Govt is pushing Islam-Christian conflict, says interfaith group

Written by New Jo-Lyn, Malaysia Chronicle

It appears that the government is trying to make Malaysians, especially the Malay Muslims, believe that if the Malay-language Bibles or Al-Kitab were release, it could spark an Islam-Christian conflict, said inter-faith group MCCBCHST.

In a press statement issued on Friday, the group condemned the present line of action being pursued by the government. The latest ruling from the Home Ministry is to stamp the Bibles with the words “For Christianity”. Its previous requirements were to stamp he words "For Christians Only" and a serial number.

“The Christians are greatly disillusioned, fed-up and angered by the repeated detention of Bibles written in our national language, Bahasa Malaysia. After the Christians have been ‘fixed’, who next?” questioned council president Rev Thomas Philips.

Philips said the Christian Federation of Malaysia was informed in December 2009 that 5,000 Bibles impounded at Port Klang were to be released, but in the end, they were not. When Prime Minister Najib Razak was informed of it, he only expressed surprise that the Bibles were still being held.

According to Philips, this also raised the question of whether the Prime Minister wields any authority, and who would hold such authority if he does not?

Who has the authority if not Najib

The Malay Bibles row has been ongoing with much resistance from the Christian community, who are infuriated at the detention of their holy book.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had explained that the detention was required because there was an ongoing court appeal over the use of the word Allah by non Muslims.

The government then backtracked by freeing the Bibles but imposing the stamping conditions.

Whatever its motive, the BN government's decision was slammed by Christians who considered the stamping as desecration.

"This means that the Bibles are now considered a restricted item and the word of God has been made subject to the control of man,” said Philips.

The CFM is due to meet amongst themselves next week to discuss the Home Ministry's latest terms for releasing the Bibles.

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