KOTA KINABALU – The word “Allah” should not be exclusive to any single group, said Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, following the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to allow Christians nationwide to use the word, as well as three other Arabic words, for education purposes.
In an interview yesterday, Shafie said he was among the cabinet members during the Barisan Nasional-era who argued that people should be allowed to use the word “Allah”.
The other person who agreed with him at the time, he added, was then Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
“Today, we are facing the ‘Allah’ issue again. The use of the word was already discussed when I was still part of the federal government. I was one of the guys, along with Dompok, who championed the views on why we have to allow people to use that (word).
“The word is also used in the Middle East and other countries. By definition, the word Allah means ‘god’ for the Arabs, and, therefore, if we believe that God is Almighty, why should the word be exclusive to just one (group), and only this group can use it?”
Shafie did not deny, however, that some may misinterpret or abuse the word, but said banning others from using it will not resolve the problem.
What Putrajaya can do is manage and control misinterpretation, he added, as clear guidelines can be put in to act as checks and balances.
He said for instance, if a church wants to be called “the house of Allah”, authorities can advise it to not do so as it may confuse others.
“For sure we cannot allow Muslims to go pray in a church, right? So, it is better to manage the misinterpretation rather than banning the use of the word.”
The high court ruled on March 10 that the words “Allah”, “baitullah”, “kaabah” and “solat” could be used in Christian publications for education purposes.
This effectively renders invalid a circular issued by the Home Ministry against the word “Allah” being used by Christian publications in the country.
But Putrajaya has filed an appeal against the decision, citing dissatisfaction. – The Vibes, March 16, 2021
