www.islam-watch.org

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size

‘Allah’ Row in Malaysia: Why Christians Have Greater Rights to Use ‘Allah’ than Muslims?

E-mail Print PDF

Malaysian Muslims' violent claim to use Allah to the exclusion of Christians is not only shamelessly illegitimate, but also portents a nightmarish sign as to where our world is irreversibly heading to...


In Malaysia, Muslims are waging a raging, and potentially dangerous, campaign to own exclusive copyright to use the word 'Allah'.

The controversy has been brewing since 2007, when Muslim fanatics protested against the use of ‘Allah’ to denote ‘God’ in Christian literature and publications. The Malaysian government, to appease the fanatics, banned the Catholic Herald, a Malaysian Catholic weekly, for using the word ‘Allah’.

Dr. Mahathir Muhammad, the longest-serving Malaysian ex-premier, under whom Malaysia underwent progressive Islamization, supported the ban. To him, the word ‘Allah’ belongs to Muslims alone.

It’s worthy noting that Christians in Malaysia have been using the word ‘Allah’ in Malay-language Bibles since the 1800s.

The Catholic Herald initiated a legal battle not only against the ban on its publication, but also on its age-old right to use the term ‘Allah’.

Authorities in Malaysia confiscated 15,000 copies of the Bible from Christians in late 2009 for containing the word ‘Allah’.

And, as of latest, Malaysian High Court overturned the ban on Catholic Herald on December 31, 2009. It also ruled that it was the constitutional right for the Herald to use the word “Allah”.

The ruling that literally allows non-Muslims to use ‘Allah’ enraged Muslims and the ruling party activists.

Dr. Mahathir, leading a backlash against the court ruling, wrote: “The solution to the controversy will not be achieved by making an appeal to the court. Such a sensitive issue cannot be solved through law.”

He added that non-Muslims “may use it on banners or write something that might not reflect Islam”, thereby, potentially inflaming Muslims’ anger.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, church vandalized in Allah row
A church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, vandalized
by Muslim fanatics in Allah row.

Such statements—some inflammatory, others mixed—by the ruling party politicians and ministers, including the current Prime Minister and Home Minister, unraveled days of protests setting the stage for a huge demonstration on Friday, January 8, 2010. Surprisingly, the Home Ministry, on the one hand, overruled the High Court ruling on Wednesday, January 6, while also approved Friday’s mass demonstration on the ruling.

And, at the end of the demonstration, as generally occurs all over the Muslim world, fanatic Muslim mobs burned down three churches. On Saturday another church was attacked, while two more on Sunday, bringing the total number of churches to six. It’s probably just the beginning unless the Christians relent on their demand.

Similar to Muslims’ claim of exclusivity to use ‘Allah’, ever since I left Islam and started writing critically of Islam, I have been told, too often, by angry Muslims to give up my Islamic name.

The question is: What exactly constitutes an Islamic name?

Being born and raised as a Muslim, my first name is of Persian, middle name of Arabic and last name of Mongolian/Turkic origin.

Which of these languages was an invention of Islam—that is, invented by Allah, Muhammad or a Muslim?

The answer, irrefutably, is “none”.

None of the languages we humans speak today were invented by Islam. Instead, they have Pagan roots.

We, the ex-Muslim and humanists, who believe in complete equality of all humans with their diversity in ethnicity, language and culture, have a greater right to inheritance to secular human innovations, such as any modern-day language, than do Muslims.

It is not for us ex-Muslims to give up our names, given by our parents; instead, Muslims, who believe in exclusivity, should invent a new language or naming system and use them than shamelessly demanding copyright on something, to whose creation and evolution, they, their prophet, Muhammad, or their God, Allah, have made little or no contribution.

The same goes to Muslims’ claim of exclusivity to the right of using the term ‘Allah’.

The term ‘Allah’ was not created by the Islamic God, or Muhammad or any Muslim. The Pagans of Arabia had been using ‘Allah’ to denote ‘God’ for hundreds, probably for thousands, of years before Islam’s birth.

Muhammad’s father’s name was Abdullah (Abd-Allah), meaning ‘slave of Allah’, while his greatest opponent in Medina—repeated labeled as “hypocrite” by Islamic Allah in the Quran, although he was a great humanist—was also named Abdullah (Abdullah ibn Obayi). This proves beyond doubt that it is from pre-Islamic Pagan usage did Muhammad incorporate the term ‘Allah’ into Islam. Neither Islamic Allah nor Muhammad invented the term.

