Three churches in Malaysia were set on fire as the Government’s appeal to restrict non-muslims from using Allah while referring to their ol’ man in the sky, was rejected by a high court.
“We have lived in peace with all religions but we want other religions to respect us and the use of the word Allah, which is exclusive to Muslims,” said organizer Arman Azha Abu Hanifah. A Christian journal had used the word Allah sparking the present controversy.
‘Allah’ the Arabic word for god was used by pre-Islamic Meccans to refer to their god while ‘Allat’ was the word for goddess. Allah was believed as the creator of the world and giver of rain while al-uzza, lat and manat were his daughters. Pre-Islamic, Abrahamic religions also referred to their god as Allah.
The government in Malaysia, where the national language is Malay, sought monopoly of muslims over the word Allah and contested that its use by practitioners of other religions could disrupt harmony.
Politically, Islam as a religion has suffered a downward slide since Islamic revolution in Iran. Marriage-age for girls has been lowered to 9, fornication is a severe crime and apostasy is awarded the capital punishment of death in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The emergence of al-Qaeda and Taliban, with their beheadings and girl-floggings present the religion as brutal savagery while the ordinary faithful struggle to maintain that Islam is a religion of peace and harmony.
Any effort to harmonize Islam with the UN charter of human rights has been viciously opposed by the Islamic clergy. Muslim religionists gained political importance after the Second World War. Creation of Israel as a Jewish state by ousting Palestinians from their ancestral land caused deprivation and anger.
The creation of Pakistan as a separate state for Muslims encouraged the forces of regression.
Mussadegh, the proponent of Iranian nationalism and democracy was murdered by CIA. Nasser, the secular, liberal leader of Egypt was portrayed as enemy of the west. The modern, secular monarch of Iran was perceived as an American stooge by Iranians and Muslims living under US sponsored dictatorship in Pakistan began to identify modernity with imperialist-slavery.
Muslim religionists became the natural allies of US in their war against communism. After the defeat of Soviet Union in Afghanistan, these die-hard Islamists were left with weapons, jihadi organizations and connections within governments in Islamic countries. Saudis found it important to counter the emerging shia clergy of Iran and used the Islamists for propagation of their own brand of Wahabi Islam by sponsoring madressahs among the poverty-stricken Muslims world-wide.
The emergence of al-Qaeda, 9/11 and the spread of extremist Islam in Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are all linked.
Seen in this perspective, the actions of the government of Malaysia and the arsonists burning churches in Kualalumpur, points at a politically regressive movement bent upon hurting Muslims and Islam by keeping them away from modernity and progress. Social movements in19th century India led by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan urged Muslims to achieve modern education. Similar movements among Hindus propagated education for women and challenged customs and legal system that allowed the marriage of a girl at the age of 9. It appears that reactionaries have brought the Muslims down to the level of 19th century.
Social movements challenging religious traditions that contradict human rights must be waged with full speed. Gender equality and education of women is compulsory for the survival of Muslims. Without them there would be no Islam.
Ibrahim Sajid Malick is a Pakistani-American writer, technologist, and social entrepreneur. He has been writing on Pakistani society and politics since 1986. He has held several media, communications, and technology positions for organizations large and small. Mr. Malick graduated from New School for Social Research with a master’s degree in anthropology. He holds several technology and management certifications. He works for a leading technology firm and blogs at www.ibrahimsajidmalick.com
Exactly. Without education for women, we cant think of reform.
I am an Indian Muslim, and we are building a group of young peoples in 15-22 age group who propagate such practices (ironically, as per our community’s existing conditions, education be better called as a practice).
We are also building a website with vast knowledge, interactivity and which has something for someone.
We will provide resources to the needy, create options for budding talents and will try to create local markets within our community.
I know it’s only a random one but it’s a step ahead towards the lost glory…
Good to hear that Irsh. Please keep us posted on the progress of your work. Thanks.
Weather Muslims have women’s education or not this religion could survive if the people stop to listen that uneducated and extreme Maullahs…!and if God has gifted Muslims some brain then they should use it instead of getting brain washed by the Hypocrites A.K.A Maullah’s…!If they had not listen to Arman Azha Abu Hanifah this would not happen..!Can any one show me the copywrites of the word Allah ? or did Allah specially said to Muslims somewhere that i m giving u this word only and u can only use it…! Give me a single prove where did Allah said that this word is only for Muslims..!Allah Is for everyone Muslims are not special they should think over it…!
Non Muslims should not be permitted to use the word Allah in any ways to refer to their God even in their publication for their own community. As long as they live in Muslim country they have to respect their Muslim neighbors. By calling Allah they are trying to diminish the difference. And, that is a big conspiracy. They are like munafiqs who would come to perform salat but hide pagan gods under their arm pits.
Muslim ummah should be very careful.
