Full chronology of the "Allah" Controversy

Full chronology of the "Allah" Controversy - Final by Fatimah Zuhri

" This is the last time I will talk about this issue. From my
observation the issue is coming to a close now and from what I have
heard a win-win situation will soon be achievable.

1. I did not want to touch this issue but I feel it is important that
everyone (ALL Malaysians) understand the chronology of event relating to
this.

2. First of all, yes Allah is an Arabic word which have been used for
many many years.

3. As a matter of fact, for Muslim, we believe that Islam started from
Adam PBUH. Therefore Adam is the first ever man to use the word. The
issue for Malaysian Muslim has never been about the lose of a "word" but
the future implications of the word.

http://themalaysian insider.com/ index.php/ opinion/breaking -views/49192- al\
lah-future-implicat ions-of-the- high-court- decision- -fatimah- zuhri
<http://themalaysian insider.com/ index.php/ opinion/breaking -views/49192- a\
llah-future- implications- of-the-high- court-decision- -fatimah- zuhri>

4. Now that we have settle that issue, let us look at the chronology of
the controversy.

5. On 7th January 2009, The Herald and The Home Ministry came to a
MUTUAL agreement where the Home Ministry agreed to give permit to The
Herald for its publications if they agree to :

http://thestar. com.my/news/ story.asp? file=/2010/ 1/1/nation/ 5399211&sec= n\
ation
<http://thestar. com.my/news/ story.asp? file=/2010/ 1/1/nation/ 5399211&sec= \
nation>

a) NOT use the word "Allah" in the Malay Bible (High Malay etc)
b) Have the word "LIMITED" printed in the cover of the Bible
c) The Malay Bible should not be used to convert Muslim in Malaysia.
d) The agreement will be annually revised

6. The Herald AGREED to the above rules and a MUTUAL agreement was
achieved with The Home Ministry.

7. Thus, on April 2009, at an International Book Fair, the new version
of the Malay Bible without the word "Allah" was unveiled to all and
sundry.

http://www.alarabiy a.net/articles/ 2009/04/26/ 71464.html
<http://www.alarabiy a.net/articles/ 2009/04/26/ 71464.html>

8. The word "Allah" was replaced with "Elohim" which is also translated
as God.

9. To any rational person, this is a win-win situation no? But as you
can read from the link above, some Christian leaders are still not
satisfied.

10. Magically, on October 2009, 15,000 Bibles containing the word
"Allah" were imported from Indonesia into Malaysia.

http://www.crosswal k.com/11616546/ <http://www.crosswal k.com/11616546/>

11. Now, this move is interesting on two levels :

a) The Herald has MUTUALLY AGREED on 07 January 2009 to NOT use the word
"Allah"

b) The circulation is is 13,000 with a readership of 5,000 ONLY. But
they imported over 15,000 bibles where 10,000 were sent to East Malaysia
while another 5000 were posted to West Malaysia.

12. Anyone who read the Bible in the 60s,70s and 80s in Peninsular
Malaysia would know that there is no word "Allah" either in Malay Bible
or English Bible.

13. The move to import over 15,000 Bibles containing the word "Allah"
were clearly breaking the MUTUAL AGREEMENT earlier in the year and seems
to have some "hidden motive" (5K Malay Bible in West Malaysia)

14. Therefore the Kastam DiRaja Malaysia seized the 15,000 Malay Bibles
from Indonesia.

15. This created uproar amongst the SAME leaders who were dissatisfied
over the new version of Malay Bible in April 2009.

16. They went to the High Court on the basis that The Home Ministry is
restricting their "Human Rights" to practice their religion;
Christianity.

17. Convenient isn't it? You agreed at first, then you break your
promise, then you sued when people take action on you for breaking a
MUTUAL AGREEMENT.

18. Of course as we knew it, on 31st December 2009, Judge Bee Lan from
The High Court agreed that it is against Article 11 of the Malaysian
Constitution and awarded the "victory" to The Herald.

19. In making her decision, Judge Bee Lan chided the Malaysian
Government effort of preventing future racial/religious riot by saying :

" Justice Lau ruled as grounds for her judgement that both the
respondents the minister and the Malaysian government had
failed throughout the trial to prove how the use of the word
"Allah" could threaten national security. "

http://thestar. com.my/news/ story.asp? file=/2010/ 1/1/nation/ 5399211&sec= n\
ation
<http://thestar. com.my/news/ story.asp? file=/2010/ 1/1/nation/ 5399211&sec= \
nation>

20. On early Morning of 8th January 2010, a Church was torched....the
rest are history. Hopefully Judge Bee Lan can finally have her answer.