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 Clashes start days after the Kuala Lumpur High Court struck down a 3-year-old ban on non-Muslims using the word ‘Allah’ in their literature. Muslims argue that ‘Allah’ is the specific word used in Quran for God & so it is exclusive to Islam, and its use by Christians would confuse Muslims. The court’s decision has resulted in a rash of angry comments and threats by Muslims on the Internet. Dozens of Muslim groups have been protesting against the court decision and some times the protests are turning destructive. Churches are being attacked & retaliatory action by Christians is also seen at some places where the Mosques are the sufferers.

The High Court’s ruling was on a petition by the Herald, the main publication of Malaysia's Roman Catholic Church. It uses the word Allah in its Malay-language edition, which is being read by indigenous tribes in the remote states of Sabah and Sarawak, as ‘Allah’ is the only word they know for God.

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia; About 60 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people are Malay Muslims, while others follow Christianity, Hinduism and other religions

Facts

Word ‘Allah’ is widely used by Christians in Far East as well as Middle East and East European countries like Malta for God. Sources claim that this name to God has been in use by Christians and Jews even before the advent of Islam.

 Interestingly, these were the facts used by Muslim Scholars against Christian & Jew elements, according to whom Prophet Muhammad changed the name of God from Elloh to Allah while so called copying from Bible & Torah but now it’s the other way round.

 Christians to be able to use Allah in Local Languages are giving these arguments and thus are embracing Allah.

Confusion?

Malaysian Minister who challenged this verdict has argued that Muslims can get confused if Christians in Bible use ‘Allah’ for God. This is one of the most immature arguments as Muslims, most of the times even if they are tribal, are very well informed about their faith and so there is no question of any confusion. The fear that Christians generally believe in trinity so they can easily use ‘Allah’ for even Prophet Jesus is genuine but it should be noted that there is not a single verse in Bible which calls Jesus God so there is no such possibility of use of ‘Allah’ for Jesus in Bible. However, possibility of their doing so in meetings, talks & literature is quite possible but Calling Jesus ‘God’ or ‘Allah’ is equal degree of blasphemy as far as Islam is concerned.

 In any case those Christians who don’t believe in trinity, like Arians, should always be welcomed to call the Almighty, Allah.

ActionThe fact that, Christian world all over is united with their brothers in Malaysia for their rights is in fact a good news for Muslims. Right now Christians themselves are ending the false propaganda created by negative elements that used to Blame Prophet Muhammad for tempering with the name of God and Jesus in Quran. Secondly, Muslims’ wish that the All Mighty should be called Allah by even non Muslims is being granted.

Violence can never be a solution to such issues and destroying places of worshiping of People of book is considered wrong in Islam. Muslims must research and try to find out positives arising from this situation and if they still find it wrong for Islam then they must use the correct Forum and channel to get it annulled

Yasser Iqbal Kidwai