payers, such a presentation will not augur well for the goodwill intended from the 1Malaysia concept mooted by our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Universities are avenues and the gateway to acquire new knowledge and make academic advances. Unfortunately such Christian bashing discourses may cast a question mark on the quality of UiTM’s courses, authorities, lecturers, organisers and students.

We call on the university authorities to probe as to how it could allow such a seminar to be conducted and what form of concrete measures will be taken to repair any fallout from the seminar as well what types of national unity programmes will UiTM organise to foster goodwill and integration between UiTM students and students of other religions and creed.

Concerns that minority students and lecturers will be targeted

Considering that UiTM consists of students and as tertiary students are at an impressionable age, our Bureau is deeply concerned if the topics and contents presented will leave an indelible mark among the students who may overwhelmingly share a common faith against other students, lecturers and Malaysians who are not adherents of the same faith.

Moreover, as there is a small number of minority Christian Bumiputera students from Sabah and Sarawak as well as lecturers who are non-Muslim, we shudder at the scenario if they become victimised, belittled or ostracised for their faith by their peers who attended the seminar.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/put-a-full-stop-to-all-these-christian-bashings-mca-religious-harmony-burea

‘Allah’ is universal God

Awang Abdillah

 | January 9, 2013

The contention from various organisations and bodies such as Jakim, Umno and PAS that using the term Allah is the exclusive right of Muslims has no religious basis.

COMMENT

Many Muslim scholars and politicians fear that the Bible and related publications using the word “Allah” as God will influence and confuse “innocent” Muslims, making them susceptible to being converted to Christianity.

If a Muslim wants to stray from his faith, there are 1,001 ways to do it, including entering another religion or even sect.

So what is the big deal? Why go only after the church?

Many Muslims nowadays are already very much influenced by the greed for power, positions, wealth, money, black magic, immoral activities, drugs and what not.

They are a confused lot.

Why not go after the bomohs, witches, evil politicians, drug traffickers and those in the police force who give them protection, the addicts, snatch thieves, the apostates and the corrupt government servants?

But that would be politically incorrect, wouldn’t it? Here in Malaysia religion is greatly politicised and race a weapon to be wielded when “needed”.

Never has this been more pronounced than after the 2008 general election which shocked the ruling Umno-led Barisan Nasional out of its stupor.

With all common sense asunder, it’s been a religious tug-of-war since then between the Umno and PAS Muslim ulamas and scholars.

I find this strange because according to the Surah Al Kafirun, a Muslim should confine himself to his own religion and others to theirs.

No religious basis

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the caliphs of the Islamic empires in their propagation of Islam did not literally touch on the Christian scriptures.

Therefore it is wrong for Muslim scholars to tell the Christians what to do with their books.

The contention by the Muslim ulamas from various organisations and bodies such as Jakim, Umno and PAS that using the term Allah is the exclusive right of Muslims only has no religious basis.

History notes that the original religion of Islam that Allah had ordained to mankind was eventually broken into three main religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam in that sequence.

All these religions recognise Allah as the one God in their original scriptures.

But over time major changes were made to the Jewish holy books as well as the original Gospel where the name of Allah was deleted for reasons best known to the early scribes and preachers of Judaism and Christianity.

However, the Arab Christians continued to maintain and used the name Allah until today.

In which case who gives us the right to stop any one from believing Allah is God either verbally, in writing or in his heart?

The history of the three great religions is testimony to this.

‘Allah’ is the universal God

In Malaysia, the books of the Bible, especially those translated into the Indonesian Malay, and the Catholic publications such as the Herald refer to God as Allah.

There are two issues here – the use of the name Allah and the understanding of Allah. In the first issue, there is nothing wrong in Christians using the term “Allah” as they are from the original religion.

Since Allah is the term of the universal God, how can it be an offence to recognise Him as such?

The second issue is the understanding of Allah.

As the Jewish scriptures of Judaism, the gospels of Christianity or the books of any other religion are different from the Quran, their descriptions of the attributes of Allah will definitely be different from Allah as described in the Quran.

Allah relates in many verses of the Quran the differences in its teachings with that of the Bible.

What the Quran does not do is to command Muslim ulamas to interfere with the teachings of the Bible and demanding/threatening that the Christians change certain words or delete the word Allah in the Bible.

“Allah” is the name of the Eternal Supreme Being that existed even before the universe in totality (including time and the empty space) was created as understood by the Kursi verse and the Surah Al Ikhlas.

