Arabic words banned by Barisan Nasional
Dear Sir or Madam,
I learned to day that the Barison Nasional has prohibited non-Muslims from using 35 Arabic words connected with Islam – such as Nabi, Insya’Allah, etc. Could you please provide me with a complete list of those 35 words?
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malaysia in the 1960’s. I worked exclusively with Muslims and spoke Malay fluently. The Muslims I knew never considered their religious terms to be exclusively Muslim. We had many discussions about religion, and I felt that Muslims at that time were extremely tolerant and accepting of non-Muslims. Something has changed in the last generation or so.
Thank you,
Chris Chrisman
Los Angeles, CA, USA