Asri urges review of Islamic laws on banned words
By G. Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider
Influential cleric Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has come out to ask all states to review their Islamic enactments that bar non-Muslims from using terms and words such as ‘Allah’, saying laws should be updated from time to time.
The former Perlis mufti defended Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad’s proposal for Selangor to review laws such as its Non-Islamic Religion Enactment 1988 (Control of Propagations Among Muslims) that has raised the ire of some Muslims.
“Yes, I feel the proposal should be considered as part of contemporary development. The requirements from the past and present are not the same at all,” Asri told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview yesterday.
Khalid’s proposal came in the wake of the controversial High Court ruling last Dec 31 when the Catholic weekly Herald was given the constitutional right to use the word ‘Allah’ to describe the Christian God among the Catholic congregation to the consternation of Muslims who say its exclusive to them.
“If the Internal Security Act (ISA) can be reviewed, don’t tell me these others laws cannot be reviewed,” he said, pointing out there are many words and phrases that have been barred from usage by non-Muslims.
Ten of Malaysia’s 13 states have banned non-Muslims from using up to 35 Arabic terms including the word ‘Allah’, ‘solat’ or prayers and even ‘masjid’ or mosque.
