Press Statements & Articles

Chairman's Message: Do Not Fret

Do Not Fret

by Rev. Eu Hong Seng - NECF Malaysia Chairman

 

THE Court of Appeal's infamous judgment on 14 October 2013 brought unprecedented global criticism, utter disbelief amongst her citizenry and evoked the ire of respectable religious leaders, both Christian and non-Christian.

That same night as national Church leaders gathered to discern its implications, I was reminded of King David's plea in Psalm 37 - do not fret!

David reminds us to wait on Him, trust in Him and rest in Him.

I can think of five reasons why the Malaysian Church need not fret:

1 - In setting aside the High Court judgment, the justices waded off the legal domain and entered and escalated the battle of the gods.

If they had stuck to the law, we the ordinary church folks could have been censured for being untutored in legal matters. But what made them emphatically state that "Allah" is not an integral part of our faith when "Allah" is in our Alkitab, when we have been using it before Independence and when it is similarly used by Christians in the most populous Muslim nation of the world, Indonesia, escapes logic.

On this score, the government lost in the court of world opinion.

The crisis in the Judiciary in 1998 appears somewhat mild compared to the consequential worldwide disdain and emergence of the new doctrine of "bodoh-ology."1

 

2 - The approach to this issue has been described by many as irrational. I would add, doublefaced and schizophrenic.

How would one describe the move by JAKIM to issue a sermon asking Muslims to "take action" the Friday before the Court of Appeal's hearing on 10 Sept? And then on the day of the hearing itself, send the DPP to court to cry "possible public disorder." Aren't both JAKIM and the public prosecutor's office apparatuses under the same regime!

How can the same regime promote religious harmony with the 10-point solution and at the same time adamantly proceed with the appeal against the High Court decision to allow the use of "Allah"?

Why is there not a word of rebuke or even "mild disagreement" against those who call on Christians who don't agree with the ban to emigrate, but yet simultaneously promote the global movement of the moderates on the world stage?

Such clear state-sponsored schizophrenia has not escaped the scrutiny of right-thinking people in the world. To date, the post judgment solutions in sight appear both phony and patchy.

 

3 - A hammer has been used to kill a fly. The apparatus that has been brought to bear upon the Church is an over-kill.

Approximately 14,000 copies of The Herald are printed each month to cater for 1.6 million Catholics in the country. No insult intended to the Catholics, but the reality is many non-BM speaking Catholics and other Protestants have rarely made the effort to get their hands on a copy. I must confess, in my entire Christian life, I have only read one issue of The Herald. And the sale is by subscription! Hence, it's improbable that Muslims would rush to the newsstands to buy The Herald each time it is published, like Apple fans waiting in queue for the latest iPhone.

Clearly, there are those who enjoy making a big deal of small issues. When one apostatizes, Christians get blamed. When one Muslim strays into our premises, we can expect the over-zealous defenders of Allah at our door, and we better be prepared for a raid!

But what happens when 100,000s convert to Islam2? Absolutely NOTHING.

In the past, the government hints, and NGOs shout "sensitive". Now the judiciary officially puts on record Muslims' sensitivities. For those of us on the receiving end, what is new?

 

4 - I have never seen so many Muslim NGOs and government agencies talk about my God and the Trinity. Even judges now consult Rev Google about "Allah".

To be clear, I don't agree with the exegesis, but I am happy about the conversations that have been initiated. The flipside to this divide is, we can be mature and study each other's faith without any condescension. Lately, some Muslim PhD students were found doing theses on Church matters. We welcome this.

But I don't think the answer lies in understanding each other theologically. Till Kingdom come, we will never agree on the Trinity. I don't think we can even agree if it's to be spelt with a capital "T" or just a "t." With so much mocking of the "name" (of God) and the Trinity - I would say to all the clerics and zealots: you like your teh "kosong", but I like my teh tarik, "3 in 1".

I am puzzled (not confused) as to how the nation can begin to advance towards developed nation status in 2020, when we do not appear to have the capacity to even respect each other's preferences and gods, and are blatant in tearing down temples, reclaim religious lands of other faiths and firebomb the houses of worship of gods whom we do not agree with.

 

5 - A seminal moment is here.

In the 18 Oct 2013 issue of the NST, the UMNO election was described as a "seminal moment in UMNO's history". Besides the "ra-ra-ra", it was prophetically reported that the line-up could determine its "very survival"3.

I am neither anti-government nor pro-opposition but I am anti- anyone who advocates the rewriting of my Scriptures by restricting the use of "Allah". Every regime is ordained or "allowed" by God for a purpose. And it does seem that this will be a "seminal moment" in our country's history, not just UMNO's. If Allah is just "a god" (with a small "g"), then let the fun continue. If He is indeed God (which I believe so), then He can certainly arise to deal with those who insult Him.

Instead of fist-shaking, why not poll and see which of our elected representatives are fence-sitters, god-nappers4, and who amongst them will not speak up for religious liberty. And then ask ourselves if we want ambivalent characters in our parliament and respective State assemblies. And that includes the opposition as well.

It is about time all people of all races, both East and West Malaysians, get angry over this circus. Our country is already becoming a laughing stock. If they dare mess with the Scriptures of a leading faith in the world, no one and nothing is exempt. Now that it has even been suggested that the Alkitab be banned, perhaps the only step that remains in this mindless episode is for someone to register a copyright: "AllahTM".

There is no doubt this is an irrational, self-created and non-existent threat to Islam. My encouragement comes from Psalm 37: 12-13, that as "the wicked plots ... the Lord laughs at him."

What is being played out is not a mere clash of opinions, but for the Church, at its deepest level, it is truly a battle of the gods. And in every battle of our God versus gods, we are confident He will have His way.

For these reasons, I do not fret.

 


1 As used by Zaid Ibrahim in his blog on 21st Oct 2013.
2 Since Merdeka.
3 See pg 6, Oct 18th 2013 issue of NST
4 In my definition, one who kidnaps the God of another community by controlling the usage of the name of their God.

 



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