“Allah” is the universal God to all living beings and non-living things.

Thereby the stand-alone eternal name does not belong to any human language.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/09/allah-is-universal-god/

Questions over ‘fatwa’ effect on non-Muslims after Selangor Sultan’s ‘Allah’ decree

By Debra Chong
Assistant News Editor

January 09, 2013

The Selangor ruler has instructed state authorities to go after non-Muslims who use the word “Allah”. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 ― Christian church leaders have expressed concern over the effect of the Selangor Sultan’s royal decree banning followers of faiths other than Islam from using the word “Allah” to describe their gods.

The state Ruler had also instructed the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) and the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) yesterday to take firm action against all groups, including non-Muslims, who continued to question the state fatwa (edict) and a 1988 state law restricting use of the Arabic word.

“Can a fatwa be applied to a non-Muslim?” asked Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of the country’s sole Catholic newspaper, Herald, when contacted by The Malaysian Insideryesterday.

In December 2009, the High Court ruled that the word “Allah” was not restricted to Muslims and the Catholic Church had the right to published the word in the Malay section of its weekly newspaper, Herald.

The priest declined further comment, saying he would leave the question to be answered by legal experts, after pointing to a key issue raised in the Herald’s court challenge three years ago.

In her 2009 ruling, High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan found that “a non-Muslim could be committing an offence if he uses the word ‘Allah’ to a Muslim but there would be no offence if it was used to a non-Muslim”.

Rev Hermen Shastri from the Methodist Church told The Malaysian Insider that the High Court’s judgment is still legally in effect pending the Home Ministry’s appeal to ban non-Muslims using the word, which it had argued in court was a security threat.

“Until overturned, Christians have the right to use it,” Shastri, who is secretary-general of the Council of Churches in Malaysia (CCM), an umbrella body representing all the Protestant churches nationwide.

CCM president Bishop Datuk Thomas Tsen told The Malaysian Insider he was worried about the consequences of the decree on Sabah and Sarawak Christians living in the state.

“Of course I am concerned about the effect on our people who live here, especially when Najib talks about 1 Malaysia and we want to speak in one language,” the Lutheran bishop said, referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s remarks.

Like Andrew, he declined comment on the Selangor sultan’s statement, but highlighted a 10-point agreement issued by the Najib administration in April 2011, allowing Christians in Borneo Malaysia the freedom to use it in their worship, ahead of the Sarawak state election.

“When we pray in our language, we, the Malay-speaking people, use the words ‘Allah Bapa Syurga’ to describe ‘Our Father in Heaven’,” Tsen, who heads the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia in Sabah said.

He added that it would be very hard to explain to Sabahan and Sarawakian Christians that they were free to use the word back home but forbidden to do so in Selangor.

“It will definitely cause some ambiguity and some strange feelings,” Tsen said.

Christians in Sabah and Sarawak form the bulk of Malaysia’s 9.2 per cent Christian population.

Shipments of the Alkitab, the Malay-language Bible catering to the Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Bumiputera Christians, were blocked or confiscated, before the government finally bowed to pressure and released them in 2011.

The Cabinet’s 10-point resolution issued by the Najib administration had assured the huge Bumiputera Christian population in Sarawak and Sabah they are free to import and use their bibles in Malay and in any language, including their respective indigenous languages like Iban, Kadazan-Dusun and Lun Bawang.

The federal government also said no restriction will be applied.

The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had called for an emergency meeting with state Islamic religious officials to bar non-Muslims from using the Arabic word for god, MAIS said yesterday.

“His majesty the Selangor Sultan has made a decision and decreed that the word ‘Allah’ is a sacred word specific to Muslims and is strictly forbidden for use by any non-Muslim religion in Selangor as stated in a fatwa and gazetted on 18 February 2010,” MAIS secretary Datuk Mohd Misri Idris said in a statement.

Mohd Misri added that Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had issued a similar decree three years ago when the “Allah” issue first erupted and regretted that his statement was taken lightly.

He pointed out that the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment restricting the use of the word was passed in the state assembly 25 years ago and enforced in July 1988.

He said the state law was also in keeping with Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution governing the spread of non-Muslim doctrine.

“Section 9 of the Enactment strictly forbids the word ‘Allah’ to be used by non-Muslims in any matter related to their religions.

“Those who breach this provision can be charged and sentences meted out against them,” he said.