I have shown in my book, Islamic Jihad, that Islam is a completely impotent or infertile religion having no novelty or innovation; nothing in its doctrine was new for the time. The entire foundation of Islam was incorporated by the Allah-Muhammad duo from the existing Paganic, Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Sabian and other faith systems, culture and tradition of the region (p. 52–60).

As an example, Islamic pilgrimage or Hajj was an age-old and the most glorious Pagan Arab custom that Muhammad incorporated into Islam in to-to, while putting its Pagan inventers and practioners to the sword.

What is important to realize is that it is Christians, now being barred from using the term ‘Allah’ in Malaysia, who have greater rights to its use than do Muslims. It is because Christians, who had penetrated into Arabia centuries before Islam, had adopted the term ‘Allah’. In other words, Christians of the Middle East have been using ‘Allah’ to denote ‘God’ since centuries before the coming of Islam. Middle Eastern Christians continue to use ‘Allah’ as well as Arabic names today.

Given that Christians adopted the term ‘Allah’ before Islam’s birth, they onviously hold greater legal rights to its use than do Muslims, definitely much greater than Malaysian Muslims, who were forced into Islam very late (16th century onward). If anything, it is Muslims, who must relinquish the use of ‘Allah’, or Arabic name. Instead, they have or are, absolutely shamelessly and illegitimately, putting an ‘Islamic seal’ of copyright on them.

And here lies Islam’s debilitating impact on human beings, who turn Muslims. When a people do not create a thing, but demand copyright over it—that too, with violence—it kills their urge to creativity. Such people can never be creative and contributory to society. And this fact is so glaringly in display in the Muslim world by its backwardness in every sphere of human development and progress.

Here also lies the fact as to why the Islamic world is turning to humanity’s worst nightmare. Muhammad usurped innovations of others into his creed, and, at the same time, violently coerced those people into Islam, or exterminated them.

It affects humanity in two ways: first, forcing the otherwise creative people (non-Muslims) into Islam through coercion turns uncreative, while exterminating them straightaway reduces the world’s creative pool of brains. Humanity, and its progress and development, thus, become stunted, a victim.

We have seen, in the post-colonial Islamic world, as a continuation of Muhammad’s legacy, the pool of creative non-Muslim peoples are being reduced through coercive conversion or migration, thus, turning Islamic world into a barren desert in terms of creativity and contribution to civilization.

And Muhammad’s violent legacy is also turning the world’s Muslims into an increasing violent lot.

When we see violence by Muslims over their illegitimate claim to use ‘Allah’ to the exclusion of others occur in a country like Malaysia, the ‘alleged’ beacon of Islamic moderation, modernity and progressiveness, writing is clearly on the wall as to where humanity is heading to.

We are heading into an Age of Barbarism. Much of the Islamic world is already there with worsening trends, while the rest is heading there through rapid Islamization. 

In Malaysia, Muslims are waging a raging, and potentially dangerous, campaign to own exclusive copyright to use the word ‘Allah’.

The controversy has been brewing since 2007, when Muslim fanatics protested against the use of ‘Allah’ to denote ‘God’ in Christian literature and publications. The Malaysian government, to appease the fanatics, banned the Catholic Herald, a Malaysian Catholic weekly, for using the word ‘Allah’.

Dr. Mahathir Muhammad, the longest-serving Malaysian ex-premier, under whom Malaysia underwent progressive Islamization, supported the ban. To him, the word ‘Allah’ belongs to Muslims alone.

It’s worthy noting that Christians in Malaysia have been using the word ‘Allah’ in Malay-language Bibles since the 1800s.

The Catholic Herald initiated a legal battle not only against the ban on its publication, but also on its age-old right to use the term ‘Allah’.

Authorities in Malaysia confiscated 15,000 copies of the Bible from Christians in late 2009 for containing the word ‘Allah’.

And, as of latest, Malaysian High Court overturned the ban on Catholic Herald on December 31, 2009. It also ruled that it was the constitutional right for the Herald to use the word “Allah”.

The ruling that literally allows non-Muslims to use ‘Allah’ enraged Muslims and the ruling party activists.

