Malaysia Religious Hamony ? Options

[chutzpah]

Source: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/le...ans-in-malaysia

An Ugly Reality--The Persecution of Christians in Malaysia
ARCHIVES 2010
Sunday, 14 November 2010 admin-s

By The Anti-Jihadist

Under Malaysia's modern, moderate, harmonious veneer is an ugly truth. What is *really* happening here is that a Muslim government and Muslim religious officials -- acting with the state's sanction -- are viciously oppressing anyone who dares to question and/or leave Islam. The regular media even outside of Malaysia won't touch this issue -- Muslims have successfully put their ruthless religious persecution of 'apostates' and others beyond the pale and out of public scrutiny. Not that it would much matter to most Malaysians, who either approve their government's religiously-based persecution, or couldn't care less.

But the Christian, American-based network CBN is not so easily cowed, and has filed this report on Malaysia's deplorable treatment of people whose sole crime is wanting to no longer be Muslims.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Living as a Christian in a Muslim nation can carry severe risks and suffering.

CBN News traveled to Malaysia -- a country that presents itself as a model for Islamic moderation, yet has many former Muslims who say they are persecuted after finding Christ.

A two-hour journey from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur revealed an isolated encampment where some Christian converts say they've been taken in order to be forced back to Islam.

The Malaysian government calls the facilities -- retreat centers. Muslims willingly come there to strengthen their faith.

CBN News spoke to one Christian who wanted to remain anonymous, in fear he would be taken back to one of the "faith purification" facilities.

"They were clearly angry and they wanted to kill me, but they did not harm me physically," he recalled. "I know of many others. They force you to recite Islamic prayers and the Koran, to do all the things you're suppose to do as a Muslim."

"They're trying to force us to believe what we can't believe," the man continued. "These re-education centers come from the power of darkness."

Read the rest if you have the stomach for it.

The outside world probably could not care one bit about any of this, and Malaysians -- well, we are cowards or worse, we quietly applaud what our own 'government' does. And even if the fragmented opposition PKR took over -- an unlikely event to say the least -- would they do anything to stop this? You know the answer as well as I.

Hey Najib, you claim to 'champion moderation' or 'moderates' or some such nonsense. If you really believe what you say, then why don't you shut down the religious prisons ("retreat centers") that you have been operating in your own country for decades? Oh, of course not. After all, your own government taxes or steals the money from the people in your own land to fund such operations, don't you?

Najib and company are nothing more than hypocritical bullies. Shame on you Najib, shame on Malaysians, and shame on Malaysia!

[yana19384]

I think thats a hoax..i dont believe it one bit

[chutzpah]

I think thats a hoax..i dont believe it one bit

Dear Yana, sometimes it is hard to face the truth. Of course it is your perogative what you choose to believe. However it would be helpful to supply evidence to prove that it is a hoax and that there is no religious persecution in Malaysia. It is no secret that force conversion to Islam of the native of Sabah and Sarawak are happening at an alarming rate.

Then there is the well known case of Lina joy who converted to Catholicism at her own choice putting the whole Church in danger of attacks.

Churches were fire bombed as recently as end of 2009. Then there is the "COW HEAD" incident where a group of Muslim dumped a cow head on the porch of the Hindu temple, and got away scot free. Just imagine if a pig's head is dumped on the mosque's ground, what do you would happen?

The Malaysian custom seized 10,000 copies of the Christian bible in the Indon language, the bible is not permitted to be published in the Malay lingo nor it is allowed in Malaysia. Christian Indon maids have their copies of the 'injil' confiscated by custom upon entry to Malaysia. These are facts often reported by the media at large. Similarly Christians are not permitted to use the word ALLAH. Many more examples can be cited of course.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2289784/pers...on_in_malaysia/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iErgylAmn8

http://www.persecutionblog.com/2010/01/mal...firebombed.html

[swingdoctor]

Do these camps exist, yes they do but the number of people "interned" in these camps are very few, certainly alot less then the number the article suggests. The reason is becasue there are actually very few Malays who want to change religions in Malaysia and even fewer who come out and say it. Most practice their religion in secret or chose to leave the country.

But again what is the point you're making. Its common knowledge that Malaysia's govnt only in very rare cases allows Muslims to change religions. Everybody knows this. Is it wrong? In my opinion yes. but do you have something constructive to contribute or are you just stirring $hit again?

[chutzpah]

A year on, a silent war over ‘Allah’ between church and state
Published on: January 17, 2011 at 12:50 PM

By Debra Chong
Kuala Lumpur: As the court drags its feet in addressing the “Allah” controversy after more than a year, the Catholic Church has reprinted a rare 17th-century Malay-Latin dictionary in what seems to be a silent bid to speed up its case.

The “Dictionarium Malaico-Latin and Latino-Malaicum” was first published in 1631 by the Vatican Press in Rome. Church officials say it is historical proof that its missionaries had played a key role in the exchange of knowledge and culture between Europe and Southeast Asia some 400 years ago.

Reverend Lawrence Andrew, who had worked for the past 11 years to reprint the dictionary, told The Malaysian Insider it was crucial to counter the mistaken belief that the spread of Christianity through local languages in Malaysia was a recent 20th-century phenomenon.

“It’s to say it’s been here for a long time... 400 years,” said the editor of the Catholic Church’s local newspaper, The Herald Weekly.

The Herald had challenged the Home Ministry for the right to use the word “Allah” to describe God in the Christian context and had won in a landmark ruling at the High Court on New Year’s Eve in 2009. But the paper is unable to use it as the ministry managed to get a stay pending its appeal.

