Freedom of Religion

Dear Yamin,
You wrote a wonderful comment. I would like to share my view fromIndonesian perspective. We have had similar debate about theprohibition of using Allah by Christians, and we have debated evenbefore it was broached to public controversy in Malaysia. But, what isinteresting in our case is that the move was started not by Muslimside, but, quite interestingly, by evangelist-minded Christian (what Imean by "evangelist" here is the narrow-minded Christian as opposed tothe ecumenist). A Christian reverend by the name of Dr. Suradi hasbrought up this issue three years ago. He was of the opinion that theuse of "Allah" in the Indonesian translation of the Bible is notprecise. Christian should recourse to the original Hebrew word forAllah, namely Jahweh or elohim. He said that Allah is the name of Godfor the Arab. Christian should not follow this. We can say that thisis a Christian version of "purification". Luckily, many Christiandidn't buy Mr. Suradi's argument. And Muslims also do not object tothe use of Allah by Christian. Although I heard some minor Islamicgroup trying to broach this issue among the Muslim community, but themove failed. Ahmad--- In trialogue@yahoogroups.com, yamin cheng wrote:>> > Those who are trained in the field of religion and> the social sciences will know that religion, when put> in a social context, will have to take into account > historical, social, cultural, linguistic, and> educational factors before interpreting a religious> phenomenon. While many have put forth the argument> that since the word 'Allah' is not only peculiar to> Islam but has been used in the Arabic-speaking world> even before the advent of Islam, it follows that the> use of the word 'Allah' is not exclusive for Islam> alone and that it could be used freely since> non-Muslim middle-easterners alo use the word 'Allah'> in their respective religion. While this is true in> the case of the Arabic-speaking world where the word> 'Allah' shares a common cultural and linguistic usage> and understanding, the same cannot be said as the use> of understanding of the word 'Allah' move out of its> native background. > > Even in our time where English has become a global> lingua franca and Islam is studied, read, and written> widely in English, non-Arab English-speaking people,> and more specifically non-Arab English-speaking> Christians and Jews such as those in America and> elsewhere, would immediately identify the word 'Allah'> with Islam, and this includes intellectuals and> scholars trained in the field of Islamic> studies.Surely non-Muslim Arab Christian and Jewish> intellectuals and scholars would have no problem with> the use and understanding of the word 'Allah' in their> conversation and writing and Arab Muslims themselves> would have no problem using the word freely in their> conversation and communication with their non-Muslim> counterparts.> > Christians and Jews in the English-speaking world have> the word 'God' to refer to the object of their divine> reverence and worship. But one hardly finds the word '> Adonai' or 'Yahweh' retained and used by Christians in> their daily conversation, or in their Sunday worship,> or in the sermons, or even in the English-translated> Bible. The word 'God' is instead used. The word 'God'> is more comfortable with Christians because of the> historical link between the English-speaking world and> Christianity, and that sounds more Christian-ringing> than Jewish-ringing, despite the fact that> Christianity has one foot in the Jewish history and> tradition and half the Bible is Jewish Bible, which of> course the Jews would not be ready to accept the> Christian account of their Bible. The difficult> relationship between the Jews and Christians> throughout their history could also mean that any use> of Hebrew words and especially those of theological> significance could cause confusion to the ORDINARY> Christian and their subsequent questioning of> Christian roots in Jewish religion that could further> add tension between the two sides.> > In the case of Malaysia, Islam has always been> identified with the Malay people so that to speak of a> Malay is to speak of Islam. The two are inseparable> from one another. Most Malays hardly know any Arabic> except the ones they learnt for basic rituals and> worship. The Qur'an that they read is the> Malay-translated Qur'an from the Arabic. Because the> word 'Allah' is central to the Islamic faith, it has> become part of the Malay vocabulary when referring to> 'God,' although there is another Malay word, called> 'Tuhan' that also refers to 'God.' But Malays would> rather use the word 'Allah' because of its original> tie to the Qur'an as the Word of God, and also because> it is said all the time in prayer, and in ritual and> worship. Therefore, 'Allah' has a very deep-seated and> special place in the mind and heart of the Malays so> that they only identify it with Islam. Outside of> prayer, ritual, and worship, the word 'Tuhan' is more> casually used, whether in conversation among> themselves, or with their non-Muslim counterparts.