Thursday March 5, 2009
Adviser: Action can be taken if Herald uses ‘Allah’
By MAZWIN NIK ANIS
PUTRAJAYA: Action can be taken against non-Muslim publications, including The Herald, in 10 states if they are found to be using four words related to Islam, including “Allah”.
This is because the states – Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis and Selangor – have gazetted the ruling which is now part of the respective state enactments on Islamic matters.
A fatwa had been issued to prohibit non-Muslim publications from using the words “Allah”, “Kaabah”, “Solat” and “Baitullah” in their reading materials.
Religious Adviser to the Prime Minister Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin said the remaining four states – Penang, Federal Territory, Sabah and Sarawak – were in the process of gazetting the fatwa.
“There are already laws in place to take action against offenders; not just through the Home Ministry,” he said.
The Catholic Church has submitted an application for a judicial review over the use of the word Allah, seeking to quash the decision of the Internal Security Minister (now Home Minister) in a letter dated Feb 12, which imposed conditions on the publishing permit of The Herald, a Catholic weekly. Among the conditions was a prohibition on the use of the word Allah.
Abdullah also said a statement made by Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat over the use of the word by non-Muslims had confused the public.
“It is true that in the early days, the word Allah already existed but it was wrongly used and was taken in the wrong context,” he said, adding that people in that era claimed Allah had children, that angels were His daughters and Allah had associations with the many statues used for worshipping.
“That is why Allah directed Prophet Muhammad to clear the matter and declare that Allah is One, has no children, was not given birth to and cannot be associated and likened to other things, or objects, in this world.
“That is why the word Allah cannot be used by non-Muslims to describe their God,” he said.
Recently, the PAS spiritual adviser said non-Muslims were allowed to use the word “Allah” as there was a verse in the Quran which quoted the non-Muslims of Mecca calling their god “Allah”.
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