Church leaders steer clear of sultan’s decree
Deeming it a sensitive matter, Church and Sikh leaders say they would leave it to the Federal Court to decide on the use of the word ‘Allah’.
Vignesh Kumar, FMT
In the wake of a royal decree banning non-Muslims from using the word ‘Allah’, Christian and Sikh religious leaders refused to be drawn into commenting on the matter.
Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) secretary Rev Hermen Shastri said he does not want to make a comment regarding the Allah issue as it was a sensitive matter.
“For now I have nothing much to say,” said Council of Churches Malaysia(CCM) secretary Rev Hermen Shastri.
Yesterday, the Sultan of Selangor, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, decreed that the word ‘Allah’ is exclusive to Muslims and non-Muslims should refrain from using it.
He said this was to avoid confusion among Muslims over the use of the word when used by other religions.
As such, he called on the Selangor people to respect and abide by the decision of the Selangor Fatwa Council on the matter.