> > Because Islam has dominated the mind and heart of the> Malays for centuries and because the Malays were the> main inhabitants of the Malay peninsular (not> including Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia that have> a different ethnic composition)without any rivalry,> they therefore do not see any reason why now there> should be a rivalry in the use of the word 'Allah'> when all these while, it has been the exclusive use> for Islam in Malaysia alone. Moreover, the coming of> the Portuguese in the 16th century with their Jesuit> mission led by Francis Xavier, followed by the Dutch> in the 17th century, the British with their> evangelical mission in the 18th, 19th and 20th> centuries did not alotogether change the religious> landscape of the Malays. Throughout 400 years of> European colonialism, they remained Muslim. Even with> the arrival of the Chinese and Indian immigrants to> the country, Islam remained intact. In fact, the> Chinese and Indians who came to the country were> non-Muslims. Had the Chinese and Indians who came to> the country been largely Muslims, the Malays would> have a different mindset altogether by now in the way> they see their relationship with Islam. But no, none> of these things affected the way they look at their> relationship with Islam. Rather, it only deepens their> belief that Islam and Malay are one and the same. For> them, the Malay language is now an Islamic language,> where the language which was once filled with Hindu> and Buddhist connotations have all been replaced with> Islamic ones. The word may be Sanskrited Malay, but> the meaning is Islamic. And with Islam, Arabic and> Persian words to produce a synthetic Malay language.> If for hundred of years, the Malay language has been> Islamicized so that what is Islam is Malay and> vice-versa, how do one expect that the Malays can> accept that such a fundamental word like 'Allah' that> is so central to their religious, cultural, and racial> existence, be shared in the name of religious freedom> and equality. In fact, to the Malays, such an act> could only be construed as snatching away the struggle> of more than 400 years against colonialim in> defending the fortress of their existence, identity,> and pride. > > Ironically, the Malays did not prevent the non-Malays> to use Malay words in the translation of the Bible.> What they disagreed is the use of the word 'Allah.'> But they allow the word 'Tuhan' to be used if the> translated Bible into Malay wants to do so.> > In fact, the word 'Tuhan' for 'God' is acceptable to> all the races in Malaysia when everyone wants to speak> of 'God' in Malay. It has become not only a MALAY> vocabulary, but a MALAYSIAN vocabulary. Therefore,> such use of the word could facilitate interfaith and> interreligious dialogue in Malaysia as the Malays> would feel at ease to engage in such activity that> they feel will not offend them.> > Moreover, the first pillar of the country's RUKUNEGARA> (fundamentals of the nation's allegiance) is> KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN i.e. belief in God. Had the> words been KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA ALLAH, the non-Muslims> would have a lot of problem because even they> themselves would see this as an infringement of their> right to belief because the word 'Allah' for them has> always meant 'God' for the Muslims. We are here not> referring to the Christians, but to people of other> faiths, like the Confucians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs,> where for them, Islam has alway been identified with> the Muslims, and in the case of Malaysia, the Malays.> To use 'Allah' would then be offensive to their> religious language and belief.Therefore, the word> 'Tuhan' was preferred to reflect the religious> sentiment of all the races in the country, and not the> Malay-Muslims alone.> > Thus, to demand or ask for something, one has to look> into the historical background to that demand, and> also the social conequences that the demand will> bring, whether to the betterment or worse of the> situation.> > Yamin Cheng,PhD(Temple)> (I am writing this response as a student trained in> religion and the social sciences. Leonard Swidler is> one of my professors. He can judge the substantiality> of my writing as his student)> > *One should not compare Malayia with Indonesia> although they share a common ethnic, religious, and> cultural tie. History has changed all these. Clifford> Geertz is a good example to understand the historical> process of the Islamization of the Malays and its> consequence > > > > > > > --- "Leonard J. Swidler" wrote:> > > Friends,> > > > The restrictive actions by the Muslim dominated> > government in Malaysia referred to here is very> > disturbing. I do hope that the Muslims on our list> > here will speak up about it to appropriate places.> > > > Pax! Len> > > > Dear Pak Theo,> > Ini kolom saya The Sunday Times (edisi minggunya The> > Straits> > Times) Minggu kemarin, Jan. 20, 2007.Terimakasih> > sudah bersedia di wawancara.> > > > Salam,> > Devi> > > > > > Jan 20, 2008> > Indonesia's fragile harmony of faiths> > By Devi Asmarani> > > > JAKARTA - WHEN my mother visits her Muslim friends,> > she greets> > them with the Arabic 'Assalamu 'Alaikum' (Peace be> > upon you).