Comments on: ISNA Commends Malaysian Court Ruling that Affirms Religious Freedom of Christians

By: waris malaya

waris malaya — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:04:04 +0000

Monday, January 4, 2010
Obviously, Allah is God.
This is my first post. I am about to express my view regarding thousands of years old Arabic word – Allah. Strange it is sensational again in this part of the world, my country Malaysia. Almost all Muslims opposing the court allowing translation of the word ‘god’ is ‘Allah’ in Bahasa Melayu. Some Christians rejecting it too!

I think that particular judge (or judges) must be a person who cannot use BM at all or simply a grave judgement error in his career. I am admitting that my own BM or English are not that good than any ordinary Malaysians. But I will always try to make it simple and facts are not wrong.

According to BM/English dictionary, tuhan is god. The word Allah is not BM but Arabic. Perhaps Allah is god in Arabic but the issue now is translating into BM. To cross-check whether tuhan (god) is Allah, you may translate any of the Nicene Creed in BM but replace all tuhan as Allah. You may opt to put Allah in place of anyone of the trinity (choose either Jesus, Spirit, Father or combination as you wish). Sound funny?

If that is not enough, use the same formula in Tamil, Japanese and particularly Hebrew. Nevertheless, everyone should respect the court decision. Therefore our first Rukun Negara can be read as ‘Kepercayaan kepada Allah’ by every citizen particularly during school assembly.

I am not a joker……you should ask The Herald editors if they are. Nevertheless, the underlying objective is the real issue. Why they are seriously disrespect other faith?
Ironically, the ruling is actually a big win to Islam. You don’t have to ask any muslim scholars, just ask why the word Allah was erased from the previous version of authorised bible?
Posted by Waris Malaya

By: bumi ownz u

bumi ownz u — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:06:49 +0000

It’s good that there has been a ruling as a word that Christians can NOT be used….
Has anybody in the Malay council suggested a Malay word that Christians CAN use????

.. This issue is so trivial, yet needlessly stirs the hearts of many..

I can not believe a religion could be so focused on a “word” as opposed to the underlying belief as the issue that should be of greatest importance….

A word is a word… faith is everything… don’t you agree? unless you are the type to quibble over minor things.

By: caucasianlady

caucasianlady — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 06:57:06 +0000

Hmm, sounds interesting. ISNA having a caucasian woman at the top. Something you hardly find in middle-eastern or sub-indian culture. Showcasing openness I suppose. Are there many caucasians who become or join ISNA? So what’s the point of having a caucasian woman when she can’t pull in the caucasian lot into the group?

By: mariecisse

mariecisse — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:08:48 +0000

I tend to agree with isnan on this issue. Does ISNA understand Malaysian history and culture? I find it appalling to read the last line where ISNA demands Christians in Malaysia to be given freedom to practice their religion. I think Christians in Malaysia have a lot of freedom in the country…..they have many churches… and also, Christmas in fact was more merrier in Kuala Lumpur with all the displays in the shopping malls….! Also, I find it odd for the Herald newsletter to insist on using the name ‘Allah’ in the Malay section of their newsletter. I thought Jesus was the focus of Christian belief, and mostly it is Jesus’s name that is called upon. Do Muslims in Malaysia have problems with Christians calling Jesus God although Muslims regard Jesus as a human being?

By: Orang Miskin

Orang Miskin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:55:59 +0000

Mungkin kat sabah dan sarawak ia sudah digunakan tapi ia tidak patut digunakan seperti itu..tapi kat sabah dan sarawak tak jadi isu kerana masyarakat islam kat sana pun terlalu sikit. Gunalah akal sikit, kalau nak argue pasal penggunaan dari segi bahasa atau agama, dua dua pun kalah. Pertama, dari segi bahasa, Arab Kristian menggunakan perkataan ALLAH kerana dalam bahasa arab, ALLAH bermaksud God/Tuhan. Tapi yang Herald nak terbit translation ke bahasa melayu kan BUKAN bahasa Arab…bahasa Melayu, terjemahan yang paling sesuai ialah TUHAN, dalam bahasa Inggeris GOD. Jadi kenapa tak nak guna TUHAN…kenapa bermati-matian nak guna perkataan ALLAH juga. Keduanya, dari segi agama, ALLAH pada orang Islam mengikut Al-Quran, tiada tuhan yang disembah melainkan ALLAH. Tuhan kepada orang Kristian bukan ALLAH yang dimaksudkan dalam Islam, tetapi konsep Tuhan mereka berbeza, ada Jesus (dikatakan anak Tuhan), ada Holy Spirit dan ada Holy Ghost. Macam mana ALLAH boleh dikatakan sama dengan 3 konsep Tuhan ini bila tak sama. Tak sama dari segi bahasa atau agama. ALLAH perkataan arab, orang arab guna pasal dia guna bahasa Arab, kalau orang bukan Islam guna dalam bahasa lain kena cari padanan sesuai dalam bahasa tersebut, bukan bahasa Arab. Kalau dalam bahasa Melayu, perkataan dah ada iaitu perkataan TUHAN….its so simple and common sense je…

By: ISNAN

ISNAN — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:30:10 +0000

This ISNA wants to make a statement to show the whole world how open their practice of Islam is. Yet in making statement about Malaysia, they have no inkling about Malaysian history and culture. Like they way they appoint a Caucasian woman to helm their organization, hoping to show that ISNA is a white people organization and also not gender bias, because ISNA has been seen as a middle-east and sub-indian continent organization, and since Islam has been seen as gender bias by the WEst, so putting a caucasian woman at the top will erase this stereotyping. But everyone knows that the layer of cream up there is white, what is underneath is all the same as before. So ISNA, don’t try to behave as you are smart but not smart to know that others know you are not smart. And Anwar Ibrahim,if you cannot make a stand on the issue, just say so. Don’t hide behind others’ back.

By: Mohamad

Mohamad — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:53:33 +0000

Mainlah isu ini puas-puas, sampai rosak perpaduan kaum pun tak apa, janji kepentingan politik diperolehi, nasib rakyat belakang kira, matikah, menderitakah, terseksakah , apakah, biarkan sahaja mereka, janji Pakatan Rakyat boleh menang pilihanraya dan jadi berkuasa. Sungguh teruk permainan politik Pakatan Rakyat ini. Saya telah teliti banyak artikel dalam blog ini, boleh dikatakan 99.99% artikel yang bersifat mengambil kesempatan tanpa mempedulikan kepentingan umum. Anda semua tunggulah pada pilihanraya akan datang, sikap ini akan menjadi senjata makan tuan nanti. Sekian, terima kasih.

By: Anis Ahmad

Anis Ahmad — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:34:03 +0000

This ISNA has no locus standi to speak on behalf of Malaysian Muslim. This is the same organisation that is organising Thanksgivng with Christians, attending Iftar sponsored by White House and if I am not mistaken they also said that women could become Imam during Friday prayer even with males as Makmum…kalau nak percaya jugak suka hati lah…