Update 2.25pm

PAS will call up a meeting to discuss on this issue (in a way to customize into one solid opinion), while PKR supports the decision.

In the report, Tian Chua is quoted as saying: “The hue and cry that has broken out is politically motivated by Umno to split the races,”. Wait up Tian Chua.. this is not political or race.. this is about religion. Which part of “Allah” is racial issue? PAS members, please advice your counter-part. I don’t think your counterpart understand Islam that much and cannot differentiate between religious and racial issue.

Original Article

Since the result of allowing The Herald using Allah in their publication as a translation of God in English to Bahasa Malaysia the very last day of 2009, Malaysians was strucked with various reactions and mixed feelings. Some opposed, some agreed.

Among those who gave their reactions that can be collected within the net are:-

and last but not least..

Meanwhile, Dr Asri does not wish to comment on the result, but reproduce his article written earlier.

One of comments I’ve received gave me a moment to think about. For most of my comments in regards to this issue revolves around between muslims, and this come from a non-muslim. As stated in my earlier article, there are way and means of dialogs in Islam. The comment was from Ketih Rozario, as follows:

Anda telah lupa bahawa terdapat golongan Bumiputera di Sabah dan Sarawak yang mengunakan bahasa Malaysia sebagai bahasa Ibunda Mereka.

Mereka Juga beragama Kristian dan bukannya Islam. Ini adalah Bumiputera Malaysia yang beragama Kristian dan telah sejak beratus tahun dahulu mengunakan perkataan Allah dalam Kitab mereka.

Di Indonesia juga perkataan Allah digunakan dalam Kitab Kristian.

Kerajaan negeri tidak sepatutnya melarang sesiapa megunakan sebarang mana perkataan disebabkan agama mereka. Ini merupakan diskriminasi.

which then I replied (after giving some careful thoughts.. as I believe, giving nas or dalil (if any), it would be useless):

Dari sudut Islam pun, tiada larangan untuk agama lain menggunakan perkataan Allah. Namun, norma di Malaysia, “Allah” itu adalah kata nama ganti khas untuk Tuhan bagi agama Islam, baik cetakkan apa juga bahasa.

Saya sebagai umat Islam sedar akan tiada larangan dari konteks akidah. Tiada masalah. Namun, isu ini harus dilihat dari segi struktur sosial dan masyarakat di Malaysia secara keseluruhannya.

Isu kali ini membawa terjemahan nama tuhan dalam kitab Bible ke Bahasa Malaysia sahaja, yang mana menjadi persoalan kepada tujuan dan motif penerbitan. Kenapa tidak diterjemahkan juga dalam Bahasa Inggeris, Mandarin, Tamil kepada Allah juga?

Agama Islam agama rasmi Malaysia, dan ini menjadikan ianya sebahagian daripada pembentukan Malaysia yang dipersetujui. Oleh itu, tidak hairanlah dengan langkah yang telah diambil oleh pihak Herald dilihat sebagai sesuatu yang bertentangan dengan Perlembagaan Malaysia.

Jika saudara mengatakan ianya sebagai “diskriminasi”, apakah tidak mungkin bagi umat Islam Malaysia melihatkan ini sebagai “pencabulan”?

From one point, one may see this as discrimination, but when we try to unveil the whole movement, I don’t see this issue as discrimination. The question which has been long asked (since this issue started), why just the translation of God In Bahasa Malaysia to be “Allah”, instead of the usual “Tuhan”?

If the publication is just for Christians, I have no problem. However I am pretty sure that the content of publication will be used in preaching to a non-Chritians in Malaysia. What is it for, if the Chritians who already understood God as “Tuhan”, not “Allah”? Do they really don’t understand that God is Tuhan in Bahasa Malaysia?

I’ve also received a comment from Apocryphalist, which worth to be shared with readers. Here goes:

OndaStreet,

Just like the Tsunami of 5 years ago — this time the wake produced by the recent tidal news of allowing Allah name be used in Christian publications has resulted in documents, interviews and past dealings that have some dircet consequences on this ruling, whether it is pro or against. Like the clever technopreneurs that we should all be, we must capitalise on all of these exposes to work for our own advantages.

Ok let’s examine some happenings one by one.

(i)                  SaTD links that Washington Post article in his blog. If you read carefully, this post is quite damaging to the christian cause. Ponder these:-

  1. The “Rev. Kumar” admits that the object of christianization is the entire malay nation. This is in direct violation of the constitution, and contradicts directly the judge’s ruling that the publications are not meant to christianize the muslims.
  2. “Rev Kumar” also admits that “his evangelical church has 12 branches throughout Malaysia and 30 affiliates and Mr. Kumar estimates that 100 Muslims are converting to Christianity every month in the country.” From this admission alone not only can the issue be thrown out of courts, but this Reverend can be charged for violating the law. Can he not, Lawyer Kampung?
  3. He also mentioned that “A royal family and the daughter of a former prime minister are among his list of converts.” Now remember this is in the Washington Post. If it is true, the Raja-raja can exercise their powers to bertindak. If it is not true, kita hadapkan the Reverend ke Mahkamah for propagating false news to outsiders and I am sure he can be charged with a lot of everything else purely by this statement alone.
  4. “Christian groups estimate that there are 30,000 Malay converts in the country.” Meaning to say, there have been 30,000 cases of violations of the constitution, of the law and all originating from one single perpretrator.
  5. They also talk about Christian Global Dominance. The government can press the Reverend if this is true, and act on it.
  6. It is not easy for us to pinpoint who Rev Kumar is. Sapa yang ada 12 branches and 30 affiliates? Sapa yang office dia sempit? Siapa yang ada magazine terpampar dalam officenya yang bertajuk “Storming the Enemy’s Stronghold.”. Can we press the “Reverend” here who the enemy is? Hey! Al-Maunah yang hanya merompak senjata itu boleh ditukar tuduhan kepada derhaka kepada Yang DiPertuan Agong. Isnt this a much more serious issue?

