‘The Herald’ editor Rev Lawrence Andrew
speaking to the media outside the court in Putrajaya.
What's in a name? Well, in Malaysia, it is a
big issue and, as events have shown, there are no winners even if the matter
has been decided by the apex court.
LET me,
right from the beginning, point out that I am a Christian. I am a Protestant,
which is different from being a Catholic.
Protestants
do not regard the Pope as the leader of the church, unlike the Catholics. The
priests and nuns in Catholic churches practise celibacy.
In
simple language, they are all unmarried and abstain from sex whereas pastors in
Protestant churches can get married and have families.
In
Malaysia, both priests and pastors are lumped together and referred to as
paderi in Bahasa Malaysia. I do not know why, but that’s how things are.
The
fact that there are differences within a faith is not exclusive to
Christianity. All the major faiths have different schools of thought.
So when
some Muslim groups in the country got angry with the Catholics over the Herald
case, it was a Protestant church in Desa Melawati that ended up being hit with
Molotov cocktails.
In
Malaysia, because of our history, many Catholic churches are easily recognised
by their large cathedrals with very distinct architecture.
The
mainstream Protestants who came earlier, like the Methodists and the Anglicans,
also have distinct churches but the newer Protestant churches tend to be
located in shophouses, shopping malls, warehouses and even above coffee shops.
And
that’s because the local authorities – the councils – make it difficult for
churches to be built.
The
conditions forbid the cross from being displayed openly and even putting the
word “church” on the signboard is taboo. Many churches simply substitute the
word “church” with words like “community centres”.
It is
convenient to blame the federal government for everything but much of the
authority is vested in state hands.
The
church I go to in Petaling Jaya is located in an office block. As far as I am
concerned, it is a church to me. To everyone else in the congregation, it is a
church.
What is
the point I am driving at? Simple. We need some common sense here, which is
definitely missing from some of our religious and political elites. There are
those who have been speaking a lot of gibberish while some have chosen to
remain silent, hoping that the problems will vanish into thin air.
What’s
in a name? Well, in Malaysia it is a big issue and, as events have shown, there
are no winners even if the matter has been decided by the apex court.
There
are only losers. All of us are affected by the negative media attention,
especially the bad press overseas. And the sad and painful reality is that so
much unnecessary ill will has been generated that threatens to tear at the
social fabric that is keeping us together.
Have we
managed to resolve anything? No, if you ask me. Many Malaysians remain just as
unsatisfied and unsettled, and confused.
The
federal government has correctly pointed out that Christians can still use the
word “Allah” in churches and that the court ruling is confined only to the
Catholic Herald, which had used the word “Allah” in its Bahasa Malaysia
edition.
It’s
just being practical. Anyone can insist on a blanket ban but how does one
enforce such a ruling? By stationing policemen at all churches?
The
10-point agreement, for example, makes it clear that Christians in Sabah and
Sarawak can use the Al-kitab and the word “Allah” over there. We can engage in
a debate as to what happens when they are in the peninsula, but seriously, how
would it be possible to stop them from doing the same here?
There
are many Sabahans and Sarawakians in the peninsula who are here to study and to
work. It just shows up the ignorance of the peninsular Malaysians when they
assume that anyone with a Malay-sounding name and who looks Malay is a Muslim.
The
Malays must not forget that the bumiputras comprise many ethnicities who have
different faiths as well.
Umno
may be strong on its Malay-Muslim agenda but there are actually many Christian
bumiputras who are members of the party, something which is lost on some
delegates at the annual assembly.
We may
see the UiTM, where the recent controversial conference was held, as a fully
Malay/Muslim institution but the fact is there are many Christian bumiputra
students at the campus, some 3,500 at last count.
In a
reply to a parliamentary question, the Education Ministry said the Christology
Nusantara conference was an intellectual discourse but one can imagine the dire
consequences on any Christian organiser who dares to hold a similar
“intellectual” discourse at another public university or college.
What
irks many Malaysians is why there seem to be different standards on such
matters. Some groups seem to get away with just about anything while action is
promptly taken against other groups or individuals.
We
should make it clear that anyone who insults another, whether as an individual
or as a group, on the basis of race or religion should not be spared.
If the
authorities close an eye to these political thugs, it would encourage them to
further divide the nation and, worse, send the wrong message that they are
endorsed by the authorities.
At the
same time, Christians must be honest enough to admit that in most churches, the
word “Allah” is hardly used and I doubt the congregation, especially those in
English-speaking churches, feel comfortable using the word, instead of “Lord”.
While
Christians have fought for the right to use the word, the reality is that it is
rarely used – except in services involving Sabahans and Sarawakians. Well, the
babas in Malacca would also argue that they, too, refer to God as “Allah”.
One
thing is clear. The Al-kitab, mostly printed in Indonesia, will continue to be
studied and distributed, like it or not, by Christians who are more comfortable
with the Malay language.
After
all, our education system has produced a generation of Malaysians, regardless
of their ethnicity, who are more at home with Bahasa Malaysia than English.
And
let’s also be practical here. This is the generation who can find anything
online. You can ban the printed version of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia but
anyone can simply download the entire version online.
The
Penang mufti, Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor, has correctly said that while the
word Allah is used by Christians in Arabic countries, there is a need to
consider whether it is suitable in our community.
“From
what I can see, the majority of Muslims in Malaysia are still unable to accept
it. Maybe over time, views can change,” he said.
This is
the impression I have received speaking to many of my Muslim friends and
colleagues, too.
Of
course, they are aware that Allah is commonly used by the Christians in Arabic
countries, just as Dr Wan Salim said. But the concern of our Muslim friends
goes beyond that – it is that sense of belonging that connects them to Allah
that is unique and special.
The
reality is there is a fine line between right and wrong in religion, especially
if it involves cultural practices.
The
churches in Sabah and Sarawak that conduct services in Bahasa Malaysia, read
the Al-Kitab in Bahasa Malaysia and refer to Allah, probably also pray quietly
in Bahasa Malaysia.
Likewise,
I spent a decade in a Catholic school, spent much time in Catholic churches and
have many Catholic friends.
Although
I am a Protestant, I still pray like how a Catholic would do, in my mind and
heart, because of my school legacy.
And
it’s between me and God. How I pray and how it is done, or for that matter, how
I call God, is my private and personal concern. No one should decide for me nor
judge me.
At the
end of the day, we should be more fearful of God than men, who are but mere
mortals.
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