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THE HUNT BEGINS!
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Churches in Selangor will soon receive a letter from JAIS reminding them of a 1988 state ban on the use of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims.
http://my.news.yahoo.com/jais-flexes-muscles-over-non-muslim-usage-allah-011600456.html
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YAHOO! NEWS MALAYSIA
Jais ‘Allah’ overture unconstitutional, say religious leaders
The Malay Mail Online
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — The Selangor Islamic Department’s (JAIS) plan to compel churches in the state to stop using “Allah” and other Arabic words would contravene constitutional guarantees on religion, faith leaders said today.
Church leaders and the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) argued that no law can override provisions laid out in the Federal Constitution, which does not allow followers of any religion to impose their will on those of a different faith.
Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of Catholic weekly the Herald — which is at the centre of a tussle between the Catholic Church and the federal government over the use of the word “Allah” — said the Federal Constitution is clear in that every religious group in the country has the right to manage its own affairs.
“You cannot just simply impose a law and say you cannot do this. What authority does Jais have over Christians?” he said when contacted by The Malay Mail Online.
“It goes against the constitution. We wait for the directive that comes from the Archbishop. He has to instruct us, not them. Not the police, not Jais, who has no authority to tell us what to do in our worship,” he said.
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MCCBCHST president Jagir Singh argued that there were no legal grounds to enforce Section 9 of the Enactment, especially when the High Court’s judgement in favour of the Catholic Church’s continued use of the word ‘Allah’ is taken into account.
“The High Court ruled that because Section 9 was made under Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution, it only prohibits propagation of non-Muslim faiths to the Muslims and does not bar the use of the words by non-Muslims among themselves,” he said, noting that nine other states in the peninsula have a similar Enactment in place.
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Pastor Moses Soo, who helps manage the Evangelical movement in Orang Asli villages in Pahang and Kelantan, said it would severely affect the worship of the nearly 6,000 Orang Asli Christians if religious authorities start clamping down on the use of the words — some of which are prominently used in the Malay translation of the Bible.
http://my.news.yahoo.com/jais-allah-overture-unconstitutional-religious-leaders-102300053.html
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YAHOO! NEWS MALAYSIA
In pursuit of Christians, Jais set to test limits of ‘Allah’ ban
The Malay Mail Online –
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — A legal ban on the non-Muslim use of “Allah” that is so far administrative could now force its way into the worship of Christians, as Selangor Islamic authorities seek out those they say are illegally using the word reserved for Muslims by state law.
The action could also further reveal problems with Malaysia’s dual legal system — criminal and civil law for all Malaysians and a syariah system that only applies to Muslims — in the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) attempt to regulate Christians’ use of the Arabic word for God.
“If it is by Jais, technically they don’t have authority over non-Muslims. In this case, it concerns non-Muslims, technically by law, they can’t compel non-Muslims (to co-operate),” civil liberties lawyer Eric Paulsen told The Malay Mail Online.
Paulsen was referring to Jais’ plan to track down a Christian group that allegedly used “Allah” at a private function in a Klang hotel, to the extent of demanding the hotel management provide surveillance videos to bolster its case ― despite not being empowered to do so.
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But another civil liberties lawyer, Syahredzan Johan, told The Malay Mail Online that a provision under the Selangor Non-Islamic Religion (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 may grant Jais jurisdiction in the case.
The 1988 state law, which was passed by the then Barisan Nasional government, prohibits non-Muslims from using 35 Arabic words and phrases in their faith, including “Allah”, “Nabi” (prophet), “Injil” (gospel) and “Insya’Allah” (God willing).
http://my.news.yahoo.com/pursuit-christians-jais-set-test-limits-allah-ban-065300885.html
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YAHOO! NEWS MALAYSIA
Jais seeks Christian event organisers, not hotel CCTV records
The Malay Mail Online
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — As controversy sparks over Christian usage of “Allah”, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has denied it is seeking surveillance footage of a recent private Christian function in a Klang hotel where the Arabic word was allegedly uttered.
Instead, the state Islamic authority has urged the Christian organisers to step forward to aid their investigations into the controversy that has sparked a scrutiny into a 25-year-old state religious enactment’s application on non-Muslims.