(ii)                Also observe that the Post article was first brought out by Institute Kajian Dasar. I know these guys. Anwar Ibrahim, when he first joined UMNO, created this group just so that his ABIM friends could be salaried. So what have they done so far? Nothing. Report pasal melayu masuk Kristian pun selamba ajer. And thengoklah tu Dr Dzulkifli cakap apa. “Dah letih nak syiarkan Islam ni”. Abis sekarang buat apa? Bantai melayu balik semula. Ntahlah kenapa sekali saya rasa sangat sakit hati kat Dr Manuty tu. Agaknya sudah terbuku sejak lama lagi kot.

Sejak dari US dulu saya pernah tengok kawan ni mengepalai group MISG ni … macam giler glamour sikit kawan ni. And then saya tak berapa respect mana-mana “cendekiawan” yang ambil PhD dalam ugama dari Temple University atau Edinburgh.

Nak tahu kenapa?

Sebab secara halus mereka telah berjaya memperdayai some muslim students semata-mata untuk mendapat PhD. Contohnya, tesis-tesis berikut pernah disuruh oleh professor2 orientalis di sana untuk muslim tsudents buat:-

(i) Tuqiyyah dalam Sunnism
(ii) Terangkan secara rasional sebab-sebab kemenangan Khalid al-Walid menentang tentera Rome.

Nah, kalau yang lemah Iman tentu sekali buat apa juga yg professor suruh. Kalau tak, tak dapat title Dr nanti.  Maka diorang buatlah Tuqiyyah dalam Sunnah. Deiii! Mana ada Tuqiyyah dalam Sunni! Konsep ini (yang bererti menipu untuk  mempertahankan kepercayaan seseorang) hanya ada dalam Syiah saja. Begitu juga bila Khalid al Walid lawan Rome dengan hanya 60 orang berbanding tentera Rome 60,000 orang, professor suruh explain secara logik, skal, strategi etc macam mana Khalid boleh menang. Tak boleh bubuh things like “Mukjizat” atau “Keramat” atau “Pertolongan Allah”. Macam ni lah diorang nak merosakkan akidah org2 Islam.

With this kind of people, do you wonder the kinds of things that spew from the mouth of the great Md Nor Manuty? Pttuuiii!!

Apo.

From my point of view, Islamic wise (as far as I am concerned), there’s no clear indication that they cannot use “Allah” as translation of “God”. Even the non-muslim Arabs use “Allah” at times.

However, the concern here is the manner of such translation. Here are my questions:

  1. Is it the publication is just for Christians (as outlined in the hearing), and the content will not be used to preach other non-Christians? [Adakah penerbitan itu hanya untuk penganut Kristian, dan kandungan terjemahan itu tidak digunakan untuk berdakwah kepada bukan Kristian?]
  2. Are the current Malaysian Christians do not understand that God (in English) is “Tuhan” in Bahasa Malaysia? (I’m sorry, but I have to ask this.. because this shows how good is your English and Bahasa Malaysia. :) ) [Adakah penganut Kristian di Malaysia tidak memahami "God" (dalam Bahasa Inggeris) adalah "Tuhan" dalam Bahasa Malaysia"? (Maaf, tetapi saya terpaksa bertanya.. kerana ini menunjukkan tahap penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Malaysia juga. :) )]
  3. Why the translation of God to be Allah being done now? Even though it is said hundreds years ago, why now? Why wouldn’y it be done years ago? [ Kenapa terjemahan itu dilakukan sekarang? Walaupun dikatakan sudah beratus tahun, kenapa sekarang? Kenapa tidak bertahun dahulu?]
  4. Why just the translation of God to be “Allah” just in Bahasa Malaysia”? Will it be used in other languages? [ Kenapa terjemahan "God" kepada "Allah" cuma dalam Bahasa Malaysia? Adakah ianya akan digunakan didalam bahasa lain?]

* I’ve taken the liberty of translating the questions to be answered either in Bahasa Malaysia or English.

These are the four main questions for those who dare to answer me honestly and straight forward. Be no fear, for what I have learn and taught to be rationale in discussions. For what I know, what has been originally preached by Jesus (Isa) and Muhammad s.a.w. came from the same source, that is Allah. One of the difference is, either Christians accepted that there is only one God – no Son, no Father, no Holy Spirit whatsoever or not.

Just one God.. Allah The Almighty.

I’m looking forward to rationale and good discussion.

Thank you.

p/s: Ah.. how I love to watch Allahyarham Ahmad Deedat’s debates. Al-Fatihah…