The "Allah" issue: Two Decisions Win-Win or Win-Lose

The “Allah” issue: 

Two Decisions, one Win-Win,the other Win-lose! 
By Dr SK Teoh appeared in Malay Mail Letters Thur 27th Feb 2014 

All the various arguments and comments on the use of “Allah” by Bahasa-speaking Christians can be summed up into two choices, but with widely different consequences. 

Decision No.1: Allowing Christians speaking Bahasa, Iban and other native languages to continue using the term “Allah” in PRIVATE worship as before, and in their Bibles and in-house publications, which are indicated as Christian publications. 

They are NOT allowed to use them in public, and especially to Muslims, where there are laws to restrict propagation to Muslims. 

 Bibles and publications in other languages do not use the term “Allah”. This will NOT affect the rights, beliefs and practices of Muslims to continue as they want to. They can still maintain their theological beliefs, which may be different from those of Christians. Their constitutional rights are NOT affected. WIN-WIN! 

Decision No 2: Prohibiting the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims. WIN-LOSE This will however affect the practices of Christians using Bahasa and Iban languages in their private worship which they have been doing for more than a hundred years. This will encroach on their constitutional right to control their own religions. 

What happens to their prayer books, worship song books and other publications which have used the term for over the hundred years? 

The prohibition also includes 30-40 other terms as enacted in several states. These even include several commonly used words like nabi, masjid, ibadat, injil, wahyu. Can non-Muslims need to use these terms, even in non-religious settings eg address Jalan Masjid? 

The prohibition also affects Sikhs and Bahais in their religious practices. 

 Can non-Muslims sing the state anthems where “Allah” is used?

 Does it mean that the Negara Ku and Rukun Negara do not apply to Muslims as the word “Allah” is not used? 

Can non Muslims wear badges in the Police and other uniformed bodies where the word “Allah” is used? 

Half measures are even more ludicrous – allowing usage in Sabah & Sarawak and banning in Semenanjong leads to greater confusion. 

The prohibition is also contrary to the practice in all other Islamic countries, including Arab nations and Indonesia, hence WIN-LOSE.