MB Azmin thanks Sultan for helping with return of seized bibles

(Malay Mail Online) – Selangor Mentri Besar Azmi Ali today expressed deep gratitude to the Sultan of the state for helping facilitate the return of bibles seized by Islamic authorities earlier this year.

Azmin also said the state Islamic affairs department MAIS and the Association of Churches of Sarawak (ACS) for working  together to resolve the issue.

“Firstly, I want to register the highest appreciation and gratitude to His Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor for his foresight and initiative in seeking the best way to resolve this long standing problem.

“All parties concerned in particular the MAIS and the ACS have therefore reached an amicable resolution of the Bible issue through sincere efforts and conviction to respect religious sensitivities of all communities,” Azmin said in a statement.

The newly appointed Selangor MB also said the respective chairman from MAIS and ACS had helped bridge the differences between the two.

“I would also like to record my appreciation to the Chairman of MAIS, Dato’ Setia Haji Mohammad Adzib Mohd Isa and The Most Revd Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok for doing their best to see this matter resolved in the best way possible”.

Azmin said the return of the bibles should lay the foundation for better relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The Selangor MB also reminded  the people  of  Selangor  that mutual respect between faiths must be strengthened and that his administration will not tolerate any form of religious extremism.

“It should, therefore, be stressed that what we witnessed in this morning’s handing over event is the Qur’anic imperatives on justice and moderation being applied in reality,” he said.

“As I have said before, all parties must respect the status of Islam as the State religion.

“However, as freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution, extremist sentiments, race baiting and religious fanaticism will not be part of the administration of the State of Selangor,” he said.

The Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government returned today the bibles containing the word “Allah” to the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) after years of tussle with the state’s Islamic authorities.

Using a 1988 Selangor state law that prohibits non-Muslims from using “Allah” to refer to God, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) carried out a surprise raid of BSM’s Selangor office on January 2, and seized over 300 copies of the bible in Malay and Iban.

After months of waiting for the bibles’ release, the BSM’s then president Lee Min Choon said in April that BSM would move its headquarters to the federal government-ruled Kuala Lumpur to get “better protection” and avoid future bible seizures.

Azmin said today the return of the bibles were witnessed by State Secretary, Dato’ Mohammed Khusrin Bin Haji Munawi; Dato’ Seri Utama Di Raja Mufti Selangor, Dato’ Setia Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid; Chairman of Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS), Dato’ Setia Haji Mohammad Adzib Mohd Isa; Director of Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS), Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad and himself.