Dr. Mahathir, leading a backlash against the court ruling, wrote: “The solution to the controversy will not be achieved by making an appeal to the court. Such a sensitive issue cannot be solved through law.”

He added that non-Muslims “may use it on banners or write something that might not reflect Islam”, thereby, potentially inflaming Muslims’ anger.

Such statements—some inflammatory, others mixed—by the ruling party politicians and ministers, including the current Prime Minister and Home Minister, unraveled days of protests setting the stage for a huge demonstration on Friday, January 8, 2010. Surprisingly, the Home Ministry, on the one hand, overruled the High Court ruling on Wednesday, January 6, while also approved Friday’s mass demonstration on the ruling.

And, at the end of the demonstration, as generally occurs all over the Muslim world, fanatic Muslim mobs burned down three churches. On Saturday another church was attacked, while two more on Sunday, bringing the total number of churches to six. It’s probably just the beginning unless the Christians relent on their demand.

Similar to Muslims’ claim of exclusivity to use ‘Allah’, ever since I left Islam and started writing critically of Islam, I have been told, too often, by angry Muslims to give up my Islamic name.

The question is: What exactly constitutes an Islamic name?

Being born and raised as a Muslim, my first name is of Persian, middle name of Arabic and last name of Mongolian/Turkic origin.

Which of these languages was an invention of Islam—that is, invented by Allah, Muhammad or a Muslim?

The answer, irrefutably, is “none”.

None of the languages we humans speak today were invented by Islam. Instead, they have Pagan roots.

We, the ex-Muslim and humanists, who believe in complete equality of all humans with their diversity in ethnicity, language and culture, have a greater right to inheritance to secular human innovations, such as any modern-day language, than do Muslims.

It is not for us ex-Muslims to give up our names, given by our parents; instead, Muslims, who believe in exclusivity, should invent a new language or naming system and use them than shamelessly demanding copyright on something, to whose creation and evolution, they, their prophet, Muhammad, or their God, Allah, have made little or no contribution.

The same goes to Muslims’ claim of exclusivity to the right of using the term ‘Allah’.

The term ‘Allah’ was not created by the Islamic God, or Muhammad or any Muslim. The Pagans of Arabia had been using ‘Allah’ to denote ‘God’ for hundreds, probably for thousands, of years before Islam’s birth.

Muhammad’s father’s name was Abdullah (Abd-Allah), meaning ‘slave of Allah’, while his greatest opponent in Medina—repeated labeled as “hypocrite” by Islamic Allah in the Quran, although he was a great humanist—was also named Abdullah (Abdullah ibn Obayi). This proves beyond doubt that it is from pre-Islamic Pagan usage did Muhammad incorporate the term ‘Allah’ into Islam. Neither Islamic Allah nor Muhammad invented the term.

I have shown in my book, Islamic Jihad, that Islam is a completely impotent or infertile religion having no novelty or innovation; nothing in its doctrine was new for the time. The entire foundation of Islam was incorporated by the Allah-Muhammad duo from the existing Paganic, Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Sabian and other faith systems, culture and tradition of the region (p. 52–60).

As an example, Islamic pilgrimage or Hajj was an age-old and the most glorious Pagan Arab custom that Muhammad incorporated into Islam in to-to, while putting its Pagan inventers and practioners to the sword.

What is important to realize is that it is Christians, now being barred from using the term ‘Allah’ in Malaysia, who have greater rights to its use than do Muslims. It is because Christians, who had penetrated into Arabia centuries before Islam, had adopted the term ‘Allah’. In other words, Christians of the Middle East have been using ‘Allah’ to denote ‘God’ since centuries before the coming of Islam. Middle Eastern Christians continue to use ‘Allah’ as well as Arabic names today.

Given that Christians adopted the term ‘Allah’ before Islam’s birth, they onviously hold greater legal rights to its use than do Muslims, definitely much greater than Malaysian Muslims, who were forced into Islam very late (16th century onward). If anything, it is Muslims, who must relinquish the use of ‘Allah’, or Arabic name. Instead, they have or are, absolutely shamelessly and illegitimately, putting an ‘Islamic seal’ of copyright on them.

And here lies Islam’s debilitating impact on human beings, who turn Muslims. When a people do not create a thing, but demand copyright over it—that too, with violence—it kills their urge to creativity. Such people can never be creative and contributory to society. And this fact is so glaringly in display in the Muslim world by its backwardness in every sphere of human development and progress.

