6 Malaysian Church Attacked in Allah Feud-->Do not use words Allah for Infidel ??!!

I don't know what is more profoundly sicker. The attempt to stop infidels from using the word allah, or the media's matter of fact approach to reporting such barbarity. "In the latest attack on early Saturday, unidentified attackers flung a home-made petrol bomb at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in a suburb
in Selangor state. The Malaysia two-storey bungalow sustained minor damage, church officials said."

Arsonists Muslims in Malaysia struck a fourth church on Saturday as the government tried to soothe tensions arising from a row over the use of the word "Allah" to refer to the Christian God.

Frankly, I have no idea why they would want to.

The unprecedented attacks risk dividing the mainly Muslim nation of 28 million people, which has significant religious minorities, and complicating Prime Minister Najib Razak's plan to win back support from the non-Muslims before the next elections by 2013.

The row, over a court ruling that allowed a Catholic newspaper to use Allah in its Malay-language editions, prompted Muslims to protest at mosques on Friday and sparked arson attacks on three churches that saw one Pentecostalist church gutted.

"We ask the government to make a strong statement to these wrongdoers so we can worship in peace on Sunday," Reverend Hermen Shastri, secretary-general to the Council of Churches Malaysia, told Reuters.

Malaysia is mainly Muslim and Malay but there are substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities who mainly practice Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.

I received this note from a reader who lived in Malaysia:

I came from an Islamic country that just burned 3 churches, Malaysia. I can tell you, first hand, that Islam is a very violent religion. And I can also tell you that Muslims will use everything to spread their Islam to all the "Infidels", and when the Infidels refuse to convert to Islam, they will get angry and they will turn to violence. Just too bad that the Europeans (and the Americans) as well don't realize what perils they are facing. Don't wait till it is too late. When Europe and America turn into something like Malaysia, churches will be torn down or be converted into their Islamic mosques. Do yourselves and your offsprings a favor, resist Islam at all cost !
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Above sentences comes from one of internet source. here is another links www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac/stories/201001/s2788629.htm, www.matthewyglesias.com/.../13275-4-more-churches-attacked-in-malay...
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Maybe, if we never facing this situation by our own experience, we might still think positive. Its oke to be positive, but in my opinion, positive is positive, and negative is negative. And the negativism which occured because of fanatism people that is increasing day by day in the face of religion, specially in islam shouldn't be allowed. We have to stop it, however and whatever we will do. And for me (who has own experience as a member of one radicalist group in indonesia), i have to do more real action to fix this problem. Please joint me my friends..

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How can we act on negative matters like this positively and effectively without using negative or fear-based tactics in return?
I find this heartfelt plea from Arbania very saddening but much as I sympathise with the sentiments the same can be said of any fanatical group - they will all ultimately use violence to achieve their goal. Dear Arbania I don't believe all muslims are fanatical. I do believe the moderate majority have a very difficult task opposing the fanatical minority - just like in other religions.
Dear malcolm...i do have same faith with you..but unfortunately they are mute. They dont care bout this matter. thats why we have to awakening these silent majority.

Malcolm Craig said:
I find this heartfelt plea from Arbania very saddening but much as I sympathise with the sentiments the same can be said of any fanatical group - they will all ultimately use violence to achieve their goal. Dear Arbania I don't believe all muslims are fanatical. I do believe the moderate majority have a very difficult task opposing the fanatical minority - just like in other religions.
Malaysia is suffering from the consequence of broken promises made by nation's founding fathers. By declaring Malaysia as Islamic State in 2001, Prime Minister Mahathir made the biggest political blunder. It was against the Malaysian Constitution. No-one dared to oppose him then.

Yes, the so called moderates are more dangerous than the radicals. The radicals are clear about their stand, the moderates are not. When such moderates are in majority, and remain silent, the radicals get more energy.

WE MUST WAKE THEM UP..
What is happening in Malaysia, and in our own country Indonesia, Arbania, as we all know, is primarily caused by this very silent majority.

Hard-work, but we must not lose hope and march on...
Wondering with Mr Krishna said "Yes, the so called moderates are more dangerous than the radicals. The radicals are clear about their stand, the moderates are not. When such moderates are in majority, and remain silent, the radicals get more energy.
"
So my friends... do we gonna stand in the silent majority state ? or we gonna be the change ? the choice is in our hands..
I suggest that Malaysians, specially the Muslim Malaysians, to do three things:
1. Call for a day of prayers so all imams in their masjid pray for the security of all houses of worship.
2. Call for a day to symbolically surround the Churches for protection.
3. Call upon the Government to appoint police for the protection of the churches

Here is a call from Chandra Muzaffar. He was one of the speakers at the Parliament:

Yayasan 1Malaysia proposes the establishment of a National Consultative Council on Religious Harmony--- Majlis Perundingan Nasional tentang Keharmonian Ugama--- which will deliberate on all critical issues in inter-faith relations in the country and suggest remedies for the consideration of the Cabinet and Parliament.
The Consultative Council should be chaired by the Prime Minister, Dato Sri Mohd Najib, and should include Ministers in charge of Religion and National Unity, Opposition leaders, representatives of the various religious communities, NGOs working towards religious harmony, and prominent personalities attempting to build bridges between Muslim and non-Muslim communities. The Council should not be too large, with perhaps a maximum of seventy members. It should meet behind closed doors and should work within a time frame. A Plan of Action should be formulated within six months of the launch of the Council.
The proposed Council can be modelled on the National Consultative Council of 1969, headed by our second Prime Minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak, set up in the aftermath of the May 13th Incident, which played a major role in restoring inter-ethnic stability.
Yayasan 1Malaysia hopes that the Prime Minster will give serious consideration to this proposal. Nothing is more important at this stage than an effective channel of communication among the different religious communities which will attempt to assuage their fears and anxieties about the position on their religion in Malaysian society today. Through communication and interaction will emerge the solutions that will accommodate the interests and aspirations of the diverse communities that constitute our beloved nation.
http://www.just-international.org/index.php/a-national-consultative...
Was this media inspired?
Many things happen in courts, but unless the media makes a big issue out of it, the masses don't worry about it.

