KUCHING, May 16: The decision to allow non-Muslims to use the word ‘Allah’ emphasises respect for the longstanding practices of the indigenous people of Sarawak, preserves the racial and religious harmony of the nation, and also the secular nature of the court system in which decisions are made according to the Constitution and legal precedent, instead of political pressure from special interest groups.
Sarawak activist Peter John Jaban said this when applauding the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MOHA) decision not to pursue the appeal against the court ruling allowing non-Muslims to use the word ‘Allah’, 15 years after the saga first began.
Peter John, who is the deputy president for Global Human Rights Federation, Malaysia, expressed relief that the issue which has caused discord and tied up in court for many years, has finally been resolved.
“The Kuala Lumpur High Court’s ruling allowing non-Muslims to use the word ‘Allah’ has affirmed the feelings, sentiments, and appreciation of the true meaning of the word for all, especially among Sarawakian Bumiputera.
“The ruling has caused much joy among the Dayak Christian community in Sarawak and Sabah as there are some 2.6 million Christians who have been using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God in sermons, hymns, prayers, public gatherings or literature,” he said in a statement today.
Peter John highlighted the word ‘Allah’ has been used in good faith in East Malaysia for 400 years.
He pointed out that as the former Chief Minister of Sarawak the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem made clear nearly a decade ago, this has never been an issue in Sarawak but was made contentious in modern Malaysia.
“Now that we have a unity government and Malaysia Madani in place, it is encouraging to see that policy is becoming more inclusive to all faiths and that the Home Ministry has decided to respect the ruling of the court.
“Just as the Federal Territories Syariah Bar Council president Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar hopes that the government was not influenced by ‘any parties’ to make the withdrawal, I also hope that the government will not be unduly influenced by the various religious councils or pressure groups,” he said.
Instead, he urged the government to respect the religious freedom enshrined in the Constitution and allow Sarawak Christians to continue in their peaceful worship.
“The word ‘Allah’ should not be a battleground. It should be a beacon of solidarity,” he added.
Meanwhile, MOHA Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution confirmed yesterday (May 15) that the government had filed to withdraw the appeal against a High Court ruling that non-Muslims can use the world ‘Allah’ in Christian publications on April 18. — DayakDaily