> > She also says 'Alhamdulilah' (Thank God) when> > expressing> > gratitude and 'Insya Allah' (God willing) when> > indicating that> > she will do something, all despite the fact that she> > is a> > devout Christian from a family with a long Christian> > ancestry.> > Many non-Muslim Indonesians are like her, not averse> > to using> > Arabic expressions commonly used by Muslims.> > > > So when the Malaysian government recently banned> > non-Muslims> > from using the word Allah when referring to God,> > many here were> > puzzled.> > > > If such a ruling were to be applied in Indonesia,> > the Christian> > community would have to carry out major changes,> > they reckoned.> > Christianity arrived in Indonesia after Islam, so it> > borrows> > heavily from Islam for many of its religious terms.> > > > Words of Middle Eastern origin are scattered> > throughout the> > Indonesian Bible. Churches or temples are called> > Bait Allah,> > for example, and Jesus' disciples are called Rasul,> > which means> > 'divine messenger' in Arabic.> > > > Churches also use phrases such as Allah Bapak> > (Father God) in> > prayers and sermons.> > > > But there is little chance that the government will> > adopt such> > a ban at least for now, said Mr Theo Bela,> > secretary-general> > for the Indonesian Commission for Religious Peace> > (IComRP).> > > > He noted that the 1945 Constitution guarantees that> > the country> > will not interfere in religious practice, although> > there have> > been attempts to incorporate Islam into the> > Constitution.> > In the original draft of the Constitution, one of> > the articles> > reads: 'Indonesia believes in one supreme God, with> > the> > obligation to live according to Islamic law for> > Muslims.'> > > > The latter part of the sentence was later removed> > from the> > draft after predominantly Christian factions from> > the eastern> > part of Indonesia protested against it.> > > > During the constitutional amendment debates> > following the 1998> > reforms, some Muslim parties tried to reintroduce it> > but were> > defeated by nationalists in Parliament.> > > > 'We should salute our founding fathers for having> > the vision> > and the wisdom not to adopt a certain faith as the> > state> > religion,' said Mr Theo.> > > > Muslims make up 85 per cent of Indonesia's 234.6> > million> > population, with another 10 per cent being> > Christians.> > Followers of Buddhism and Hinduism make up the rest.> > > > While there have been bloody conflicts between> > Muslims and> > Christians in Sulawesi and the Moluccas from 1999 to> > 2003,> > these have been attributed to economic and> > socio-political> > problems, rather than religious ones.> > > > For the most part, Indonesia's Muslims and> > Christians enjoy> > cordial, if not close, relationships.> > > > Every year, top leaders including the President> > participate in> > public ceremonies of all the major religious> > holidays, such as> > the Idul Fitri and Christmas, regardless of their> > faith.> > > > In the wake of a string of church bombings across> > Indonesia by> > Muslim militants on Christmas Eve 2000, moderate> > Muslim groups> > such as the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have> > helped to> > guard churches against possible violence during> > Christmas> > masses and services.> > > > Last December, a Catholic church in Surabaya, East> > Java, took> > religious tolerance to a new level. It held a public> > slaughtering of sacrificial cows in its backyard on> > the day of> > the Id of Sacrifice (Hari Raya Haji in Singapore)> > and> > distributed the meat to local Muslims.> > > > Many people take pride in the fact that, in some> > respects,> > there is considerably more freedom of religion in> > their country> > than in neighbouring Malaysia.> > > > 'I always thought the sharing of theological> > vocabulary between> > Christianity and Islam in Indonesia was beautiful,'> > artist> > Bramantyo Prijosusilo wrote in the Jakarta Post on> > Jan 4, in a> > comment on the Malaysian brouhaha.> > > > 'It was something I could be proud of because, in my> > mind, it> > proved there was some substance to our myth of> > religious> > tolerance,' he wrote in the article titled In the> > name of> > Allah, God of Everyone.> > > > Indonesians boast that, since there is no law> > regarding> > apostasy, everyone is free to convert to any> > religion. There> > will never be controversies over religious> > conversions such as> > those in Malaysia, they said.> > > > However, since the 1998 democratisation process,> > their much> > praised religious harmony is being undermined by a> > growing> > group of Muslim conservatives and militants.> > > > They are active in the local government, the> > legislature,> > neighbourhood mosques, the mass media and youth> > groups.> > The more politicised of their members aspire to> > formalise their> > religion through the adoption of Syariah-inspired> > legislation.> > The less politicised spread their beliefs through> > firebrand> > sermons to recruit followers in what they see as a> > battle> > against non-believers.> > > > The most immediate threats, however, come from> > organisations> > claiming to fight apostasy by attacking churches and> > assaulting