Christians must not react to mysterious Jesus banners outside Penang churches, priest says
BY LOOI SUE-CHERN
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/...ysterious-jesus-banners-outside-penang-church
The controversial banner which was put up outside a few churches of different denominations in Penang today. - Pic courtesy of anilnetto.com, January 26, 2014.The controversial banner which was put up outside a few churches of different denominations in Penang today. - Pic courtesy of anilnetto.com, January 26, 2014.A Catholic priest has advised Christians not to react to a number of banners which read "Allah is Great, Jesus is the son of Allah" that appeared outside churches in Penang to prevent religious tension from rising.
The banners were hung outside the Victory Lutheran Church, St John Britto Catholic Church, The Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Church of the Assumption on the island and the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Butterworth on the mainland.
Nobody claims to know who is behind the banners.
Father Victor Louis from the Church of the Nativity has denied that the church was responsible for it.
"There is no point reacting to this. We also do not want to play up this issue," he said.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng tweeted about it, saying that the banners were intended to increase tensions between Muslims and Christians.
He said several churches were upset that unknown parties had put up the banners and one of them had lodged a police report.
He also tweeted that he had spoken to the state police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi about the matter and was told that there will be more police patrols around churches.
It is learnt that Penang Umno Youth and the Jelutong Umno division have lodged police reports on the matter this evening.
Northeast district police chief assistant commissioner Gan Kong Meng said the matter is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948.
State Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman also declined to address the matter as police reports have been lodged, but condemned the "irresponsible act".
"We do not wish to comment further. Let the police investigate thorougly and take stern action on the culprits.
"We suspect those mischief makers are trying to stroke racial and religious tension in the country," he said.
Tensions between Muslims and Christians have been on a high since 2009, when the Home Ministry tried to ban Catholic weekly Herald from using the word Allah in its Bahasa Malaysia section.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed Herald usage but the decision was overturned last year in October by the Court of Appeal.
As the Herald is seeking to overturn the decision, non-Muslims are also finding more Arabic words prohibited to them.
In Selangor, 25 words, including "Allah", are banned to non-Muslims under the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment.
In Penang, the state mufti decreed in 2004 that 40 words including "Allah", "masjid", "surau" and "haji" cannot be used by non-Muslims. The ban on the words, enforced in 2010, are provided under sub section 48 (3) and (4) of the Penang Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2004 as exclusive to Muslims.
Earlier this month, the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) seized 320 copies of Malay and Iban Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia. – January 26, 2014.
BY LOOI SUE-CHERN
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/...ysterious-jesus-banners-outside-penang-church
The controversial banner which was put up outside a few churches of different denominations in Penang today. - Pic courtesy of anilnetto.com, January 26, 2014.The controversial banner which was put up outside a few churches of different denominations in Penang today. - Pic courtesy of anilnetto.com, January 26, 2014.A Catholic priest has advised Christians not to react to a number of banners which read "Allah is Great, Jesus is the son of Allah" that appeared outside churches in Penang to prevent religious tension from rising.
The banners were hung outside the Victory Lutheran Church, St John Britto Catholic Church, The Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Church of the Assumption on the island and the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Butterworth on the mainland.
Nobody claims to know who is behind the banners.
Father Victor Louis from the Church of the Nativity has denied that the church was responsible for it.
"There is no point reacting to this. We also do not want to play up this issue," he said.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng tweeted about it, saying that the banners were intended to increase tensions between Muslims and Christians.
He said several churches were upset that unknown parties had put up the banners and one of them had lodged a police report.
He also tweeted that he had spoken to the state police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi about the matter and was told that there will be more police patrols around churches.
It is learnt that Penang Umno Youth and the Jelutong Umno division have lodged police reports on the matter this evening.
Northeast district police chief assistant commissioner Gan Kong Meng said the matter is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948.
State Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman also declined to address the matter as police reports have been lodged, but condemned the "irresponsible act".
"We do not wish to comment further. Let the police investigate thorougly and take stern action on the culprits.
"We suspect those mischief makers are trying to stroke racial and religious tension in the country," he said.
Tensions between Muslims and Christians have been on a high since 2009, when the Home Ministry tried to ban Catholic weekly Herald from using the word Allah in its Bahasa Malaysia section.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed Herald usage but the decision was overturned last year in October by the Court of Appeal.
As the Herald is seeking to overturn the decision, non-Muslims are also finding more Arabic words prohibited to them.
In Selangor, 25 words, including "Allah", are banned to non-Muslims under the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment.
In Penang, the state mufti decreed in 2004 that 40 words including "Allah", "masjid", "surau" and "haji" cannot be used by non-Muslims. The ban on the words, enforced in 2010, are provided under sub section 48 (3) and (4) of the Penang Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2004 as exclusive to Muslims.
Earlier this month, the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) seized 320 copies of Malay and Iban Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia. – January 26, 2014.
