‘Teach Christians a lesson, ban Malay bibles’
Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali says he has had enough of Malays being “trodden and spat on” by “ungrateful Christians” and wants the government to ban Malay bibles in retaliation
Anisah Shukry, FMT
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should ban the Malay bible the al-Kitab from Malaysia in retaliation for the Christian community’s “ingratitude”, right-wing Malay group Perkasa urged last night.
“We have been compromising, we have given them leeway. They wanted the Malay Bible, we allowed them to have it… they were still not satisfied,” said its chief Ibrahim Ali said at the Perkasa Selangor Conference 2013 here.
“It is better that we urge the government and the prime minister to rescind its decision to allow Malay bibles in Malaysia!,” he said to loud applause and roars of approval from the audience of about 500 of its members.
The Perkasa chief was responding to the Catholic Church’s recent announcement that it would not give up its struggle for the rights to use the Arabic word ‘Allah’ in its weekly publication, The Herald.
This was after the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled on Monday that The Herald could not use the word ‘Allah’ on the basis that the word was “not integral” to the Christian faith.
Amid the backlash, ministers were quick to explain that the ban applied to The Herald alone, and not other Christian publications, including the al-Kitab, as per the Cabinet’s 2011 decision – a decision that Ibrahim wanted amended.
“How long are we going to compromise, to give in? We have been trodden on, spat on but we would have been fine with that if they were grateful for our compromises. But they aren’t!” said Ibrahim.