This really is insane, and I am curious if anyone has come across any statements by other Muslim groups. I am fortunate to have Arab friends of both Christian and Muslim faiths, and both use the word Allah for God when speaking in Arabic. Although I do not read Arabic myself these same Christian Arab friends tell me that Allah is used both in Churches and the Arabic version of the Bible, as it is simply a translation of the word God, well “the God” actually.
It saddens me that now SOME want to cause further misunderstanding and hatred. If my friends are correct that it is simply the same word in two different languages these thugs essentially are attempting to ban or cause fear in saying God in Church. Wow. There may be many differences between the faiths but a belief in God is not among them.
@Subhan Allah: Mr.Ibrahim Sir can u plz elborate tht difference ? is there any copywrite for the word Allah ? if u are talking about the conspiracy so u r getting into there consipiracy by giving attention to there plan…! if the Muslims had ignored their plan there plan would have been fail but as Muslims have less tolerance they burned out the churches…!They are not like Munafiqs the Muslims are like Munafiqs who go to their country and serve them instead of serving Muslims countries…! neways plz do answer my above question specially the copywrite one …!:)
@Mx: It is not the matter of copyright. Word Allah was used before Islam but it has been Islamized, the meaning of it is no longer the same as before. By permitting non Muslim to use it we actually doing deislamization. We are reverting the course which was done by our Prophet.
We cannot equate God with Allah. Because the word God is generic and the word Allah is a proper name. Therefore when we say la ilaha illallah it is not there is no god but God, this does not make sense, rather it means there is no god but Allah.
The spirit behind this issue is religious pluralism. They are saying that Muslim God is the same as God in other religion. They wanted to convey that we, Christians and Muslims, have the same God. This is against Islamic creed. Our Aqidah tells us that other god is not the true God (La ilaha ghayruh).
When we renounce religious pluralism, it does not mean that we also reject religious tolerance and religious diversity. In fact Muslims are the one who introduce these concept to the world. The charter of Madinah is the conclusive evidence on this.
Hope you agree.
As far as copyright- that is a western concept. How can someone own an intellectual asset?
The word Allah means(The God) which was used pagans and its is also use by the Christian and Jews who speaks arabic today the Muslims use word Allah also means “The God” but there is a difference between value of the name when pagans used it they did’nt meant the divne or the one And when Christian uses it then it mean “God the Father”…! so it is clear that the word Allah is used all over the world for refering God in Arabic as the word Allah is an arabic words but there are different points of view of using the word Allah..!When the Christians used the word Allah they meant “Father The God” they did’nt meant to convey that Muslims and Christians have same God..! As the word Allah is an standard Arabic word so any one can use it as a language..!And as you have write in your own blog that “Abrahamic religions also referred to their god as Allah” so this gives ur all answer when Christian used the word Allah they did’nt Muslims and Christian have same God…!
@Subhan Allah:And When Muslims had these types of misunderstanding as they call them selves peaceful then why they did not sat down calmly and talked to the scholars of the christianity about this issue? Instead of buring those churches…! This show the tolerance of Muslims@Subhan Allah:
@Subhan Allah: The word Allah means(The God) which was used pagans and its is also use by the Christian and Jews who speaks arabic today the Muslims use word Allah also means “The God” but there is a difference between value of the name when pagans used it they did’nt meant the divne or the one And when Christian uses it then it mean “God the Father”…! so it is clear that the word Allah is used all over the world for refering God in Arabic as the word Allah is an arabic words but there are different points of view of using the word Allah..!When the Christians used the word Allah they meant “Father The God” they did’nt meant to convey that Muslims and Christians have same God..! As the word Allah is an standard Arabic word so any one can use it as a language..!And as you have write in your own blog that “Abrahamic religions also referred to their god as Allah” so this gives ur all answer when Christian used the word Allah they did’nt Muslims and Christian have same God…!
@Subhan Allah @Mx @Veneet But guys what really wonders me is that why there’s a sudden desire for non-Muslims to call their God as Allah in Malaysia!! They do call it Allah in the Middle East. But why in Malaysia now and why it’s so sudden!!
Everything was going good, at least, with your God and my Allah thing and now it seems like world needs another way to malign Muslims. they are already being maligned with al-qaeda and co. by naming them as Islamic organizations. they aint Islamic. and guys, do remember it that once the Islamic tag is removed from Al-Qaeda and others, they gonna surrender. coz then no uneducated Muslim will come to believe them for what they do…
Do read this: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/09/libya.jihadi.code/index.html
Muslims need to rev up their education badly! they need to dispose their leaders who make their ends meet by revving Muslims’ adrenaline for these unimportant stuffs!
I think now I’m going t use the word “Allah’ more often and even bless my non-muslim friends like “May Allah bless you” and other such experiments. Let’s see what they say.
will keep you updated guys… in the meanwhile, keep going towards making the world a better hell to live in…