Christians inviting trouble over Alkitab row, say Muslim NGOs
By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Christians are inviting trouble with their provocative and extremist stand over resolving the impounding of Malay Bibles, an umbrella body representing 19 Muslim non-governmental organisations (NGOs) said today.
The group, which calls itself the Islamic Defenders Organisation (Pembela), accused Malaysia’s minority Christian community of deliberately hurting the feelings of the majority Muslim community with its police reports and harsh statements in its attempt to resolve the ongoing Alkitab row, as the controversy has come to be known.
In its statement today, Pembela demanded that the Christian groups involved in the row return to the mutual respect among religious followers based on the Federal Constitution, legal provision and various other official decisions.
It warned that the “pressure and provocation will cause national political leaders to feel weak and on the losing end and will give in to whatever is asked for by the extremist groups without taking into account the position of Islam in the constitution, history and culture; or provocation and continued breach against feelings and sensitivities of Muslims will cause tension and invite reaction from Muslim who are hard to control by anyone.”
