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Malaysian government accused of desecrating 5,000 bibles
Associated Press - March 17, 2011
Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia's main Christian grouping accused the government Thursday of desecrating 5,000 imported Bibles seized by custom authorities in this Muslim-majority country.
The accusation aggravates a dispute over the distribution of Malay-language Bibles containing the word "Allah" as a translation for God. The government has banned the use of "Allah" in non-Muslim texts, saying it could confuse Muslims or even be used to convert them.
The dispute has caused authorities to hold 5,000 Indonesian-made Bibles at a Malaysian port since March 2009. The Prime Minister's Department agreed earlier this week to release those Bibles as well as 30,000 others at another port on Borneo island. However, Christian leaders said the 5,000 Bibles have been stamped with serial numbers, government seals and warnings that the books are meant for Christians only.
"The Christian community in Malaysia is deeply hurt that the government has desecrated and defaced the Bible," the Christian Federation of Malaysia, which represents most of the country's churches, said in a statement.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein acknowledged that the Bibles were stamped, but insisted this was standard practice and not meant to deface the books.
Hishammuddin voiced frustration that Christian leaders were unwilling to accept the matter. But the Christian federation said it has been patient in trying to resolve religious disputes, claiming that its "good faith has not been reciprocated by the government."
The Prime Minister's Department said Tuesday that it was releasing the Bibles to help ease religious friction. But it also assured Muslims that the announcement would not undermine their interests in an ongoing court case on whether non-Muslims have the constitutional right to use "Allah."
The government is appealing a December 2009 court ruling that religious minorities – mostly Christians, Buddhists and Hindus – have the right to use "Allah." The verdict caused a brief surge in tensions last year, when 11 churches were attacked by firebombs amid anger among some Muslims.
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