What drive the authorities up the wall
The real issue is that the home ministry lives in constant fear that Muslims will read the ‘Al-Kitab, Berita Baik’ and decide that ‘this is the original stuff”.
By Joe Fernandez, Free Malaysia Today
These are interesting times that we live in. The 30,000 bibles in Malay print, held up at Kuching Port since Jan 11, will be released by the home ministry pending the fulfilment of two conditions. Another 5,100 bibles seized at Port Klang will not be released unlike those at Kuching.
This smacks of double standard, which will not hold up in any court of law. Yet the Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail thinks that the decision will not prejudice a pending case involving The Herald at the Court of Appeal. Obviously, the AG knows something that others don’t since there’s little sign that the appeal will ever be heard.
De facto Law Minister Nazri Aziz opines that the release of the bible in Kuching is not sub judice as there are no enactments in Sabah and Sarawak against the bible being in Malay print.
The first condition for Kuching is that the importer labouriously stamps each copy of the bible with the words “For Christians Only”. He should perhaps consider sub-contracting the job to the home ministry where the officials have been known to tar-black offending lines and passages in numerous publications. The forbidden fruit surely now tastes sweeter.
The other condition is that each copy should carry a serial number. Serial numbers would probably make it easier to produce evidence in court should any Muslim be found with a copy of the bible. Also, the Customs at the airports and seaports will now be able to prevent the bibles from being smuggled into Peninsular Malaysia where the holy book continues to be banned in Malay print.
A Malaysian from Sabah and Sarawak would have to leave his bible behind if he wants to visit Peninsular Malaysia. Otherwise, if the Customs misses his bible, he could face an uncertain fate for running foul of some law or fatwa yet to come.
Two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire had a similar attitude towards Christianity. The emperors routinely fed Christians to the lions at the Coliseum for the amusement of its citizens. In the end, Rome like the Greeks ditched its galaxy of Gods and Goddesses, embraced Christianity and ceded the Vatican as the Holy See and seat of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
Tough stand
The home ministry cannot throw the book at Hindus, for example, found in possession of the Al-Kitab, Berita Baik. “For Christians Only”, getting into semantics, is therefore an unreasonable condition. The alternative would be to stamp “Not for Muslims” or “For non-Muslims only”. The second comes across as if the home ministry is proselytising. The first alternative is definitely a no-no considering, again, that “the forbidden fruit tastes sweeter”.
The tough stand taken by the Sarawak government probably had something to do with the speedy release of the bibles. No doubt the imminent state election figured in the equation. In any case, the Sarawak government needs rare praise. It did not cite “Muslim sensitivities”, unlike in Peninsular Malaysia, and do nothing about getting the bibles released.
Christians in Sabah and Sarawak have no choice but to use the Malay bible since they are more comfortable in that language than English. Also, there’s no bible available in the local languages.
Muslim-majority Indonesia must be credited as well for bringing out the bible in Malay translation.
It was not easy to translate the bible from Greek into other languages. Thousands of experts have to be employed to work on a translation. It takes maybe 25 years or more before the Vatican approves a translation.
It’s an over-simplification to say that the home ministry is bent on curtailing the rights of the Christians although it does look that way.
The real issue is that the home ministry lives in constant fear that Muslims will read the “Al-Kitab, Berita Baik” and decide that “this is the original stuff”. God in the bible in Malay print is Allah, the one word that drives the ministry up the wall.
After all, the Quran itself is based almost wholly on the bible plus the years of the Prophet Muhammad. If the bible had been available in Arabic instead of Greek after Christ, it’s anyone’s guess whether there would have been a Quran or Islam today.
Tolerant religion
It would be naïve to think that many Muslims will not read the “Al-Kitab, Berita Baik”. If their faith in Islam is shaken by their reading of the bible, they will surely abandon the Ummah. Many Muslims already think that Christianity is a more tolerant religion than Islam and one that allows for the practice of local language, culture, customs and traditions. Besides, many Muslims themselves don’t know much about their own faith.
Those who are lost will have to seek, as the bible advises, “and they shall find”; “knock and the doors shall be opened to them” and “ask and they shall receive”. This is the favourite portion of the bible with born-again Christians who credit their faith for their material success in life.