Here also lies the fact as to why the Islamic world is turning to humanity’s worst nightmare. Muhammad usurped innovations of others into his creed, and, at the same time, violently coerced those people into Islam, or exterminated them.

It affects humanity in two ways: first, forcing the otherwise creative people (non-Muslims) into Islam through coercion turns uncreative, while exterminating them straightaway reduces the world’s creative pool of brains. Humanity, and its progress and development, thus, become stunted, a victim.

We have seen, in the post-colonial Islamic world, as a continuation of Muhammad’s legacy, the pool of creative non-Muslim peoples are being reduced through coercive conversion or migration, thus, turning Islamic world into a barren desert in terms of creativity and contribution to civilization.

And Muhammad’s violent legacy is also turning the world’s Muslims into an increasing violent lot.

When we see violence by Muslims over their illegitimate claim to use ‘Allah’ to the exclusion of others occur in a country like Malaysia, the ‘alleged’ beacon of Islamic moderation, modernity and progressiveness, writing is clearly on the wall as to where humanity is heading to.

We are heading into an Age of Barbarism. Much of the Islamic world is already there with worsening trends, while the rest is heading there through rapid Islamization.

Comments (13)Add Comment
0
Religion of peace in action
written by Agusto , January 10, 2010
I wonder what muslims in malaysia will say about this indecent other than saying "it is not islamic" just like the muslims in Indonesia did after burning a couple of churches prior to Christmas day. I think something is going to go down soon unless muslims admit that islam is not a "religion of peace". But by admitting that that proves islam is a hoax!
0
On Copyrights
written by Truth Detector , January 10, 2010
Do Muslims have a copyright on the Suicide Bomber? I don't see anyone else using this Weapon of Mass Destruction. Would Muslims get angry if others of different faiths used their invention, their Weapon of Mass Destruction without their permission, or payment of some kind? Muslims might get angry since they are very jealous people.
0
...
written by thinker23 , January 11, 2010
the word allah is used in arab countries as god not as the personal name of god so why the christian in malaysia insist to use it ?
0
I am not Sure the Christian use of Allah as the God of Israel was right
written by Clement , January 11, 2010
If allah was acturally the generic name for the true God of the universe in Arabic that was really bad. Were there actual proofs that the christian and Jews of Arabia before Islam was invented by Mohammed used Allah as Yahweh for the Jews and Christian God? The use of the name Allah by the pagans as recorded in the Quran and Hadith did not seem to conote a divinity other than their moon god who has three daughters al-llat, alluzza and manat. However, even if Mohammed wrapped allah in the image of Yahweh, Christians should not have used it has a generic name for God. See now the cult of Islam is claim the sole ownership of their idol now turn God. There is no point contesting the use of the such an idolatrous name with them. Now that we know the spirit that inspired Mohammed would not haven being anything other than Satan, let the Christians books and Bible translation delete all names of Allah in Christian books. At least that will distinguish the God of Christians from that of Islam.
0
Allah or not Allah
written by Anti Clot , January 11, 2010
Words were invented to make use of them and anyone can use it the way he wants. What if we had a law that makes it illegal for muslims to use a word like "tree" or "table" while all non muslim may use it? Everyone would say that this wouid be ridiculous because this is not useful at all. But here we can see again how stupid and intolerant islam is. And it is also evidence how weak islam is in Malaysia were many socalled muslims have no idea what islam is about. They were made muslim by the constitution without any reason.
0
In all fairness
written by Walter Sieruk , January 11, 2010
In all fairness to the Muslims, Christians need not and should not use the name Allah. But it's because the name Allah is a name of a "Pre-Islamic Lunar god; god of Islam." [1] Also "in pre-Islamic times both Allah- worship and Baal worship of Baal involved the worship of the sun, the moon and the stars which defines them as astral religions. The crescent moon, which was the symbpl of moon worship, is also the symbol of Islam." [2] - [1] ASSASSINS! THE DEADLY ART OF THE ASSASSINS by Dr. Haha Lung found in the books glossary. [2] INSIDE ISLAM by Reza F. Safa p. 22,23.
0
reply to Walter Sieruk
written by Anti Clot , January 11, 2010
Your arguments are as stupid as those of the malayan muslims because anybody can call the god he believes in like he wants to wether others like it or not. To think that Allah is a moongod and not the god of christian and jews is also stupid. Have you never heard of the story that black children believe that "their" Santa Claus is black? And that arabic-speaking christians call their god Allah too? By the way, even if I feel like a christian I would not say that I love all christians only because they believe to believe in the same god. Christian fundamentalism is as stupid islamic or hindu fundamentalism because it ignores science and rationalism. It is also a big obstacle in the fight against islamic fundamentalism because you cannot fight fire with fire. But this is obviously going on here. The fight between fundamentalists of different colours will never end because both sides will never change. But what is the fight about? The word Allah? Or how about Deus, Devas; Kami or anything else? This is so stupid because it is not about what god really is but what we do project into him (or her). According to Feuerbach to believe always means to make a projection of things people want to believe. Therefore, the christian god has to look like Jesus at the cross or sometimes he may look like a friendly grandpa or sometimes, in Islam (or sometimes in Judaism too), like a god who hates. In order to fight fundamentalism and radicalism we have only one weapon and this is rationalism. Is Allah a moongod? And even when, what is so wrong about a moongod? No, the pre-islamic Arabs were probably much more tolerant than today because this is usually the case with polytheists. If one already believes in many gods, he has little problems in accepting even more introduced by other religions. But the faith that there is only one god and that this god is jealous about others is a ridiculous projection made by humans. Many humans are intolerant in such a way, but I dont think that a truly wise god would think in this stupid manner.
0
...
written by Machmoed elchalid , January 12, 2010
Christians of the Middle East have been using ‘Allah’ to denote ‘God’ since centuries before the coming of Islam.

