There can be no worst start to the year 2014 with the news of the raiding on the Bible Society of Malaysia looming over the headlines of every major news reporting portal. It is utterly offensive, intrusive and disappointing that the whole “Allah” row has come to such a stage.
Some say that this is a mere political gimmick. A hand dealt by the politicians to divert the Rakyat’s attention from the more abrasive issue of rising living costs and inflation rates. Like first delivering a body blow which is swiftly followed by illegal elbow to the chest. Surely both hurt like hell, but the victim would most likely cry foul over the illegal assault, forgetting about the real damaged done by the prior attack.
I would say that is a rather fair assessment of the situation, but I believe despite the grumblings and complaints everybody is set on adapting to the higher living costs and the weaker buying power that the year 2014 entails. Because there is simply nothing much that we can do to change that fact. It’s part and parcel of life.
But now it seems more to me that they really mean business. To weed out all potential elements that may cause confusion among my Malay brethren, to deter all un-Islamic influence that may cause my Malay brothers to divert from their faith. A blanket ban on exclusive Islamic terminology which are prohibited for non-Muslims. The thought of second guessing what would happen next is really what scares me. The unknown and the probability of religious persecution lurking right behind the corner is what terrifies me.
In all honesty, it doesn’t really matter to me whether I am allowed to use the words such as “Allah”, “Nabi” etc. It is after all, in their words, “non-integral to the practice of [my] Christian faith”. It doesn’t really matter what man calls God, for God has declared that “I am who I AM”; He is God regardless of what you call him.
But I can’t say the same for my Malay-speaking brothers and sisters in Christ. Whose fault it is, that they have little or almost no command of the English language? And who are the ones that go all out to try to reach out to these people that can only communicate in Malay? What started as a mere gesture to reach out to the secluded became a tradition of the church, which has also become an inheritance, a mark of identity especially to those in Sabah and Sarawak.
The truth is, the verdict delivered by the Court of Appeals has almost no bearings on the practice of my Christian faith. I can readily accept that verdict and leave it to God, praying that one day all Malaysia will finally have a leader that Malaysians of all ethnicity and religion can be proud of. Leaders that believe in tolerance, respecting each other and love. A society where churches visited by non-Christians, Friday sermons frequented by non-Muslims, Buddhist prayers attended by non-Buddhists. Isn’t the very core of the whole “Allah” issue is the shallow understandings of our own religion and of others, as well as the ignorance we beheld against each other? It is a really terrifying notion of how little we understand about each others’ religion!!
Aren’t we all Malaysians? Aren’t we all entitled to the same rights enshrined in the Constitution? The right to religious freedom and to practice them in a peaceful manner? Is it even Islamic to protect ones of privilege at the expense of another? Would conducting raids and enforcing bans promote Islam? Mind you, that the more you ban something, the more popular it becomes.
I don’t wish to sound condescending, but allow me to make several anecdote based on my experience studying overseas. There was no “surau” in our campus, but the Chaplain of my university offered a “quiet room” to my Muslim friends to pray in, as many times as they need. This room is situated inside the Chapel itself. He even had prayer mats and Kiblah signs prepared in the room for the Muslims.
On another note, our Malaysian society was organising a festival for the locals one day. We were busy entertaining our guests with performances, food and games throughout. But contrary to popular beliefs, my Muslim friends were as pious as any Muslim could be. When it was time, everybody stopped working and the “imam” led the prayers right in the middle of the campus, open air for everybody to see. There were many curious stares, some whispering in wonder about what they were doing. But for me, I couldn’t possibly be more proud for my friends, for they were carrying out their duties as best as they can, for all to see. The wonderful thing is, while the Muslims were praying, the non-Muslims were explaining to the local visitors (mostly British) what they were doing.
I’ll leave you with this: Aren’t this two instances the best possible testimonies for the respective religion? Aren’t these two instances the epitome of tolerance, understanding and respect?
AMEN/AMIN to that!!
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