Muslims’ Exclusive Right, word Allah
Round one for Christians.
Will round two for Muslims?
By Amde Sidik
I hate to be included in the race just because I’m a Muslim it doesn’t mean I agree with it.
Who is my wakil to speak on my behalf?
I couldn’t remember much nor have I heard in the past if any of the Peninsula’s (Semanajung or Malaya) based ethnic groups ever used word “Allah” when referring to God. Thus no great surprise when some Muslims from this part of the country sprung like bullet when they heard non-Muslims from Malaysia Borneo saying it. For the first time? After fifty odd years? They didn’t realise after all that Christians or non-Christians a like (besides Muslims) from Malaysia Borneo refer their God as Allah too.
How were we with it then for the last hundreds years?
The hooha-hooha about the word Allah started in Peninsular where the people there never used it, while the irony Malaysians in Borneo used it never even bother to care who owns it-who are most perturbed? Now the battle ground end up in Kuala Lumpur, plain funny!
Okay, much has been said about it.
We move on, lots more things that people from Peninsula aren’t familiar with aren’t just about word Allah. Briefly I give a typical background of Malaysian Borneo with regard to Islamic religion. Most of us, the Muslim today had our fore parents weren’t Muslims, like me, for instance as later as only three generations. My granddad’s parents were pagan looked after by Muslims’ family I therefore became Muslim today. I have many cousins who aren’t Muslims all over Borneo, yet I don’t remember if ever religion was an issue among us.
If there is an argument about faith whether we did it right or wrong I shall standby for any call to debate.
A few months ago I was in the Church as well at the Christian’s graveyard burying my late cousin.
In another scenario, even today a number of young people in Sabah who voluntarily embraced Islam, where in a family, some of the children or relatives take up Islam as their religion whilst their parents are Christian or some have no particular religion. They still live under one roof. The novelty though, the way I see it, its only fair and logical for children to look after their parents who are no longer working, in other words, the children’s turn to take care of their elderly parents.
More interestingly every Sunday, the children send their parents to Church because the parents choose to go, while at the same token the children go to the mosque. The parents constantly reminding their Children to be strictly follow their new faith that they voluntarily embraced. The children performed the Islamic ritual, praying or even attending religious classes, and doing like ordinary Muslims are doing and no quarrel in the house. And I must say this; I’m astounded with disgrace by the lackadaisical attitude by some of Islamic Religious officers in the State who in dispensing their duty are far more concerned about their overtime pays then their actual duty as religious officers. Again, relating to the former, I’m pretty sure if it happens in Peninsula the whole sky will fall down. Surely gloomy!
My opinion again is, all religion somehow started with simple beginning that was how Islam attracted mankind at its earlier period. It’s not religion that created misery; it’s the people- the Muslims so to speak. I agree with Dr Faisal Al Qasim in his recent article. In Malaysia, leave everything else to Muslims; I think we are no better than Pakistan, a failed nation.
Read more at: http://kadayanjournal.com/?p=2928
