Church tells AG to stop defending bigots, racists

(The Borneo Post) – The Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Church in Sabah urges the Attorney General and the de-facto law minister Nancy Shukri to stop defending religious extremism but to take immediate action against those advocating Bible burning.

Rev Jerry Dusing, president of the SIB of Sabah, said the failure of the AG and the law minister to act against religious bigotry and extremism would only serve to embolden such extremists to become more extreme in their posture against non-Muslims.

“The views of both the AG and the law minister are both obnoxious and unacceptable. It is clear that under Article 8 (1) of the Federation Constitution, all persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.

“On such an important issue, it is only fair for all Malaysians to know that justice and fairness is not only done but seen to be done. Racism and religious bigotry cannot be seen to be condoned and defended by our government,” said Dusing.

Dusing was commenting on the lack of action taken against Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali who in January 2013 called on Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term “Allah” or other Arabic religious words.

According to Ibrahim Ali, it was the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring the sensitivities and sentiments of the majority of the population in the country.

Nancy who read out AG Chamber’s decision on Ibrahim Ali’s case in recent parliamentary sitting had said that he had not been charged because he was defending the sanctity of the Islamic faith.

Her statement had invited criticism and scorn from the Christian community and politicians.

AG Chamber had on Monday issued a statement explaining its decision. The statement explained that the call of Ibrahim Ali to burn Malay language Bible did not fall within the definition of seditious tendency. As such, no legal action was taken against Ibrahim because “he had no intention to create religious disharmony” but to defend the sanctity of Islam.

Disagreeing with the decision of AG and the statement of Nancy, Dusing pointed out that after 51 years it was evident to Malaysians that racial and religious polarisation had reached an alarming level.

“Many people, including a law professor were charged with sedition over a spate of less than eight months this year while no charges were made against Ibrahim for nearly two years. There are limits to what one can say against another religion. Asking for the Holy Scriptures of another religion to be burned violates the basic of human decency.”