Source of Pictures: Malaysiakini.comHisham, like most other high ranking ministers in Barisan Nasional, has never failed to make himself look like a fool in front of everyone.
When asked about the lagging response by PDRM, he defended them by saying that they were not being reluctant to act to fend off security threats. He claimed that the church attacks were under control. As if.
Not long after that, a 100 year old sikh temple was hit by stones. The law firm representing The Herald was broken in today. And, an attempt to vandalise The St Elizabeth Catholic Church in Kota Tinggi, Johor has caused the wall of the building to be splattered with red paint.
PDRM and the Home Ministry have been very defensive on these issues since the very beginning, saying that they are not to be blamed on for the attacks. And on the other hand, they are not acting to protect the victims. So far, none has been detained for the crime after 10 prayer grounds of other faiths have been arsoned and vandalized.
Who are to be blamed on? And the key point here is, WHO STARTED THE WHOLE DRAMA? The Christians? Muslims? I'll say none of them.
The below are some reasonings I plundered from the reader's comments on The Malaysian Insider, which basically tell you that, from the legal battle between home ministry and the Herald, to the church attacks - they were all started, and probably planned by our beloved Barisan Nasional Government.
written by Dont Just Watch, January 14, 2010
C GUEVARA
INTRODUCTION - What did not happen
I will first start with what did not happen.
Christians did not wake up one day and say, “hmmm… instead of using the word ‘GOD’ lets replace it with ‘ALLAH’. We shall go to the court to declare it our right to use the word ‘ALLAH’”.
1. What actually happened
The Catholic newspaper, Herald, has been using the word Allah in their Bahasa Melayu edition for a long time. Suddendly, they are told, their publishing licence will not being renewed unless they stop using the word “Allah” and replace it with “Tuhan”.
2. Why go to the Court?
When the enforcement of the ban was taking place, what could the Herald do? They appealed to the Home Ministry to relax the ruling but this was rejected. There was no offer for inter-faith dialogues to be carried out.
The court was the last resort.
3. Why can’t Christians use “Tuhan” instead of “Allah”?
Actually, they can. They can also use various other names such as “The Almighty”, “The Creator”, “Lord God”, etc.
BUT unfortunately there are books including the Bahasa Melayu version of the Holy Bible which has already used the word “Allah” for years. Now the government has started confiscating these books.
Also Christians who use Bahasa Melayu have been accustomed to using the word Allah. It has never been an issue. So why should they suddenly change the way they pray?
4. We all know Allah refers to the Muslim God, Why the sudden need by Christians to also use Allah?
If you have never heard Christians call their God, “Allah”, chances are you never will. This practice of certain Christian groups referring to God as “Allah” is mainly in East Malaysia.
If yesterday I called God, “God”. Today I won’t call him “Allah”.
You won’t suddenly hear me acclaiming, “Oh my Allah”. I will still say, “Oh my God”.
Additionally, I don’t think Muslims will pick up a Bahasa Melayu version of the Herald. I am from West Malaysia and even I have not seen a Bahasa Melayu version of the Herald.
5. Malaysia is a peaceful multi-religious country. Why do the Christians suddenly bring up this sensitive issue and cause tension among the different religions?
Christians did not bring up this issue. This sensitive issue was started by the Home Ministry when they decided not to renew the Herald’s publishing licence.