Christians up the ante in Bible issue
Aside from lodging a police report against the Home Ministry, they have also listed out a series of demands for government attention.
A group of Christians lodged a police report today over the impounding and stamping of the 35,100 Bahasa Malaysia Bibles in Port Klang and Kuching.
They also demanded an apology from the Home Ministry and government over the recent episode.
Calling themselves Coalition of Malaysian Christians (COMC), they said that the police report was aimed at demanding a thorough investigation into the whole debacle, and to determine the rationale behind the act which the group described as a "gross travesty of the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom".
"The Al Kitab and the 'Allah' court case are separate issues; and the federal government has no right to ban the Al Kitab under the law.
Ronnie Klassen"Such developments as Christianity being singled out as a threat is unacceptable, as there are no such conditions imposed on the holy books of other religions, including Islam," said COCM spokesperson Ronnie Klassen.
"As Christians of both Protestant and Catholic persuasions, we wish to register our deep hurt and outrage at the Home Ministry action of desecrating over 5,100 copies of the Al Kitab stamped with serial numbers, government seals and warnings that the books are meant for Christians only," he said in a statement.
"Any person who respects the holy scriptures of any religion would be appalled by such an action," added Klassen.
Copies of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles - named Al Kitab - were impounded at Port Klang and Kuching after it was found that it contained several religious terms forbidden for non-Muslim use.
The Home Ministry had earlier also claimed that releasing the Bibles would also mean acting in contempt of the court because of an ongoing trial regarding the usage of the word 'Allah' by a Catholic publication Herald.
Later they said that they would release the Bibles, but only after they are stamped with serial numbers, and warnings that the bibles are for Christians only.
This enraged Christian groups further, describing it as an act of 'defacement'.
The government later softened its stand on the stamping and serial numbers, but said that future copies of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles would have to include the words 'For Christianity Only' in size 16 font.
'Government moves goal posts'
The coalition also made several other demands from the Home Ministry. They include:
* Return the Al Kitab to the publisher and replace them with new Al Kitab;
* That no Al Kitab be destroyed or further defaced;
* That the government bear all costs and give written assurance that such desecration will never happen again;
* That the ministry will not act on its own without due consultation with the relevant Christian representative organisations;
* Due respect is given to the Al Kitab by consulting the relevant Christian representative organisations before any external text is inserted in the Bible; and,
* The 30,000 Malay bibles worth RM78,000 imported by the Sarawak branch of global Christian group, The Gideons, be unconditionally released from Kuching port.
"It is the government that has moved the goal posts over the years through the systematic imposition of unreasonable conditions and restrictions," said Klassen.
"Christians are horrified by the arrogance of the Home Ministry and its officials and the contemptuous act of defacing the Al Kitab is sacrilege." |
Please Do Not Politicise Christianity For The Sake Of Politics
Spokesman for the Coalition of Malaysian Christians, Ronnie Klassen (second right) holds up a police report outside the PJ police headquarters today. Picture by Choo Choy May
One can see the whole thing have been politicized to coincide with the Sarawak state elections to inflict maximum collateral damage to the ruling party.
Who is Ronnie Klessen? Isn't he the one disdainfully snubbed by Wan Azizah of his self-appointed "Director of Communication PKR Sabah" which Azizah claimed never exists.
His blog which used to mercilessly attack UMNO leaders has turned 360 degrees now attacking PKR leaders.Is he really interested in protecting his religion or playing politics seeking new political platform? Is this the kind of person you want to lead you to the "Promised Land" ?
I think the Christian elders should not allow themselves to be used by politicians that can give excuse to other irresponsible elements to take advantage of the situation.
There are other ways to resolve the issues.One, is to use the justice system and the other one, the ballot box.
If you can't change the system than you should try change the government and chose one you think likely to give you what you wanted.
Use your own judgement, don't ever listen to the opposition's claim that the Malaysian general elections are rigged.How in hell they managed to capture 5 states and denied the BN of two-thirds majority in the 2008 General Elections if the elections were rigged?.
Think !
Don't be suckers to lies and half-truths.
The other night while having a drink at our usual watering hole a friend asked me why I always attack Anwar and the oppositions.
First and foremost, this is a political blog, not a Hello magazine, naturally I talked politics.Worse still, I don't believe in the Pakatan Rakyat concept, to me it is a farcical coalition.Voting them in is akin to putting chickens and ducks in government.Other than wanting to be government they have nothing in common, PAS going left, DAP going right and PKR going under.
Look! What happening in Sarawak? They are still fighting over seats allocation and SNAP has decided not to join them.Greed! In the animal kingdom they would be called hyenas.
Do you honestly believe PAS and DAP can work together in the long run?
As for Anwar Ibrahim? Let say I have an intuitive conviction there is something wrong with him. So sorry, never liked him even from his days in UMNO, even before his sacking by Mahathir.
Call it instinct or intuition, if you may, you can dislike a person without hating him.
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