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| Southeast Asia |
| Minorities fear Islamisation |
| 2010-01-16 |
| [Straits Times] A DISPUTE over the use of the word 'Allah' by Christians in Malaysia is the latest sign of growing hard-line Islamic influence in what has been a relatively moderate Muslim-majority country. The dispute has spawned attacks on 10 churches and has hardened a long-standing sense of alienation among the non-Muslim minority, threatening 40 years of ethnic peace and stability that underpins Malaysia's economic success. Tensions rose further on Thursday after lawyers representing Christians in their legal fight for the right to use 'Allah' discovered their office had been ransacked and a laptop was missing. Also on Thursday, a church in the southern state of Johor was found to have been vandalised with red paint. The church attacks over the past week - most were firebombed - followed a Dec 31 court decision overturning a government order that forbade a Catholic newspaper from using the word 'Allah' as a translation for God in its Malay-language edition. The opposition parties have been quick to blame the government for inflaming tensions with policies that pander to Muslims to win votes. 'Although the fire-bombing of churches alarmed Malaysians, it underscored the magnitude of the real problem,' said Mr Charles Santiago, an opposition member of Parliament. 'It showed that after 52 years of living together, nation building and national unity is in tatters. The church attacks shattered notions of Malaysia as a model secular Muslim nation in the eyes of the international community.' Prime Minister Najib Razak has strongly condemned the church attacks and vowed to protect the minorities. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 A reasonable fear. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-01-16 19:50 |
| #3 Fixed. These things happen, g(r)omgoru. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-01-16 14:29 |
| #2 Ooops! I was cleaning my keyboard and ... |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-01-16 08:07 |
| #1 in what has been a relatively moderate Muslim-majority country Muslims don't have moderation---just discretion. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-01-16 08:06 |