JAN 10 - Churches are now being torched, four at last count. I believe more churches will be torched, stoned, graffitied, sullied, picketed, etc, for as long as the use of the word “Allah” by the Catholic church issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of Muslims in this country.
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What do you think?
I will find time to write a larger picture within this week. A quick outlook -
It is unfortunate that most Malaysians today is rather black and white in the way we look at things. So you will find those who fully support an article like this, or those who condemned it 100%.
We need to look at things more like a scientist, study why people behave the way they do. Here, dont focus on Akhramsyah, but his ideas and his perception of the Malay ground.
I have written a few times before about the Malay sentiments at the ground and commented about a speech by Tun Dr M here. Tun at that time in a nutshell summarised the Malay sentiment here. I may not agree with tun in many key issues and have written about them in the late 80s but when dealing with the Malays and how to manage this country, I will at the least listen to his thoughts.
Read to understand not to agree or disagree.
We are lucky that our nation does not have what our neighbour have like Laskar Indonesia or the "Green Faction" in the military (making it a state sponsored militant organization) and the likes. Perhaps the good point of having the ISA - you see, something like the ISA also have the positives. As such our arsonist are individual small cells, disorganised, basically dysfuctional brothers who wanted to be heard - I do not worry a larger outbreak , we do not have well organised militant groups.
While in no way I would agree that a religious institution can deserve to be disrecpected but we need to understand the feelings at the ground and help solve this problem.
Peace, anas
3 comments:
When the indonesians lay claims to certain songs, dances and adats as being exclusively theirs and shall not be "copied" by malaysians, the malays here protest, and they lay counter claims that all these belong to the people of nusantara, therefore render any argument of exclusivity as irrelavant.
But when the christians of sabah and sarawak lay claim to the word allah as part of their religous adat which has been in existence for more than 100 years, the malays protest, and lay counter claim for exclusivity.
As a non malay, i am confuse as to what sort of principles are being applied to support an argument over an issue. Some quote the constitution, some quote history, some quote religous texts, some quote culture and adat, and some quote politicians!
And i support that this issue is to be referred to Majlis Raja-Raja. And may I add that the issue concerning "secret" conversion to Islam and body snatching, like the late/allahyarham everest climber case, be resolved by the Majlis as well. Secrecy sow mistrust, openness is the only way.
In the world of black and white, we also need to ascertain the validity of arabic names, or what some here call islamic names, in the Malaysian context. In the middles east, a Fatima or a Kadir may be a Muslim or a Christian. What about here? We need a guidline to pre empt another round of controversy, as more and more 21st century malaysian parents apply "sophisticated" names for their children. We have people with names like Annexe, Jovial, Clovis, Valentine...just a matter of time before we come accross names like Nooraisyaa Annabelle Chong, Elyas Europa Tan, or Nurul Istanbul Muthusamy!
Peter Gabra
Allah is Arabic word for God. It is a generic word and does not belong to any specific religion.
The Arab Jews & Christians use the word Allah as God. The Indonesian bible also does the same. So this is nothing new.
How is it that other muslims in the world do not protest the usage of the word Allah to represent God?
Why do UMNO & some extremist muslims so strongly protest on this issue? Either they are so narrow-minded or they purposely want to create trouble for the country. They have no right to copyright the word Allah for their own use. I urge all Malays & muslims not to fall into their stupid trap. Islam is a religion of peace. Don't let these idiots tarnish Islam's image.
it does not matter if those responsible are labelled as arsonist who are from small cells, disorganised, dysfuctional. the truth for the matter is they will win end of the day. this worries malaysians in general, this is something that is real and alive and lives amongst us and malaysians are getting used to it. the outcome is clear regardless, sad but true in this beloved motherland. only educating will eradicate these thoughts but then education is not a strong area in malaysia. seems like wealth is after all not the breeder of terorist afterall, atleast in the malaysian context.
may the merciful have mercy and continue to bless this land and her people nevertheless.
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