When Idiots Run The Religion Show

Saturday lunch time, mom asked dad what religion he leans to. He only said that he believed that all the main religions are common in one thing, that we are creatures of God and we belief in Him.

I was reminded of two events, firstly and foremost the court battle between the Catholic Church of Malaysia (publishers of the Herald) and the religious authorities who insisted that the word Allah is only used exclusively by Muslims.

This is actually wrong and I wonder who had the thinking of saying that thing.

The word Allah is the Arabic translation of God. The Bible and the Quran are descended directly from the Abrahamic teachings. Have we forgotten that Abraham is the root of Christianity and Islam through his sons, Isaac and Ishmael? If our other friends are not able to spell out God, can they say Allah if the word makes it easier for them to pronounce?

Whatever the arguments that the Malaysian religious authorities said against this case is totally unacceptable and it is considered a crap. Consider trying this against the top religious scholars of both religions and the JAKIM fools could find themselves being laughed upon by them for being stupid and having the wrong mindset.

Such actions of forbidding the use of the word is tantamount of subverting or forcing people into accepting their own distorted version of facts although it is universally known (by fact) that it is wrong. Furthermore, both religions do not force such things down on people's throats. It is up to a person to decide to accept it or not.

It seems that the government is definitely on the losing end if the game between them and the Catholic Church is played fair on the turf known as the High Court. So, sulking in the grim reality of defeat, they would definitely move the goal posts around to make whatever attacks by the defense team, out of the post and not at the goalmouth. If they do not move it, it is a disastrous result of 10-0.

On Sunday, the Bar Council was given a final warning by Zahid Hamidi (the de facto Minister in religious affairs) over conducting a poll over the word Allah. The reason given is as of possibility of incurring the wrath of Muslims. Here we have a problem: there are some of us who believe that Allah and God are the same. What the message the religious authorities and the Minister (inferences) that is to convey to people is that God and Allah are two seperate entities.

If that is the inference, it means that idiots who call themselves intellectuals heading the religious council are either getting the wrong understanding or there is something that ticked them if a infidel says the word Allah. The missing part of some people in this subject is lacking the understanding besides studying the bible or the Quran. Or in other words - sticking to the book. It takes some time to understand, resulting in a different mindset if you try to do something as part of understanding God's word, not to just say according to the book and not understanding it.

If someone from Malaysia is sent to represent the country in a religious dialogue / convention somewhere else and being asked to present a fact that is this, Malaysia can face embarassment from the international community and the religious experts can say that we are below par. Why? Simple: the person is presenting something that is equivalent to a laughing joke.

There is an excerpt from Hisham Rais on Malay vs People Supremacy:

Melantik Melayu menjadi naib canselor tidak mencukupi. Cap Melayu tidak akan menjanjikan keunggulan ilmu. Keilmuan seseorang itu bukan kerana dia memiliki cap Melayu atau kerana dia ada cap Islam atau kerana dia ada cap Cina. Keilmuan individu wujud kerana individu itu berilmu.

A similarity here is that is to remind all of us that the person who heads a division authority by right does not have to be a Malay first then who and who. The more appropriate thing is that whoever has a very good intellectual and deep insight, foremost - on religion should head a religious affairs department.