Sin Chew Daily

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has made a benchmark verdict to allow Christians to use the word "Allah" for religious and educational purposes.

The High Court judge ruled that the government's directive on December 5, 1986 to ban the use of the word "Allah" in Christian publications is unconstitutional and invalid, thus affirming Sarawakian Christian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill's constitutional rights under Article 11 to use the world "Allah" in Christian publications, as well as Article 8 not to be discriminated against in practicing her faith.

At the same time, the verdict has ascertained the constitutional rights of all Christians in the country to enjoy equitable rights.

Nevertheless, the verdict must not be construed as a victory for the Christians, but the manifestation of the judiciary's noble spirit in defending the Federal Constitution and the rule of law.

Several points mentioned by Justice Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin should be contemplated by all Malaysians hailing from different religious backgrounds.

Firstly, the Christian community in East Malaysia started using the word "Allah" more than 400 years ago, and this ought to be respected in our multicultural society.

The High Court has also affirmed that no individuals have been confused by the word "Allah" used in the BM version of the Bible or other related publications. And this points to a fact that the word "Allah" has not caused any uneasiness to anyone, less so disrupt public order.

Looking further, while using the same publications for religious or educational purposes by Christians outside the states of Sabah and Sarawak, no threat to public security has been posed.

From the perspectives of religious history, the translation and usage of certain terms have been around for centuries, to serve merely as a medium of delivering a message. It should not become an issue so long as Christians do not preach to other religious communities.

Secondly, any action by the authorities must be consistent with the spirit of law. The confiscation of CDs by the home ministry has infringed on the constitutional right of Jill Ireland, which contravenes the government's directive.

While Islam is the country's official religion, other faiths can be practiced peacefully and harmoniously anywhere in the federation, which is the most fundamental assurance for the people. Over the years the government has strived to protect the status of various religions in this country through a melange of executive directives in defending the rights of Malaysians in practicing their own faiths and rituals.

The then BN government adopted a 10-point solution to address the issue of the usage of the word "Allah" in Malay Bible in 2011, allowing Christians to import, print and distribute Malay Bible subject to specific conditions. The 10-point solution has thus superseded the home ministry's directive issued on December 5, 1986, and hence, the court has instructed the home ministry to return the confiscated materials to the owner.

All Malaysians irrespective of race and religion must come to the realization that bringing similar cases to court over and again will only do more harm than good for national unity.

There have been incidents of attacks on churches by irresponsible individuals since the High Court ruled that a weekly Catholic magazine could use the word "Allah" way back in 2010. No peace-loving Malaysians would wish to see such incidents happen again in this country.

This issue has time and again impacted the core values we have cherished so long: religious tolerance and harmony.

We must hold dearly to this harmony which the nation's founding fathers worked so hard to achieve. Let us all look at the court's verdict rationally with the spirit of rule of law and an attitude of inclusiveness.