One Year After Raid, Selangor Returns 351 Confiscated Malay Bibles To The Churches
Does this signify an end to the 'Allah' controversy?
By Mei Mei Chu — 14 Nov 2014, 01:58 PM — Updated almost 10 years ago
On 2 January, Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) Raided The Bible Society Of Malaysia And Seized 351 Malay Bibles
The Bibles were seized by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) in a raid on BSM's premises on Jan 2. The raid followed a complaint that BSM was housing copies of the Malay language Bible, which used the word 'Allah' to refer to God
malaysiakini.comAfter Almost One Year, The Selangor Government Has Finally Returned The Confiscated Bibles To The Association Of Churches In Sarawak
After close to a year, the Selangor government has finally returned the copies of the Bible seized from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).
malaysiakini.comThe Handing Over Of The Bibles Were Done In A Simple Ceremony At The Istana Alam Shah In Presence Of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah And Menteri Besar Azmin Ali
The Malay and Iban-language bibles were presented to the Bishop of Kuching, Reverend Datuk Bolly Lapok, in a simple ceremony at the Istana Alam Shah in Klang Friday. The handing over was done in the presence of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Mentri Besar Azmin Ali. Also present were Jais officials and leaders and representatives from the Christian community.
thestar.com.myAzmin, who broke the news of the handover by posting a picture of the ceremony on his Twitter account @AzminAli.
An amicable resolution to the issue of the seizure of the Malaysia Language Bibles containing the word Allah http://t.co/ORFjO5jtXA
— Mohamed Azmin Ali (@AzminAli) November 14, 2014
This Signals An End To The Controversy
The handing over signals an end to the controversy that began in January this year when Jais raided BSM's premises in Damansara and seized the bibles on grounds that it contravened a 1988 Selangor enactment, which prevents non-Muslims from using the word "Allah".
thestar.com.myHowever, The Selangor Islamic Religious Council Reminded That The Malay Bibles Were Only To Be Used In Sarawak And Should Not Be Distributed In Selangor
The return of the seized bibles containing the word "Allah" was made with strict conditions that they are not to be distributed in Selangor, said the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais).
thestar.com.myIts chairman Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa said the bibles, which were handed over to the Bishop of Kuching Reverend Datuk Bolly Lapok on Friday, were only for the usage of Christians in Sarawak.
thestar.com.my"This settlement is to respect each other's religious beliefs and maintain the sensitivity of various religions in the country. "The Selangor Sultan also expects other faiths to protect the religious sensitivities of Muslims in this country, especially Selangor, and hopes that the distribution and printing of bibles containing the word 'Allah' will no longer be done here as it is against the Non-Islamic Religious Enactment (Control Development Among Muslims) 1988," he said.
thestar.com.my