Ofcourse they did. The arabs and the peninsula called it allah. Jewish word is Eli. When muslims pray Allahoem (arabic) hebrew word is Elohim. How can some people blind to see this. The hebrew language is almost the same as old arabic. The arabic language, the aramic language and the hebrew language have so much in common. Greek is not. The original word for devil is Sheitan like arabic word and not Satan.
0
...
written by Machmoed elchalid , January 12, 2010
Again...allah is not a name but a title. Gods in arabic= ilahien. It's stupid to give a name to the god. God doesn't need a name because he doesn't have to distinguish himself from others. He's the only God...so a name su*gests that there are more. Sentences like he is the best, the most glorious etc. is pathetic and comes from way back when people belived there are more to make some god more than others...it's just like George Orwell said...everybody is equal to one another but some are more equal than others. In evolution of religions it is not that different.
0
An answer t oAni Clot
written by Walter Sieruk , January 12, 2010
Your stantment "arabic speaking christians call their god Allah too?" To answer that,this started through of time it has beccome widely accepted that the word Allah is just the Arabic word for God. This happened when truth comproming Bible "translators" substitued the word Allah were the word God should have been used in the Arabic translation of the Bible. As for your second question "what is wrong with a moon god?" The answer is nothing. That is if like worshiping a false god.
0
...
written by Machmoed elchalid , January 13, 2010
what is wrong with a moon god?
Nothing wrong with it.

Like all god's it is subjective and there for not the reality.
0
nice article
written by allah ak bar , January 14, 2010
makes the malaysians muslims look like a complete bunch of retards -- they arent even real muslims, they are like some chinese inbred thing

This is a good example of what religion does to people
0
Allah for all mankind
written by Jegen , January 14, 2010
Allah or not, everyone of us is the apple of God's eye. nobody is more and none is less. Stop arguing and start searching our hearts for the wrongs we have done and ask for forgiveness from the Almighty God. God is love. Try loving one another, Muslim and Christian. Then we have a brighter future.

Write comment
This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comments.

busy
 

About the book || Reviews by: Steven Simpson | Abul Kasem | Prof Sami Alrabaa | Ibn Kammuna

islamic-jihad-cover


'Islamic Jihad' in Bangla
islamic-jihad-bangla
Aasma Riaz: "Thank you so much for your book "Islamic Jihad" and showing me the "Big Picture". For 7-8 days, I was glued to your book, absorbing so much information that I did not know existed. You have crisply covered so much in your book and quoted historical references extensively. I am just overwhelmed with different emotions after reading your book..., a priceless tome."

Editor: M A Khan | Site design: Dan Zaremba
Founded on 20 November 2005


Announcements

Petition to Spanish government not to deport Imran Firasat [new]

Proxy Server: To view blocked websites, use this: iwebproxy

Syndication