Ban makes us lawbreakers, say Christians
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Churches in Sabah, east Malaysia, are concerned that the Court of Appeal ruling banning Catholic weekly publication The Herald from using the term "Allah" would lead to a wider restriction on the use of the word among Christians in Malaysia, says Sabah Co
He noted that there were 1.6 million Bumiputra Christians in Sabah and Sarawak who use Bahasa Malaysia (Malay-language) in their worship in addition to their native languages and they make up about two-thirds of the country’s Christians. Tsen said proscribing the use of the word “Allah” would turn the native Bumiputra into law-breakers. “The ruling contradicts a common practice of the Church in Sabah and Sarawak for hundreds of years. A most serious breach of the pillar pertaining to religious freedom is the assault on the rights of Bumiputra Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians to the use of Al-Kitab [Bible] and the word Allah.”
United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation president Bernard Dompok, who was instrumental in the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and the Vatican, said the ruling was a sad day for Malaysia. “The use of the word ‘Allah’ in both states predated the formation of Malaysia. The word is being used by Christian communities in Indonesia and the Arab world. Why should Malaysia be any different?” he asked.
