Al-Kitab under certain conditions, all of which have been complied with by [the Bible Society of Malaysia].” Lutheran indigenous people are
the most aff ected by the confi sca- tions, said Philip Lok, ELCA regional representative for Southeast Asia and China and former bishop of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia. “T e church has been doing its
part to help liſt up their voices and support them in speaking up for their rights,” he said. “As Lutheran Christians we understand that we are recipients of God’s grace. We are pro- pelled to bring that same good news to others, recognizing that God is a God of justice and peace. In Isaiah 42, God calls us to be a light to the nations. … We must continue to be a conscience for society and speak out
Background Malaysia’s population is a blend of Muslim (60 percent), Buddhist (20 percent), Christian (9 percent), Hindu (6 percent) and other religions (2.5 percent). Of the Christian population, “more than 60 percent use the Malay language in their worship,” said Philip Lok, ELCA regional representative for Southeast Asia and China. The fi rst Malay Bible, translated 250 years ago, used Allah for God, Lok said. “For many Christians, this is the only word they use to refer to God. [Until recently] it was not a problem,” he said. “Christians were free to wor- ship, except for the law preventing proselytization to Muslims. The church respects that. All these years Mus- lims and Christians have been living side by side [respecting each other’s religious freedom].” But in 2008 national and south-
ern states offi cials decided certain words were off-limits to non-Muslims, including Allah. Critics say politicians
wherever we see injustice. T is is part of our Lutheran identity.” And it’s a group eff ort. Malaysian
Lutherans are actively speaking out about religious freedom through ecu- menical bodies such as the Council of Churches in Malaysia, the Chris- tian Federation of Malaysia (includes Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Luther- ans, other mainline denominations and evangelical Christians) and an interfaith council (representing Buddhists, Christians, Confucians, Hindus, Sikhs and others). Muslims are not part of the council. “T e situation has actually
brought about closer cooperation among the churches and interfaith [partners],” Lok said. Many Muslims have spoken in
support of religious freedom, but the
stoked the controversy in hopes of defl ecting attention away from unpopular measures and accusations of corruption.
In 2009 the government banned
the use of Allah in a Roman Catholic newspaper, then seized (and didn’t release until 2011) Malay-language Bibles imported from Indonesia. The Roman Catholic Church took
the matter to court. On Dec. 31, 2009, Malaysia’s high court ruled in the church’s favor, declaring that non-Muslims could use Allah for God. A series of fi re bombings followed, including one at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Petaling Jaya. In October 2013 an appeals court reversed the high court’s 2009 deci- sion, fi nding that only Muslims could use Allah. And it’s not just an issue for Christians. Sikhs also use Allah. At presstime, the Roman Catholic Church had appealed the 2013 deci- sion to Malaysia’s highest court.
extreme voices are louder, Lok said. In January, Sisters in Islam, a pro- gressive group that advocates for the rights of Muslim women, brought fl owers to a church near a demon- stration by extremists “as a gesture of peace, respect and solidarity,” he said.
Author bio: Hunter is a section editor of The Lutheran.
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April 2014 37
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