Malay Muslim Groups and UMNO in Mourning: May Run Amok for "Loss" of Monopoly of ALLAH to Catholics in Malaysia
Saturday, January 02, 2010 from Malaysians Unplugged Uncensored
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Khir Toyo said that he is now in mourning, as a Muslim, for the loss of "Allah" to the Catholics. Read here for more

MUSLIM groups in Malaysia have voiced opposition to a court ruling allowing a Catholic paper the right to use the word 'Allah". They said on Saturday they plan to demonstrate.

Malaysian version of Islam vs the Malaysian Federal Constitution

"The court decision is not right and we are planning to hold a major demonstration to protest this,"Syed Hassan Syed Ali, secretary general of Malay rights group Pribumi Perkasa told AFP.

He and 50 other Malay activists held a small protest over the ruling outside a central mosque Friday.

Malaysia's high court ruled on Thursday that the Caltholic Herald weekly had the right to use the word 'Allah' after a long-running dispute between the government and the paper in the Muslim-majority nation.

"Allah is a MUSLIM God" According to Mamak Reezal Merican

Federation of MALAY Students' Association Advisor, "Mamak" Reezal Merican said although the court decision had to be respected, the government needed to appeal it.

'We want to live in peace with all religions here but the word Allah has traditionally in Malaysia been used to represent the Muslim God, which is different from Christianity, and this must be addressed,' he told AFP.

Northern Perak state mufti Harussani Zakaria was also critical of the verdict, calling it 'an insult to Muslims in this country,' according to the influential Malay-language Utusan Malaysia newspaper.

But renowned constitution law expert Abdul Aziz Bari joined the chorus of voices applauding High Court judge Lau Bee Lan's decision to overturn the Home Ministry's ban on the use of the word 'Allah' in the Malay language version of Catholic weekly The Herald last Thursday. Read here for more in Malaysiakini

The High Court's decision allowing a Catholic weekly publication to use the term 'Allah' must be governed by strict conditions, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Read here for more

Umno Wanita chief/Minister of Family, Women and Community Development, Shahrizat added that Wanita Umno has sought a meeting with Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Jamil Khir to discuss the matter.She stressed that the movement will champion and ensure that the place and position of Islam was not tarnished. "If need be, we will apply to meet the King," she said. Read here for more

The Prime Minister's Department, with the cooperation of the Home Ministry, will appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision in allowing the Catholic weekly magazine The Herald, to use the word 'Allah' in its publication. Read here for more

Malaysiakini Readers' Comments

• The Christian citizens in Sarawak have been using the word 'Allah' in their worship for ages as the local natives are all schooled in Bahasa Malaysia, thus the churches have to conduct their worship in BM, and the words, 'Allah', 'Maha Esa', etc, are often used. Even the name of the church is in BM - the Sidang Injil Borneo. Please be reminded that the Dayak natives are the majority and Malay Muslims constitute only about 20 percent of the population of Sarawak. I believe it is the same in Sabah. Also East Malaysians provide you 50 percent parliamentary seats, so don't bully us!
  
  
• Umno has only one choice to make: Either they pursue the case in the Appeal Court and which we know they will win, and stand to lose an almost one million votes in the coming 13GE (general election), and most likely the two states in East Malaysia as well, or let the case be and move forward. Put your '1Malaysia' sloganeering where your mouth is. No more no less.