I was driving around the other day and I saw this car sticker which states “I love Allah”.
As most of you are aware, Christians in this country are currently wrestling with the “authorities” in court on the usage of Allah in the Malay-language bible and other Christian publications.
The “authorities” are prohibiting Christians to use the word “Allah” as they claim that the usage of “Allah” will confuse the Muslims while the Christians are arguing that “Allah” simply means God and hence, should not be prohibited from using the word.
The encounter with that car sticker got me thinking… Will we Christians put up the “I-love-Allah” car sticker in our cars? After all, we claim that it simply means “God”.
No Christians have answered yes to my question.
P/S: The driver of the car which bear that sticker was not a Christian.
1 year ago… The annual corporate battle
As most of you are aware, Christians in this country are currently wrestling with the “authorities” in court on the usage of Allah in the Malay-language bible and other Christian publications.
The “authorities” are prohibiting Christians to use the word “Allah” as they claim that the usage of “Allah” will confuse the Muslims while the Christians are arguing that “Allah” simply means God and hence, should not be prohibited from using the word.
The encounter with that car sticker got me thinking… Will we Christians put up the “I-love-Allah” car sticker in our cars? After all, we claim that it simply means “God”.No Christians have answered yes to my question.
P/S: The driver of the car which bear that sticker was not a Christian.
1 year ago… The annual corporate battle
30 comments:
To me, Allah is only for Islamic.
What's in a name? A rose by any other name will smell as sweet. I can't understand the fuss over a name. I would think there are a whole lot of more important matters to attend to. God is God...whether you call him God...or Tuhan...or Allah...or whatever. It is the faith within us that is more important...and what we do that reflects the kind of Christians we are. As they say, action speaks louder than words...or names, any name!
Same as "i love tuhan"?
I think it's just the way it sounds. Not catchy enough.
The "allah" and "keling" issues are just political propaganda. Maybe those clowns should claim "bodoh" also. No other word can best describe those idiots.
I LOVE OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. :D
Did it ever occur to you that the spelling of the word HALAL has all the letters in ALLAH? :p
Wishing you & Jules a Blessed New Year.
Aiyaaa, it's only a word la, why certain quarters get so uptight about it boggles the mind la.
Do they not have enough faith in themselves that they're so afraid when others use the word Allah?
If that is the case there are so many words I think they should stop using cos it just might erode their faiths ...
*shakes head in disbelief*
The word comes to be almost too exclusive that it seems racist. Don't misunderstand me but if the word means God then why cant other cultures and religions use the word? If another group claimed the word God and another claimed another word, soon we'd be wondering which words are free to be used! This country is supposed to be a democracy but somehow that's in name/title only. Might as well be under dictatorial rule.
*Lizzy is holding back a WHOLE LOAD of angst.
These are the instances, where I'm happy, that I am not religious. I have no opinion on that. I just hope there won't be any extreme feelings on any sides.
If religions fight and argue, it doesn't really seem they practice what they preach, right?
I don't really car stickers in the first place but I guess that's a completely different issue altogether... :P
Happy New Year 2010 to you and Jules! :)
A definite yes, absolutely. I see that kind of statement not only in hymns but in stickers, car stickers, etc. in Sarawak and Sabah. You may not have any idea how much the word "Allah" is so endearing to East Malaysians as the word "God" or "Lord" is to English-speaking Christians.
@ MKL:
Well my personal opinion is that religion itself has nothing to do with some of the human stupidity that entails with it. It's our own human failing that causes all these unnecessary bickering and "holy wars".
Many people's lives have changed because of religion. Some have done good towards others because of religion.
It's just that religion has always been a lame "cause" for extremists to justify their evil acts. Example the Taleban in Afghanistan are one of the biggest poppy field overlords in that country.
I doubt that heroin growing is one of the Islamic tenets in the Quran.
So I think religion itself has nothing to do with a lot of things. It's just that humans use it as an excuse for their actions.
I won't mess up my car with any sticker.
Happy New Year.
Hahahah well i'm not Christian so..
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Have a great one! =D
Guess my Catholic priest would. But I wouldn't
sure, why not? we use the word Allah ALL the time during the Bahasa Melayu church mass. Omg, did i just burst the bubble? oh shit, now our religious procession will be a court matter.
I studied Catechism and Bible studies from small and even took Bible Knowledge in Form 5 (Senior Cambridge)...and even then, including the colonial days, we were taught about God with a capital "G" and Tuhan in Malay.
Allah was somebody else's god and we heard them calling out to him through giant speakers at their places or worship...and the Chinese had their names for their gods and the Indians likewise. How and where and when did this "Allah" name become and issue? Who started it all and why?
