The Malaysian Council of Churches rught away cursed a confiscation. Council Secretary Reverend Herman Shastri stated upon Jan seventeen which a supervision officials have "no right (to allocate a Chri! stian bo oks) as well as have over stepped their bounds." Shastri argued which such actions annoyed a sensitivities of Christians, as well as he urged a supervision to take immediate movement to stop coercion officials from undermining inter-religious harmony.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b as well as d).
Summary
1. (C) Ministry of Internal Security officials confiscated a little Christian children's books from stores in early January. Officials took a movement since a books contained cinema of Moses as well as Noah, as well as they judged portraits of these figures, who have been also prophets in Islam, would offend Muslims. On Jan 21, a Ministry returned all a books following public defamation by a Malaysian Council of Churches.
In a separate case, a Evangelical Church of Borneo filed a legal case after Ministry of Internal Security officials confiscated children's Sunday propagandize books. The books have been in a Malay denunciation as well as make make make make use of of of of "Allah" when referring to God in contravention of a GOM preference to reserve a tenure "Allah" for Muslims. Separately, a Internal Security Ministry not long ago criminialized eleven books upon Islam.
While a GOM took corrective movement in a single instance, institutional mandates as well as policies based upon a! preemin ent in front of of Islam will go upon to generate debate in multi-religious Malaysia. End Summary.
Christian Books Confiscated, Returned
2. (U) The Ministry of Internal Security's Publications as well as Al-Koran Texts Control Department confiscated several Christian children's titles containing cinema of Moses as well as Noah from bookstores in early January. Ministry officials deemed a cinema were "offensive caricatures of prophets" recognized by Islam.
The Malaysian Council of Churches rught away cursed a confiscation. Council Secretary Reverend Herman Shastri stated! upon Janu ary seventeen which a supervision officials have "no right (to allocate a Christian books) as well as have over stepped their bounds." Shastri argued which such actions annoyed a sensitivities of Christians, as well as he urged a supervision to take immediate movement to stop coercion officials from undermining inter-religious harmony.
On Jan 21, Deputy Internal Security Minister II Fu Ah Kow voiced which a ministry had returned a Christian titles to bookstores. A deputy from a single of a largest publications companies reliable to poloff which supervision authorities re! incited a ll confiscated books.
God by any alternative name
3. (U) In Dec 2007, leaders fro! m a Ev angelical Church of Borneo, in a East Malaysian states of Sabah as well as Sarawak, filed a legal case opposite Prime Minister Abdullah as well as a supervision for banning a importation of Christian publications regulating "Allah" when referring to God. This followed a Aug 2007 physical condition during Kuala Lumpur International Airport of a shipment of Christian children's books destined for Sunday propagandize programs in Sabah.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharom justified a movement by saying only Musli! ms could make make make make use of of of of a tenure "Allah" (to report God) as "it is a Muslim word." He added which you cannot let alternative religions "use it since it will confuse a people." Minister Abdullah Mohammed Zin, responsible inside of in a Prime Minister's Department for eremite affairs, corroborated Johari's comments, referring to a 1986 Cabinet preference which indifferent a name "Allah" as well as several alternative Arabic terms for a exclusive make make make make use of of of of of Muslims.
4. (U) In their suit, church officials have been looking a stipulation which they have a inherent right to make make make make use of of of of a word "Allah" in all their eremite publications as well as practices, as well as not only inside of a church. They explain which a GOM unsuccessful to take into account which Malay language-speaking Christians had used "Allah" in printed Malay denunciation materials since 1629. Church officials also seek a justice ruling opposite any conviction carrying exclusive right to a make make make make use of of of of of any word. A magistrate's primary conference of a case upon Jan twenty-nine unsuccessful to set any date for serve movement before a court.
5. (U) Separately, a Internal Security Ministry criminialized eleven books about Islam in a preference finalized upon Jan seventeen under a Printing Presses as well as Publications Act, according to media reports. Officials found which a books deviated from
state-sanctioned interpretation of Islam. Eight of a books have been English languagetexts from U.S. publishers, whilst 3 have been Malay denunciation texts. During 2007, a Ministry criminialized a sum of 85 books of various subjects since of eremite or passionate content, according to Embassy records.
Comment
6. (C) Government machine set up to defend a state-approved ! interpre tation of Islam as well as strengthen Muslim sensitivities has again generated debate in Malaysia's substantial non-Malay/non-Muslim community. The number of books seized may be limited, but a symbolism as well as fashion of officials confiscating Christian children's books have been but damaging to inter-faith relations.
The Internal Security Ministry's quick about-face in a single rarely publicized case suggests which a little comparison leaders recognize a risks to eremite as well as racial harmony. Institutional mandates as well as poli! cies bas ed upon a preeminent in front of of Islam remain resolutely in place, however, as well as you can design serve controversies of this sort in multi-religious Malaysia.
KEITH (January 2008)
Malaysians Must Know a TRUTH
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