The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya has yet to fix a hearing date for the case. Veteran lawyers have said there is little the church can do speed up the process as there are no rules on a time limit; adding it was not unusual for a case to be called years after being filed.

Andrew had submitted a copy of the dictionary as historical evidence to back the church’s suit after the ministry tendered several essays by Islamic scholars from the influential Institute of Islamic Understanding here supporting its case.

The priest had got the Holy See’s approval to reprint the dictionary 12 years ago but was only able to do so recently due to a lack of resources.

“There was the cost and also the technology now has made it much easier to clean up the pages to make it fit for print. It was very tedious work as the copy on microfilm was not clear,” the priest explained.

The reprint of the dual-language dictionary is said to be an exact replica.

Andrew said the medieval spelling of the Malay words may prove hard to read and understand for the modern person, but he had decided against updating the spelling and typeset “so people cannot say we modified it”.

He seems overly defensive but has been repeatedly raked over hot coals by some Islamic scholars and government officials who continue to block the Catholic Church from being allowed to use certain words to describe God despite a court ruling.
Of the original edition, only one copy has survived to today and is being kept in the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome, according to the Vatican’s former representative to Malaysia, Archbishop Luigi Bressan.

“For example, the Vatican Library does not have it; neither do the libraries connected with it,” Bressan wrote in the notes to his essay “A 17th-Century Roman Dictionary of the Malay Language” that was also published as a sort of foreword in the 2010 reprint.

Bressan, who was the Apostolic Delegate to Malaysia from July 26, 1993 to March 25, 1999, was crucial in reproducing the historical document.

He observed that the Vatican had as early as 1622 set up a special printing office to spread its Catholic Christian doctrine worldwide, and had marked the importance of Malay in that role.

“The activity was quite intense, but the structures were limited and did not permit the publication of many volumes in the first years.

“In the next six years, 28 books were printed in 10 different languages: eight Greek, four Japanese (with Latin letters), three Latin, two Arabic (a grammar and a catechism), one Armenian (a short catechism), three Georgian, three Illyrian, one Chaldean, one Ethopian, one Syriac ... and the Dictionary Latin-Malay,” the Italian archbishop wrote in his essay.

Bressan marked the Jesuit missionaries had “distinguished themselves” in translating the new Asian languages into Latin and European languages.

St Francis Xavier was instrumental in romanising the Malay language, which was used widely but had no written form in Southeast Asia then.

But Bressan said the job of preparing the Malay-Latin dictionary was given to a medieval Dutch professor, David Haex.
The Herald has reprinted 500 copies of the 1631 dictionary that can be bought for RM10 each from its office at 5 Jalan Robertson, off Jalan Pudu, 50150 Kuala Lumpur.

Source :
http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/A-year-...e-7801-2-1.html

My two cents worth:
The Arabs Christians also use the word Allah for God, so do the Indon Christians. Evidence has been submitted to the court that the word has been used at least for last 400 years in the Malay peninsula and it is part of the Malay vocabulary. The government together with all the Islamic groups in Malaysia trying to deny the basic right of the Christians in Bolehland

Yes, like [screwdoctor], [yana] and other Malay apologists here are against such unpleasant truths about Bolahland because they say it brings the mood down. I guess keeping peace at the expense of others is their idea of what is acceptable.

[Crystallised Dre...]

Unfortunately your quick judgment to brand MYChat members who do not completely agree with your views as 'Malay apologists' speaks much about how little you know about MYChat. I would suggest you actually seriously take time to read previous topics on national issues and study the comments before getting on the high horse despite not being a regular presence here.

[chutzpah]

Unfortunately your quick judgment to brand MYChat members who do not completely agree with your views as 'Malay apologists' speaks much about how little you know about MYChat. I would suggest you actually seriously take time to read previous topics on national issues and study the comments before getting on the high horse despite not being a regular presence here.

CD, unfortunately your quick judgment shows that you haven't bothered to read my previous posts. May I also suggest that you go back and scroll [screwdor's] responses not just here but in the China thread, and in one instance where he actually blamed the Chinese for the bad blood with the Malays. But at least he was willing to discuss it before resorting to personal insults, but the same can't be said for [yana]

This post has been edited by chutzpah: Jan 18 2011, 09:47 PM

[chutzpah]

Understand religions to enhance unity, says Rosmah

BANTING: National unity can be enhanced by understanding the religions in the country, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said.

Rosmah said it was vital to acquire knowledge of all religions to maintain the harmonious environment in the country.

“We should adopt and practise the 1Malaysia concept as it reflects national unity,” she said in a speech after launching the inaugural lantern festival here at Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple on Tuesday.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie, who read the speech on behalf of Rosmah, said the Prime Minister’s wife was unable to attend the ceremony as she was visiting flood victims in Johor.

Understanding each other’s religions, Rosmah said, would provide a good future for the younger generation.

“Our differences should not hinder unity,” she added. Instead, she stressed Malaysians should be proud to be in a multiracial country.

“It is important to be united as I hope some day we could be a role model to others,” Rosmah said.

Rosmah noted the temple has become a hotspot for tourists in recent years.

“At least 1.5 million tourists visited the temple and this is definitely a major contribution to our economy,” she said.
The 24-acre temple will be hosting several events over the next 20 days in conjunction with Chinese New Year.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...&sec=nation

Perhaps Rosma should also help so that the Christians to retain their basic right to use the word Allah. And the Christians should turn their churches into major tourist attraction as well for double measures!