During a pre-parliament event in Dandenong, SE of Melbourne, a Muslim University lecturer gave a talk which included his report on a speaking tour of Malaysia. He had spoken about Muslim - Christian dialogue in many venues, as he had done in Australia. He had spoken in churches in Australia and that was normal for him, but when one community church in Malaysia invited him, he was suprised by the intense media attention that had all but ignored him till then.

Imams, and leaders of all faith gatherings, should stay true to their belief and do not be manipulated by the Media.
The media is a business that makes more money when people are hurt than when things are good.
While religion tries to stop Human suffering ... the media look to focus on it.
ISLAM includes the word for PEACE.

My wife went to the school in Taiping that was attacked.
I am glade that Malaysian Muslims are standing up for their Christian brothers.
Anwar Ibrahim who was one of the speakers in the Melbourne Parliament is featured in this report who along with other hundreds of other Muslims visited the attacked churches.
Interfaith movement is standing up for each other.
peace
malik


Malaysians unite against church attacks
By Leslie Lau
Consultant Editor

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 – On a day when Christians congregate, other Malaysians, including senior Muslim leaders, joined them in a show of unity and peace, and in defiance of the spate of firebombing and vandalism of churches in recent days.

In an attempt to relegate the attacks to the fringe, Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders joined Christians in worship and dialogue even as reports of more attacks streamed in.

BN and opposition politicians made unprecedented visits to churches to reassure Christian Malaysians, who have grown fearful of the attacks.

Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon said that the government plans to hold a series of dialogues between religious leaders.

Earlier, the BN man sat next to the DAP’s Teresa Kok as they both joined the members of the Metro Tabernacle church in worship at borrowed premises in Wisma MCA here.

The church was the most seriously damaged in the attacks, with its administrative office gutted on Friday.

Also present at the service was CIMB Group CEO Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, brother of the prime minister. He presented a donation of RM100,000 on behalf of the bank to the church.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had visited the church yesterday and described the attacks as “heinous”.

Other leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Zaid Ibrahim from PKR, as well as PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat also visited various churches and held dialogue sessions with Christians.

“The Caliph Umar, who visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 638 AD, was careful to ensure that the Muslims respect the sanctity of Christian places of worship,” said Anwar, reading from a prepared statement, before attending a dialogue at the Lutheran centre in Petaling Jaya.

According to a Reuters report, Malaysians packed churches to listen to sermons of “reaching out in friendship to all, including Muslims” and “keeping the peace in multi-religious Malaysia” but many still felt their religious rights were being trampled.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/49134-malaysi...
RE: " a government ban on the use of the word "Allah" to refer to God in Christian texts."
Two points: 1) Why did the christians (R Catholic I gather) feel the need to use the word "Allah" in whatever texts they are said to have written and had published ? and (2) Was it not at the worst provocative and at the best very naive/unlearned for christians not to expect that if they were to write the name of God - Allah in the Koran - in connection with Jesus then, given the obvious fact that muslims do not believe in the Trinity, they would feel perturbed? [If the christians were using the word "Allah" to refer to God in the Bible meaning either Jaweh/Jehovah in the Old Testament or God the Father in the New Testament then what offence can muslims take at that?]
That is not in any way to justify over reaction of the magnitude reported.... .and... I am neither a christian or a muslim by the way
We have such council in Indonesia, Mr. Malik, unfrtntly resultng in mre mudarat than manfaat. If Malaysia goes back to the promises made by nation's founding fathers n keeps them - the problem is solved. I am vmuch cncrned, snc further instablity in Msia cn effect the entire region. Allah Haafiz
MalcomnN Allah has been adopted by the malay n indonesian lexicon as many other arabic, persian, and sanskrit word, to refer to GOD. N thre hs bn no problm fr the last 150 years or even more. Lv n blsgs
It is good to know that Muslim groups are taking turns guarding churches to avoid further violence in Malaysia.
Malik

Malaysian bishops praise moderates and urge peace in ‘Allah’ conflict

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jan 13, 2010 / 07:08 am (CNA).- Saying they had not expected a violent reaction to the Malaysian High Court’s ruling that a Christian newspaper may use the word “Allah” for God, Catholic leaders in Malaysia have said there is an urgent need to “defuse the conflict” they say fundamentalists are trying to start in the country.

The Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, scheduled to meet in the Malaysian city of Johor Baru long before the attacks on several churches, said it was “concerned” by the reaction, the Malaysian Insider reports.

The bishops discussed the impact and the necessary response to defuse what they described as a “worrisome and delicate” situation.

The prelates said that meetings with civil authorities and dialogues with Muslim leaders are ongoing and will continue.

“We must act in harmony and seek the necessary co-operation of the government and the high religious authorities in order to restore a peaceful environment to Malaysian society,” the Conference added, according to Fides.

The bishops said the violent episodes are “smearing” the reputation of Malaysian Islam, which they said is known for its “moderation and peaceful co-existence with other religions.” They noted that “groups of moderate Muslims” have taken turns guarding churches to avoid further violence.

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