'What standard of Islam does this country practice when the home minister doesn't compare Malaysia with other Muslim countries?''Allah' issue: 'Don't compare apples with oranges'
Azizi Khan: Since when was being a Malaysian Malay more important than being a Muslim? Why do Malaysian Malays need to be ‘special' Muslims? There is no ‘bumiputera' status in Islam. Islam is one and same - everywhere.
Lvbala: Correct me if I'm wrong, but does this mean the Islam practiced in Malaysia is different from other Muslim countries? Isn't it the word ‘Allah' is universal? What standard of Islam does this country practice when the home minister doesn't compare Malaysia with other Muslim countries?
Victor Johan: Is Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam now professes to be an authority on Islam by proclaiming that Indonesia and the rest of the Islamic countries and Muslim scholars have a different Islamic religious understanding from the home minister, his ministry administrative officials and the politically-appointed Malaysian national and state religious department heads and administrative workers?
Attention diplomats and representatives of foreign missions: This ‘Allah' issue is but a political stunt initiated by the current Umno-led government to create a state of uncertainty and havoc so as to stay in power.
The Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition have unequivocally stated that the usage of ‘Allah' does not contravene the Islamic religion. World renowned Islamic scholars attest to this. Please insist that the Malaysian prime minister and home minister prove otherwise.
Chua CJ: I thought there is only one Islam? How come Malaysia has got another version of Islam? Who is playing God here? Isn't the current crisis politically-motivated to divert attention from all the corruption?
Lr: So which Islam are Malaysian Muslims practising - "apple" Islam or "orange" Islam? Muslims all over the world are okay with non-Muslims using the term ‘Allah', except in Malaysia. Maybe it's a Barisan Nasional brand of Islam that we practise. Funny thing is, it's okay to use the term in speech, but not in print. What logic?
Disgusted: This is another nonsensical political gobbledygook from Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam who suggests that the Islam practised in Malaysia is superior to that of other countries. What a load of rubbish.
Steer clear of Hindraf vigil, priest tells flock
Tkc: Hindraf should respect Father Phillips Muthu's advice. We do not need hotheads in these circumstances. I can't help having the perception that Hindraf is doing it to advance their political agenda. The best act of solidarity is to let the churches settle things in their own gentle way.
Habib RAK: Father Phillips, I support your decision. It is the right decision under the circumstances. There is always the right time and a right way to handle any matter. There is no need at this juncture to confront the issue at hand with a show of protest (even if it's in a peaceful manner).
The issue at hand is not tenable for such an event and will find its right place with the passage of time. The ignorant make up a small group, though they are very noisy when they protested at the mosque. It will die a natural death. The right path will always prevail. Once again, I salute your decision.
Pusat Komas: Solidarity action with victims of any violations should be welcomed. Why is a candlelight vigil suddenly seen as something so negative? It should be open for all Malaysians to come and show that they oppose any church burnings. It's not just for non-Muslims .
We must stop having the fear mentality and be threatened by police. Najib has said that we must allow people to express themselves. Let's use one standard for 1Malaysia.
Lin Wen Quan: Mr P Waythamoorthy (Hindraf leader), please stay away from the churches. Take your people elsewhere and don't exploit this issue to prop up your flagging standing in Hindraf.
The Christians are capable of facing these troubled times through prayers and restraint without you adding more fuel to the already volatile situation. Your platform is incongruous with the current problem facing the Christians. Father Phillips is right by saying it will 'send the wrong message as if the non-Muslims are going against the Muslims'.
The bigots are just waiting for some form of reaction, peaceful or otherwise, and they will bark and bite like rabid dogs and say that other races are being insensitive to their feelings. The authorities will come to their rescue ala the cow's head episode. So please stay away.
Church in Seremban attacked
Maggie Lim: These attacks are definitely not the works of true Muslims. They are the works of misled or extremist ones. I have very close Muslim friends and till today, even with all this nonsense, we are still very close. I don't hate them and they don't hate me. They respect my religion and I respect theirs.
Some of the good Muslims can be seen online too. The prominent ones are Marina Mahathir (unlike her father), Art Harun, Haris Ibrahim, Azmi Sharom and many more. With these good Muslims around, I know that there are many other good Muslims around.
So, let us not bunch all Muslims in one basket just because of some bad apples. In every religion and every race, there are bound to be bad ones and these are the people that causes problems. Unfortunately, our government has a lot of these bad apples among them.
KLeo: These extremists are getting bolder and bolder. There was no evidence of Molotov cocktails (in the attack on the Seremban church) perhaps indicates that the attackers actually went up to the wooden doors to try to torch the entrance.
As a preventative measure (since the Royal Malaysian Police force now suddenly lacks manpower), church officials should install security devices. Churches with deeper pockets should go for CCTV video cameras while others (which would be most churches) should get dummy security cameras.
Cks: Webcams and CCTV's to safeguard the houses of worship? What has this country become? This is not solving the problem by tackling the cause. The government should show that it means business by meting out appropriate punishment to those terrorism-inclined elements.
If the police are serious about catching the culprits, sure they know what must be done. How about offering a handsome reward for informants? Punish a few culprits and it will be an effective deterrant.
Police warn against demos at places of worship
Teh: I remember Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak having said that the government cannot stop people from demonstrating. And indeed some people, encouraged by the PM, demonstrated. Now Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar says that people cannot demonstrate.
So only some people can demonstrate while others cannot. Just as only some people can use certain words while others cannot use the same words. I get it now: Najib's new slogan is called 1Malaysia. It depends on which part of 1Malaysia you belong to.
Gen2: I wonder why, when he (Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar) made that statement, no reporters present had the cow sense to ask him why demonstrations can be held in mosques but not at churches?
Everything was okay until some people in the Home Ministry decided to ban the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims. This started a spark. The PM and the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein added fuel to the fire by saying it was okay to demonstrate in mosques.
This encouraged some other Muslims with low understanding of Islam and led to the torching of the churches. Now they said there should be no demonstrations in churches. This exposes the double standards. Shows you how the PM and Kerismmuddin have shot themselves in the foot when they could have stopped this by saying no to demonstrations in mosques. Period.
Instead they play to the crowd and put the whole of Malaysia's stability at risk.