'Allah'- gate in Malaysia: Christianity's battle for 'God' against Fundamentalist Muslims

In many parts of the country the word 'Allah' has been used for God in Malay-language Bible translations for more than a century.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - The number of churches in Malaysia that have been attacked due to the recent ruling on Christians using the term "Allah" for God has risen to nine.

On Sunday firebombs were thrown at three more churches, while another was splashed with black paint. These are just the latest in the series of attacks on Christian churches in this Southeast Asian country.

Four churches were hit by Molotov cocktails on Friday and Saturday. During that attack, a Pentecostal Church, Metro Tabernacle Church was gutted by fire and the mebers had to move their services. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church reported only minor damage.

The attacks have come as the result of a high court ruling on December 31st overturning a government order that banned non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" in their prayers and literature.

The decision of the court came from a petition by the Catholic Herald that uses the word "Allah" in their Malay-language edition and now allows non-Muslims to use the word "Allah," which has angered Muslims and extremists from the ruling party.

Last January, the government of Malaysia banned Christians from using the word "Allah," stating that the use of this Arabic word might offend the sensitivities of Muslims.

In February, The Most Reverend Murphy Pakiam, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, filed for a judicial review, naming the Home Ministry and the government as respondents.

As publisher of the Herald, the archbishop was seeking a ruling that the ban was illegal and contended that the word "Allah" was not exclusive. Muslims in Malaysia, however, contend that the word "Allah" belongs to Islam alone.

In many parts of the country, the word "Allah" has been used for God in Malay-language Bible translations for more than a century. Many Christians in that country don't know any other word for God.

After the ruling came down from the high court, Father Lawrence Andrew, the Herald's editor, stated, "It is a day of justice and we can say right now that we are citizens of one nation."

Sixty per cent of Malaysia's 28 million people are Muslim while only 9 percent are Christians. Of the 2.5 million Christians, 800,000 are Catholics. The government is appealing the verdict.

M.A. Khan, the U.S. Editor of Islam Watch made the following comment regarding Islam's right to exclusivity in the use of the word. "The term 'Allah' was not created by the Islamic God, or Muhammad or any Muslim.

"The Pagans of Arabia had been using 'Allah' to denote 'God' for hundreds, probably for thousands, of years before Islam's birth."

He also suggested that Muslims invent a new language if they desire exclusivity, since no religion can lay claim to a language.

The Catholic News Agency reports that Archbishop Robert Sarah, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, stated last week that "the recent attacks against Christians in Malaysia are designed to annihilate and reject "those who believe in Christ."

The statements were made on Vatican Radio after Muslim extremists attacked the first four churches on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

Archbishop Sarah also noted that "the fact that it has been forbidden to say the name of God is like considering them (Christians) to be pagans and therefore 'in need' of converting to Islam.

"That's what is behind this," he said. "We must pray for these Christians who live in Muslim lands and suffer greatly."

Tensions have increased significantly between the two groups since the attacks took place, but leaders from both sides hope to work toward a peaceful end.

Syafii Maarif, the former chairman of Muhammadiyah, an Indonesian Islamic organization, told the Jarkarta Globe that he regretted the attacks and called on religious leaders in Indonesia to exercise calm in the face of "irresponsible acts."

"I believe that religious organizations such as NU and Muhammadiyah have to play a bigger role in calling on their followers to prevent violence as a solution to problems," he said.

Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, told the Globe that Christians won't be intimidated by the attacks, labeling them as "the work of an extremist minority.

"We all have to stand together to stamp out terror perpetuated by these extremist groups."

Even after the nine attacks, the government, which has officially condemned the bombings, still contends that making "Allah" synonymous with God confuses Muslims. For many Muslims in that country, the claim to exclusivity is held firmly and no compromise will be accepted.

The significant increase of attacks on churches this past weekend requires Catholics, and all Christians for that matter, to keep a careful watch on this developing story in Southeast Asia, to pray for persecuted Christians and to ask the Lord to bring authentic peace.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online. He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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