The Selangor Sultan also chided those who would use Islam for political purposes and warned them against destroying the existing peace enjoyed by Malaysia’s multireligious community, Mohd Misri secretary said.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told a joint press conference with Pakatan Rakyat leaders here yesterday that Christians and other non-Muslim communities should not abuse the word to spread confusion among Muslims but this did not mean they were not allowed to use the word.

In recent years, the Christian and Muslim religious communities have been engaged in a tug-of-war over the word “Allah”, with the latter group arguing that its use should be exclusive to them on the grounds that Islam is monotheistic and the word “Allah” denotes the Muslim god.

The Sikh community have also claimed the word “Allah” to be an integral part of its holy texts to describe god.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/questions-over-fatwa-effect-on-non-muslims-after-selangor-sultans-allah-decree/

The Polling Dates Guessing Game Goes On

Malaysians have been guessing about polling dates for the past two years. Now we have entered into 2013, and the latest date we go to polls is on June 27. It based on the automatic termination of Parliament on April 27, and after that polls must be held within 60 days.

But it is believed that the most likely date would be on the last Saturday of the first-term school holidays, that is, on March 30. This year the Ministry of Education has unusually pushed forth the holidays to two weeks later at last minute, breaking the norm of holding holidays on the second week of March. With such an act, and to the fact that the government needed school teachers to work as polling agents, so the chance for March 30 is high.

If this date was planned by Barisan Nasional (BN) months earlier, I doubted whether the Prime Minister Najib had indeed overlooked two important facts. Firstly, the Qing Ming Festival falls on April 4. Usually the Chinese will visit the graveyards on the Saturday and Sunday prior to the actual date, that is, on March 30 and 31.

The government may say they have done a favor for the Chinese. They can hit two birds with one stone. In other words, they can go back to their hometown to pay their respect to the deceased, and at the same time they can cast their votes. But I begged to differ. As a matter of facts, many Chinese have already made their polling stations in their working places since they moved out from their hometowns.

Secondly, the school holidays week is also a Holy Week for Christians.  Good Friday falls on March 29 and whereas Easter on 31. For Christians there are two Festivals which are important to them. They are Christmas and Good Friday-Easter. Good Friday is even a State Holiday for Sarawak and Sabah in East Malaysia. In fact, For the Roman Catholics, they would even begin celebrating Good Friday-Easter one month ahead.

Christians hope that PM Najib won’t turn our Holy Month into a Poll-Campaign-Hassle-Month! During the recent Christmas Party with some Church Leaders, Najib had reassured the Christian community in Malaysia that the government recognised them as an essential part of the nation.

My opinion is, not holding polls on our Holy Week is doing us a favour. Najib must uphold BN’s pledge of “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled).

A population of 9.2% Christians in Malaysia is indeed not a small population. Out of 10 citizens, one is a Christian. More than half of the Christians dwelled in East Malaysia. Both BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) see East Malaysia as a pivot of change. Come the 13^th General Elections, Christians could be the King Maker to decide who could wrestle Putrajaya successfully!

Other than March, few would think that January and February are not possible dates. Their logic is that the government planned to distribute BR1M funds in January and February. Added to that, February is Chinese New Year month. But with our outdated Electoral System whereby only the PM could decide for polls, anything is possible. Remember the former PM Abdullah Badawi? He dissolved Parliament on February 13. It fell on the 7^th day of Chinese New Year. After the news was announced, the country had switched into a Battle Mood from a CNY Mood!

So, I pray that Najib would honor his words and show respect to the Christians and Chinese by avoiding clashes with our Festivals.

马来西亚人还在猜大选日期

（《星洲日报》新闻在此篇评论后面）

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    《星洲日报》进入2013年，猜测“大选最可能落在3月”，应该也不大意外。即使让国会自动解散，最迟也不能超过上半年。报纸猜大选日期已经猜了两年，进入2013年还在猜，这让我们醒觉，希望大选后，执政的联邦政府能够改革大选日期的制度，让国家更民主，更像先进国，这样对国家的发展肯定有利。

        3月杪学校假期最后的星期六，即30日举行大选是极大可能的，原因是教育部今年很不寻常地把3月份的学校假期跟往年的退后两周，选举通常需要老师们的帮助，这是迹象之一。

        若是真的打算在3月30日大选的话，不知政府有没有考虑到这个期间有两大节期。第一是清明节落在4月4日，华裔通常都选择在之前的星期六和星期日，也就是今年的3月30和31日扫墓。若说这样方便华裔回家乡扫墓顺便投票不是很好吗？但不然，其实很多华裔自从离开家乡往外发展后，他们已经报名或转换投票在工作的选区。到时岂不是两头跑两头忙？