In an interview with The Malay Mail Online, Jais director Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad refuted a news report by The Malaysian Insider news portal that claimed his department was trying to get closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of a closed-door Christian gathering from the Klang hotel where it was held, saying his deputy Ahmad Zaki Arsad had denied speaking to the media.
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He added that Jais’ investigation showed there were no CCTV cameras installed inside the hotel hall where the Christian gathering purportedly took place.
He also said Jais has learnt the identity of its organisers after contacting the hotel, and added that the duo—a man and a woman—will be called in soon to help with the department’s investigations.
http://my.news.yahoo.com/jais-seeks-christian-event-organisers-not-hotel-cctv-003900953.html
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Malaysian Insider
Selangor religious authorities hunt for Christians who used ‘Allah’ illegally
BY MUZLIZA MUSTAFA
December 25, 2013
It might be Christmas Day cheer across the world but Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) officials are not feeling the festive occasion as they look for a Christian group that used the word “Allah” in their worship illegally last weekend.
Malay newspapers had reported that the Christian group had allegedly used “Allah” at their Sunday function at a hotel in Klang, reigniting the battle for the word which is now before the country’s apex court.
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In the latest case, deputy director of Jais Ahmad Zaki Arshad said they had yet to get proof that the Christian group had used the word “Allah” in their meeting.
“We are seeking the assistance of the hotel management to view footage of the closed-circuit television camera to check on the validity of the claim. We cannot act, based on a photograph in a newspaper,” Ahmad Zaki told The Malaysian Insider.
He said the department was seeking the cooperation of the event organisers to come forward to facilitate investigation.
“A photograph is insufficient evidence to act.”
Ahmad Zaki was referring to Utusan Malaysia’s report on Monday which carried a photograph of the event, with the words, “International Full Gospel Fellowship: Keluarga Allah satelit Nilai dan satelit Puchong, ‘Dari dalam gelap akan terbit terang’,” on a backdrop.
The department is investigating the case under a 1988 enactment which bars non-Muslims from using the word “Allah”.
The daily had reported that some 200 people had attended the gathering, organised by International Full Gospel Fellowship.
The report said those present sang songs containing the word “Allah”. Following this, two Muslim groups have called for action against a Christian group for allegedly using the word “Allah” at their function.
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Malaysian Insider
Muslim groups see red over Christian event with ‘Allah’ on backdrop
Two Muslim groups have called for action against a Christian group for allegedly using the word “Allah” during their function yesterday.
Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia today reported that some 200 people attended the gathering, organised by International Full Gospel Fellowship, at a hotel in Klang, Selangor.
The paper also carried a photograph of the event, with the words “International Full Gospel Fellowship: Keluarga Allah Satelit Nilai dan Satelit Puchong, ‘Dari dalam gelap akan terbit terang’”, seen on a backdrop.
The report claimed that attendees at the event purportedly sang songs containing the word Allah.
In their reaction, International Full Gospel fellowship Allah Satelit Nilai dan Satelit Puchong and Perkasa’s Selangor chapter urged the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) to investigate.
“From a legal perspective, it is clear the usage of the word Allah is prohibited to non-Muslims.
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Selangor Perkasa chief Abu Bakar Yahya meanwhile said it was inappropriate for non-Muslims to use the word, saying the Selangor Sultan has issued a decree on on the matter.
Muslim groups see red over Christian event with ‘Allah’ on backdrop
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Malaysiakini
Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia in its report today has questioned the use of ‘Allah’ at a non-Islamic function at at a hotel gathering in Klang yesterday.
This follows the banning of the usage of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims in Selangor by the Selangor Sultan.
It reported that the closed-door event, attended by 200 people, had a backdrop stating ‘International Full Gospel fellowship Allah Satelit Nilai dan Satelit Puchong’.
The daily also reported that the notice of the event was different from what was stated on the backdrop. The daily also reported that between 1pm to 6pm yesterday, the event was filled with songs praising the religion and using ‘Allah’ in their lyrics.
Utusan queries Christian function using ‘Allah’
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weehingthong 