KUALA LUMPUR – Former religious affairs minister Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa has defended the unity government’s decision to withdraw its appeal against a court ruling allowing non-Muslims to use the word “Allah”.
He said the move does not mean the government lacked commitment to defend Islam, as alleged by critics following news of the appeal’s withdrawal.
Instead, it showed that the government was complying with Islamic principles by allowing individuals to access information about their respective religions, the Amanah vice-president said in a video on Twitter.
Yesterday, it was revealed that the Attorney-General’s Chambers had informed the Court of Appeal that it does not intend to pursue an appeal against the high court’s landmark decision in 2021 allowing Sarawakian Jill Ireland to use the term “Allah” in her Christian learning materials.
The notification to withdraw was given on April 18, but only came to light yesterday.
Mujahid said that when the decision was made at the high court, the judge considered public order, pointing out that it was already guaranteed and safeguarded by virtue of Article 11(4) of the federal constitution, which restricts the propagation of other religions to Muslims.
“There are also enactments restricting the propagation of other religions to Muslims by respective states in Malaysia.
“It is clear that the decision to withdraw the appeal is not because the Madani government does not want to protect Muslims, but to comply with Islamic requirements by giving every individual the right to access information related to their religion,” Mujahid said in his video.
He also said the facts of the case were not pertinent to the Christian faith and community as a whole but were limited to an individual claiming their rights as provided for in the federal constitution.
Mujahid urged the public to refrain from using the case to create tension and hatred.
In 2008, the Customs Department at KLIA seized eight CDs from Jill Ireland titled “Cara Hidup Dalam Kerajaan Allah”, “Hidup Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah” and “Ibadah Yang Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah” which she obtained from Indonesia.
On March 10, 2021, the high court ruled that Ireland was allowed to use the term “Allah” for religious education in the Malay and Melanau languages in Sarawak.
The high court also ruled that a Home Ministry directive issued on December 5, 1986 prohibiting the use of the words “Allah”, “Baitullah”, “Solat” and “Kaabah” by non-Muslims was illegal and unconstitutional. – The Vibes, May 16, 2023