If they insist that THAT is the ONE and TRUE name for God in Malay, then should we think that THAT is the ONE and TRUE religion as well?
This name-thing is man-made or man-given. In the gospel, Jesus said, "Give back to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and to God, what is God's."
P.S. Re. an earlier comment, the local Ibans in Sarawak call God "Ayatallah" which is not the same as the one in dispute.
Politicians frequently make non-issues into issues. Makes sense for them as a stepping stone to more power though.
I just find the whole situation hilarious. Why spend time cracking heads on whose Allah belongs to who while so many people die of hunger and poverty everyday!
interesting question.
personally i think it's the same like asking UiTM to open its door to all. will you apply?
You have no idea, in Indonesia, Allah is used to denote God by both Muslims and Christians alike, and Christian publications openly use the word Allah on its cover (in BOLD, some more!) and smack it on with a portrait of Jesus. How's that? Even the Assemblies of God church is registered as Gereja Sidang-sidang Jemaat Allah in Bahasa Indonesia, and you can see this huge sign on every AOG church in Indonesia.
In the Arabic Bible, Allah is the word for God. The 1st verse from the Genesis, "Fee al-badi' khalaqa Allahu as-Samaawaat wa al-Ard" - "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth".
The verse in Arabic script is this:
CLICK HERE (the one being underlined in red is the Arabic word for Allah)
here's the thing:
1- people always make religion as an excuse
2- people also use religion as an escape or bait
3- people always confuse religion and race
the thing is....we humans, Muslim, Hindus, Christians, Buddhist etc etc... just "DONT KNOW MUCH OR DONT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT RELIGION"
sad truth kan?
my 2 cents :)
I hate stickers. No stickers of any kind for me. :o) Except car's registration sticker, no choice but to display it.
I just got news that approval from the government has been given to freely use the word 'Allah'.
sorry dear, i wouldn't either. Allah is a name I identify with the Muslim and Islam. for me, i am ok with just calling God as God.
though there are some who must call him Jehovah.
Dear All,
this case is more than meets the eye. Its not just about whether Christians may or may not use the Name. Its about religious freedom, civil liberties and most of all, your (minority) rights as a citizen in Malaysia. Today is Allah word, tomorrow, its will be something else. Perhaps you will have to change your name to an Arabic sounding one because we live in an "Islamic' nation, it may be that bookstores will ban religious books and music,..or worse still, bumper stickers!
Mr Watson
I haven't seen such stickers in the Philippines, but I also will not put up such sticker in my car--if I'd ever have a car, that is.
The name Allah is exclusively used in Islam, so although we know that it also means God, there's always the identity of Islam and the Q'uran and the Prophet Mohammad that goes along that name. I believe there's something in a name, as it shows the seal of identity.
Malaysia, I think, is predominantly a Muslim country, unlike our country. But I hope that all Christians and Muslims would continue to respect each other's religion and live in peace together and that the governments would continue to uphold freedom of religion or beliefs.
jam - there you go...
anon @ 30/12 6.38pm - amen to that. i dont quite understand why we cant just use tuhan.
hasilox - hahaha... yeah, exclusive use.
jemima - never occured to me, i suppose there is a reason behind it...
Nick Phillips - which is why, i think the fight is quite unncessary.
pinknpurplelizard - like what the grand old man said, it's guided democracy here.
MKL - religion is beautiful... just the followers screw it up, always.
Life for Beginners - not different, just different light...oh, that's different.
Dan-yel - i guess i need to head to east malaysia...
pavlova - absolutely. like what i said, the problem is not with the religion but the followers.
j_yenn - hahaha... fair enough.
huei - you're not involved then... :P
Pink Panther - hahaha... there you go... but at least your priest would...
Amanda Christine Wong - there's gonna be a big protest at your church soon :P
anon @ 31/12 3.32pm - very good piece of information my friend. and that is exactly my point. to me, allah is the name of their god. and that has been the case, not the definition of the word but a name.
The Envoy - that is true as well.
eiling lim - now, that is a separate matter :P... social concern is good though.
CK - i wont... and i am darn sure some big churches will FORBID their members from applying.
kyh - i know what you mean. but read the comment from anon @ 31/12 above. he has my point...
beezee~bee - confusion between religion and race... that only happens here :P
Ai Shiang - hahahahaha.... ok.
myop101 - precisely my point.
anon @ Mr Watson - agree with your point. hence, the point for argument should not be allah means god and thus we can use it. the point of argument should be the govt should not be interfering with religion or whatsoever.
melisa - hello there... i think you've been here before didnt you? anyway, good to know a point of view from afar :)
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