        其次，基督徒在3月29日至31日庆祝耶稣受难节和复活节。基督教有两大假期是最重要的，即圣诞节和受难节—复活节。东马两州甚至列受难节为州假期！尤其天主教教徒在复活节一个月前已经开始庆祝活动。那么在信徒忙于准备的日子里，却变成是忙于竞选活动了！首相纳吉刚在圣诞节与教会领袖聚茶会说过“我没忘记基督社群”，希望他不会在这节期中举行大选。基督徒的人数其实也不少，每10人就有一个是基督徒，他们可能就是来届大选的造王者！尤其朝野必争的东马选民更是造王者，我国超过一半的基督徒是在东马呢！

        消息告诉《星洲日报》说2月份不适宜大选，一来这时是华人新年，二来这时才开始发放第二轮的一个大马援助金。但我认为在华人新年期间大选并不是不可能的。前任首相阿都拉在2008年2月13日宣布解散国会，此日期时值华人新年的年初七。当解散国会消息一公布，华裔及政党党员即没有心情庆祝新年了，大家那时都忙于应付大选。所以，华人新年的月份举行大选是可能的，是有迹可寻的！

        我们希望首相能够考虑到关注基督徒和华裔的感受。同时我常常想，我们在华文报发表的心声，那些不懂得读中文的官员，是否获得如这样的文章下情上达的信息呢？我建议最好英文的《星洲网》能够把一些相关的言论翻译到英文。

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距离国会解散剩17週‧大选最可能落在3月

• 国內
 

 2013-01-02 08:44

（雪兰莪‧八打灵再也1日讯）踏入2013年，第十三届全国大选也开始进入倒数阶段，根据分析，3月是国阵最佳“收成＂时期，大选最有可能落在3月份。

国会下议院將在4月28日届满，换句话说距离国会解散的日期只剩下17週，大选热逐渐升温。

国会自动解散可能性低

坊间从去年开始就臆测大选的举行日期，来到2013年的选举年，政府掌权期限剩下不到5个月。预料，首相拿督斯里纳吉在3月中宣佈解散国会的几率最大，以及在3月杪举行大选。

行动党也认为，如果首相不在这星期內宣佈解散国会，那么大选极可能会在3月尾举行。

据瞭解，4月份宣佈举行大选，或者让国会自动解散的可能性很低，因为若將大选拖到最后一分钟，会给人感觉政府是拖无法拖的情况下举行选举，拉低信心指数，势必將影响国阵的士气与竞选机制及胜算。

选委会主席丹斯里阿都阿兹对星洲日报说，如果首相没有在4月28日之前举行大选，根据联邦宪法，国会將在4月28日自动解散，选委会將在60天內举行大选，大选最迟可拖至6月28日之前举行。

发援金良好气氛可持续至3月

消息告诉本报，今年1月和2月份也不適宜举行大选，因为1月太早，国阵成员党尚未做好备战，包括巫统內部问题如议席的分配及候选人等还在斟酌，2月份是华人农历新年，加上政府2月才开始发放第二轮一个大马援助金，当局相信这种良好气氛和余温可持续到3月。

民联州议会须一併解散

“国阵各成员党对候选人已有腹稿，但是名单至今还未拍板。通常党领袖会在国会解散后，才做出定案及宣佈。＂

据悉，若大选落在3月份，民联执政的州议会將无可避免与国会一併解散，同步举行大选。

雪州大臣丹斯里卡立早前表明，若国会在2013年3月解散，雪州政府將別无选择，会同时解散州议会，与全国大选同步举行。

国州同步选举有利国阵

消息也说，州议会与国会同步举行选举，国阵的竞选策略將佔上风，因为这可分散民联的资源包括人力与物力，削弱民联的竞选机关。

“若民联无法拿下布城，民联也不能够以哀兵姿態爭取州政权了。民联的候选人也不能够在州议席再次上阵。＂

选委会副主席拿督旺阿末说，选委会必须在2月杪100%完成大选筹备工作，包括购买首次採用的不褪色墨汁。

此外，国阵总秘书东姑安南表示，党总部已经指示各区部做好准备，以应对隨时举行的大选。

（星洲日报‧报道：余秘叶）

来源：http://news.sinchew.com.my/node/273463?tid=1