The Fight Over 'Allah'

The Fight Over 'Allah'

www.newsweek.com

The interethnic chaos Malaysia has long feared moved closer to reality this month when 10 churches were at-tacked around the country. The attacks followed a civil-court ruling on New Year's Eve declaring that a law prohibiting non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" to describe their God was unconstitutional. Strangely, though, Christians have been using "Allah" for "God" in East Malaysia since the 1920s without much controversy.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Excellent article which does a deep analysis of the whole situation.

So why the sudden spate of violence in a nation long viewed as a model of tolerance in the Muslim world?

The answer is that beneath Malaysia's outward glow of progressive moderation, racial and religious consciousness has risen steadily among Muslim Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. That creeping conservatism has been fanned by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), seeking to revive support that is slipping amid rampant corruption and other forms of misrule. Rather than trying to quell misgivings among Malays who felt that the use of "Allah" to describe the Christian God would sow confusion, the government appealed the decision, saying that Muslim sensitivities must be respected to protect the fragile ethnic balance. Then UMNO leaders, including Prime Minister Najib Razak, said the government could not stop planned protests against the ruling, though he has often opposed the exercise of free speech in the past. Critics charge the government with institutionalizing racism and emboldening Muslim hardliners. Whatever the case, the church attacks are the clearest sign yet that Malaysia's racial-religious compact is unraveling.

I recommend you to read the complete article for detailed reason of the recent clashes.

www.newsweek.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Thanks for the link. Let's hope that the attacks by Muslims to non-muslim churches, and maybe worse people stops

Here's what I don't understand. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all monotheistic religions - meaning they all believe in one Divine Creator.

Whether you call him Hashem ("the Name") as the Jews do, the LORD or God as Christians do, or Allah as the Muslims do, it's all the same song and dance.

I don't get it. Anyone want to explain this lunacy to me? It's the same thing, peoples.

Yeah, there is all sorts of craziness out there.

Often time Muslims will focus on the "One God aspect" which is meant to contradict the Christians trinity. The Jewish are not exactly fond of the Christians, and the Christians believe that 144,000 Jews will convert to Christianity in the end times.



[edit on 23-1-2010 by Styki]

Originally posted by Styki
Yeah, there is all sorts of craziness out there.

Often time Muslims will focus on the "One God aspect" which is meant to contradict the Christians trinity. The Jewish are not exactly fond of the Christians, and the Christians believe that 144,000 Jews will convert to Christianity in the end times.

Well if the Christians are right, there will be WAY more than 144 thousand Jews, or other races saying they are on God's side when the day comes.

On a serious note though, I hope this sort of violence and waste of political banter comes to a close soon. I do like Malaysia and have been there a few times in my life.

I would hate to have to see a beautiful place fall to such pety themes.

~Keeper



[edit on 1/23/2010 by tothetenthpower]

Most people, whether they choose to engage in discussion or not, are very probably asking themselves, 'Who gains from this ? Whose agenda does it serve ? '

And it's to be suspected that most people already have a pretty good idea as to the identity of the suspects

Originally posted by CookieMonster09
Here's what I don't understand. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all monotheistic religions - meaning they all believe in one Divine Creator.

Whether you call him Hashem ("the Name") as the Jews do, the LORD or God as Christians do, or Allah as the Muslims do, it's all the same song and dance.

I don't get it. Anyone want to explain this lunacy to me? It's the same thing, peoples.

the other thing is that the three religions you just named all believe in the same god too.