COMMENT Imagine tomorrow some crackpot stamping on a copy of the Quran: ‘FOR MUSLIMS ONLY. Not to be circulated to non-Muslims’.

While this may be done according to the letter of the law, the spirit in which it is done is highly inflammatory and insulting.

If the same is done to the Bhagavad Gita or the Sikh scripture, or any Buddhist sutra, the followers have every reason to be angry.

In the same manner, when a group of residents from Shah Alam paraded a cow’s head, when they were protesting against the Selangor state government in 2008, the Hindus were also greatly insulted. The cow is their holy animal, and how could it be spat at?

Understandably, this is how the Christian community in Malaysia feel when copies of the Alkitab were stamped in red ink: ‘Strictly for non-Muslims only and shall not be published or used in any part of the State of Selangor pursuant to Section 9(1) Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment 1988'.

Appeal for harmony

To preserve the harmony in the country, all parties should subscribe to the universal principle of mutual respect. This is also known as the Golden Rule: “Do unto others what you would have them do to you.”

If the Prophet Muhammad himself was able to live in harmony with the Jews and the Christians during his lifetime, why should some people in Malaysia think that they can break the Golden Rule and think that they can get away by trampling upon another person’s Holy Scripture?

Such arrogance has no place in the ‘masyarakat Malaysia’. If allowed to continue, it will create a lot of unpleasantness amongst the races and people of different religions. I respect PAS spiritual adviser Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat ( left ) because he knows how to respect the people whose religious beliefs differ from his.

As I understand it, it was Nik Aziz who personally looked for a piece of land for the Buddhists in Kelantan to build what is now the largest statue of standing Buddha, sitting Buddha, and reclining Buddha in South-East Asia.

It is such mutual respect that has helped to preserve the harmony of the races in Kelantan, compared to other parts of the country, where polarisation of the races is becoming a threat to national unity.

In the first place, never in the Quran did Allah Himself defend His Name is only meant for the Muslims, and non-Muslims are banned from using exulting His Name. The Name of Allah has never been a copyright issue in any part of the world, and the Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christian community has always held the Name in worship.

Correct me, if I am wrong, but did the Prophet himself not speak to his neighbours: “Your Allah and our Allah is One...”? Therefore, I am wondering, who came out with the idea that non-Muslims cannot use the name ‘Allah’?

Jais and Mais responsible

The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) has made a clear demand for an apology. The apology has to come, not from the Menteri Besar’s Office, but from the Selangor religious authorities, as clearly stated in the BSM’s press statement.

In this case, it is the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais), which reports directly to the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council or Mais, which in return, reports directly to the sultan, as head of Islam in the state of Selangor.

Although Jais has a dotted line to the Menteri Besar’s Office, it is clear that the MB has no power over Jais or Mais. Mais’s president, Adzib Mohd Isa ( right ), was previously involved in a tussle with the former MB of Selangor, Khalid Ibrahim, over who Jais should be accountable to, and of course, Mais won the battle.

Both the MB and Mais report to the sultan as head of the state as well as head of Islam. Therefore, the new MB, Azmin Ali in his capacity as MB, has played his role to see to the return of the 321 copies of the Alkitab. This was also done with the blessings of the sultan of Selangor, without which Mais or Jais may not even budge, despite the Attorney-General’s Chamber saying that the BSM’s duo would not be charged.

Although BSM, through its press statement, has demonstrated that it is clear about the line of reporting, it is unfortunate that the media people are still barking at the wrong tree. The question should be raised with Jais.

If there is no answer, the Mais president, Adzib, should answer the questions fielded by the press. Since Adzib is also linked to Umno, advice should also come from the prime minister himself on what is sensible to do in the interest of preserving national unity.

Acid test

Whether Mais and Jais will apologise will be the acid test that will show us whether they are humble in the way they uphold the sanctity of Islam.

What we would like to see are people who are bold enough to apologise when a wrong is done, instead of people who have an air of arrogance around them that is more closely associated with the Malay supremacy. Muslims have been taught to live in humility befitting one who follows the Ways of Allah, because God is the Ultimate Judge of all races.

Watching the episode unfold one after another, we are not expecting Mais or Jais to apologise, but the blame should not be allowed to fall on a third party. There is enough of the Boston tea party that we see.

We are reminded time and again, on Dec 16, 1773, demonstrators disguised as American Indians, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company in defiance of the Tea Act passed in May that year. Such an act of defiance was done at the expense of the American Indians.

It’s time for the parties responsible for the stamping of the Alkitab to own up, and for the media to go after the real culprits. It’s also time that politicians should realise that playing the religious card will not benefit any party.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.