A group of pro-establishment NGOs rallied about 200 of their supporters at the Shah Alam Mosque to protest the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Malay translation of the Christian Bible.

They also claimed to uphold the royal decree made by Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who had banned ‘Allah’ from being used by non-Muslims in the state as it is a holy word that is specific to the Muslim faith and its adherents, as outlined in a fatwa gazetted by the National Fatwa Council on Feb 28, 2010.

NONE “We the people of Selangor demand that all parties respect the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation amongst Muslims) Enactment 1988 which was enacted in line with Article 11(4) of the constitution,” said Hamidzun Khairuddin, a spokesperson for the group.

He quoted Section 9 of the Enactment which expressly prohibits non-Muslims from using the word ‘Allah’ in any way in relation with their own religion.

“We the people of Selangor want to advise non-Muslims to stay out of Islam’s affairs to avoid friction and misunderstandings between the faiths and races of the country,” added Hamidzun.

He also warned all quarters, especially political parties, not to make use of or manipulate Islam as political capital, claiming it will cause confusions amongst the rakyat and lead to racial and religious strife.

“We would like to warn all political parties, do not let your pursuit of power lead to a Pyrrhic victory. Foreign enemies watch our every move. They are jealous of our harmony and often look for ways to cause religious and racial strife on Malaysian soil.”

Also present in the rally which took place after Friday prayers today were Jalur Tiga (Jati) president Hasan Ali, senator Ezam Mohd Nor, Gerakan Prihatin Rakyat Selangor chairperson Sohaimi Shahadan and various NGO representatives.

Other NGOs present were Malay rights advocacy group Perkasa, Muslim consumer association PPIM and the Selangor Youth Council.

Hasan questions rationale

Hasan, who also spoke at the rally to shouts of ‘Takbir!’ and ‘Daulat Tuanku’ from the crowd, questioned the rationale used by non-Muslims and Christians who want to use ‘Allah’ in the Malay translation of the Bible.

The former PAS leader expressed disappointment with Muslims who seem to allow the non-Muslims to use ‘Allah’, fearing that soon churches will be called House of Allah and the word will be inscribed on crosses and crucifixes and used by Christians for their “well-coordinated purposes”.

NONE Hasan ( centre in photo ) said the group will organise a larger rally in two weeks time to punctuate their point that the use of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims will adversely affect Muslims for generations to come.

Sohaimi, who is also an Umno Youth exco member, chastised those who had raised the matter again after it had simmered down, warning that religion should not be politicised and must not be belittled as Muslims must answer for it in the Hereafter.

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