MISQUOTING MUNSHI ABDULLAH TO SUPPORT A CONTENTION ON THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE USE OF THE NAME OF ‘ALLAH’ IN THE BIBLE IN MALAYSIA THAT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE MAJORITY CATHOLICS IN THE WORLD AND ALSO THE VATICAN ITSELF.

By Mansor Puteh  

Someone by the name of Dr. Patricia A. Martinez wrote a piece entitled, 'The facts speak for themselves' in the Star of 6 February, 2014, concerning the controversy surrounding the use of the name 'Allah' in the Bible, as her response to an earlier comment by someone calling himself as 'The Professor'.

But where and what are the facts? Martinez did not say that, she only quoted and said things that some ulamak in Pakistan or Turkey might have said without acknowledging that they are just their views which cannot constitute as ‘facts’.

Martinez does not even know what are personal views and what are facts.

Maybe the real reason why this sort of controversy arose recently can be seen in how some foreign infiltrators had tried to create a wedge between the Malaysians in Peninsula Malaysia and those in East Malaysia or between the Muslims and non-Muslims, who many have admitted to be the 'safe deposit' for Barisan Nasional in any election, and this controversy could be used to cause a rift and encourage the East Malaysians to think differently of the government of the day.

And perhaps she would also like to know how the Bible was first translated from English into Malay.

It was not the original Bible that was written in Aramic or other ancient languages, which Munshi Abdullah did not understand, but in English which means that it was translated not according to the oridinal intentions of the original Bible.

There are many versions of the Bible today, those that were written by pastors and anybody who wanted to promote their own views with some even wanting to do away with gender identification for their God, which means that in these versions God is not a HE, but a sexless person. 

She claims that the name for ‘Lord’ in Malay should also be ‘Allah’ and not ‘Tuhan’. If there is no exact word in Malay for any word in English, then the original word in English should be used, so that the word ‘Allah’ cannot be applied as a convenience.

So ‘Lord’ in the English version of the Bible must also be used in the Malay version of the book, unless if they want to use ‘Tuan Hamba’ for ‘Lord’.  

So if Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the logic should extend to saying and insisting that 'Jesus Christ is the Son of Allah'. But Allah is not a human being or of any physical entity.

And Jesus Christ is also not Nabi Isa (a.s.), as claimed by many including by some Muslims themselves, then those Muslims must also acknowledge that the illustrations and drawings and also statues of Jesus Christ can be used to decorate any mosque as well as the houses of those Muslims, especially their own houses and also vehicles. 

Jesus Christ to Muslims is just a caricature of Nabi Isa (a.s.), as much as Moses or Mary, who are not Nabi Musa (a.s.) or Maryam (a.s.). 

Yet, how many ulamak from Pakistan and the other Muslim countries in the Arab and non-Arab world are aware of it?

It is therefore useless for Martinez to quote any of them as they are not the sole authority of Islam whose edicts or fatwa can only be passed by the Majlis Fatwa Malaysia or those of the respective countries they are living in.

The views of those ulamak are their own, including those in Indonesia and Turkey, whose views may have also been debunked by fellow ulamaks in the respective countries that Dr. Martinez may opt not to mention or reveal what they are.  

As for the Holy Koran, there is no such a thing as a Koran in English or any other language. The Koran can only be presented in its original Arabic version and any translated version is given the title of the Translation of the Holy Koran in English.

Martinez is wrong in quoting Munshi Abdullah who she claims to have approved the translation of the English version of the Bible into Malay. There is written proof of what she says on Munshi Abdullah is wrong.

And as for the other evidences she presents, one can surmise their veracity from the misrepresentation of Munshi Abdullah on the matter. He did not approve of the translation.

The Catholics of Sabah and Sarawak were misinformed of the true intention of the early Catholic envengalists who had tried to propagate the religon to them by using 'Allah' in order to confuse them into believing that they would be praying before Allah when they were not.

And the facts that Martinez had tried to use to support her contentions also cannot hold water.

Catholicism as practised by those in those two states differ immensely from those that is being practised elsewhere, including in the Philippines where even The Vatican had chided them for observing some strange 'street-theater' by cruxifing its believers, when it was deemed to be against the values of Christ by The Vatican and also against the teaching of their religion.

But the Filipinos did not care.

In fact, no other country in the world including those in South America which have a majority Catholic population bothered to practise the festivities so it was a purely Filipino invention. 

But who would believe in the edicts passed by The Vatican as many Catholics in South America, Africa and Asia especially continue to practise Catholicism their way by infusing Pagan values and beliefs without any sense of guilt or shame despite them having been chided by The Vatican itself?    

Even The Vatican has not endorsed the claim by the Catholics elsewhere on the matter concerning the use of the name of ‘Allah’ for God in the Bible, or else such issues would have been distributed worldwide and not just in Indonesia and also Sabah and Sarawak.

Even the Popes had not mentioned or uttered the name of ‘Allah’ in place of God in their sermons and commentaries or everyday greetings.

Yet, there is also no calligraphy of the name of ‘Allah’ that is displayed in The Vatican or any Roman Catholic church in the world.

The Catholics and Christians utter, ‘Oh, my God!’ and never ‘Oh, my Allah!’

In fact, Rev. Terry Jones of the small church in Florida which has a congregation of a mere fifty persons is happy to encourage any Christian or Catholic or anyone to burn the Koran.

If he is true believer of Christ and also think that the name of his God is ‘Allah’ then he would not want to do that since the name of ‘Allah’ is mentioned countless number of times in the Holy Koran.

Martinez should also check with another well-known Islam hater, Geert Wilders of Denmark on what he thinks of ‘Allah’.

How so often has Martinez herself says or mentions ‘Allah’ in her everyday life and activities? Does she also have the calligraphy of ‘Allah’ in her house and her vehicles, either in Arabic or English? 

I have not seen any Catholic in Malaysia who has a locket with the name of ‘Allah’ in Arabic or English or heard any of them utter the name in public before.

And I studied from Standard One to Form Five in a Catholic missionary school in Melaka and I had not seen or heard any of the students who were Catholics who uttered the name to themselves or to anyone. Why? 

In fact, the Hagia Sofia church in Constantinople in Turkey when it was under Catholic rule was the largest church in the world also did not have any calligraphy of ‘Allah’.

However, when Sultan Mehmet managed to capture Constantinople and the whole of Turkey and other neighboring states, he put the calligraphy in Arabic of ‘Allah’ and also ‘Muhammad’ in the church to show that it had been turned into a masjid.

The Roman Catholic rulers of ancient Turkey had all the time in the world to place calligraphy of ‘Allah’ everywhere in the Hagia Sofia, but they did not do it.

And if the Catholics in the world say they also pray to Allah, then why have the cross on the spires and not the calligraphy of ‘Allah’ on them instead?

And this should be what matters the most. So let the truth prevail…