Nik Aziz: Allah can be used if you believe in one God

PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has explained the decision of the party's syura council on the Allah controversy, stressing that non-Muslims can only use the word if they believe there is only one God.

In other words, Christians who believe in the concept of the Holy Trinity, should not be allowed to use 'Allah', he said.

According to a report in Sinar Harian today, the Kelantan menteri besar, who also chairs the PAS syura council, said those who believe there is more than one God, are wrong to use the word 'Allah'.

"For a person who wants to use 'Allah', he must believe there is only one Allah. If his religion says there is more than one God and he wants to use the term 'Allah', then the meaning would be wrong.

"If non-Muslims want to use 'Allah', they can. How to ban them? But if Christians suddenly want to use 'Allah', the meaning is wrong because they (believe in the doctrine of) the trinity (made up of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit)," Nik Aziz is quoted as saying.

Asked about the different stance among leaders, he replied, "that one I don't know".

Not for non-Islamic religious texts

The syura council, the highest decision-making body of the Islamic party, met on Sunday night and issued a statement stating that the word 'Allah' cannot be used as a translation for 'God' or 'Lord' in non-Islamic religious texts.

Syura council secretary Nik Zawawi Nik Salleh denied that previous statements made by both Nik Abdul Aziz and party president Abdul Hadi Awang, allowed non-Muslims to 'Allah'.

"We have never said so," Nik Zawawi is quoted as saying by Sinar Harian .

Instead, those statements were in line with the syura council's decision on Sunday, he insisted.

"People misunderstand. I don't know what to say. When we made this stance, we called on all Muslims to accept it.

"This stance is the best for Islam and all other religions in Malaysia. We also protect their rights. There is no problem, just that they cannot pollute 'Allah' because it is specific for Muslims only," Nik  Zawawi is quoted as saying.

He explained that non-Muslims could use the holy word when they meet Muslims - for example when PAS members shout 'Allah-u-akbar' during a PAS ceramah.

But they cannot use the word in translations of their religious texts.

Nik Zawawi also claimed that the DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, has accepted this stance, for he had listened to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang carefully and remained silent when Hadi explained the issue at a meeting with Pakatan Rakyat leaders last week.

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