WHY IS YOUR ALLAH NOT MY ALLAH?

As an East Malaysian, I am neither surprised nor angry about Malay/Muslims being up in arms over the 'Allah' High Court ruling.

It was to be expected, really. What does anger me is getting comments from West Malaysian Christians that it is 'silly' for Christians to lobby to use the word 'Allah'.
One rather un-enlightened Christian said that "Allah is also a word used to describe one particular god in a pagan religion...so for Christians to use 'Allah' is strange and silly."
The whole 'Allah' debacle highlights a bigger, more endemic problem in the Malaysian, or should I say West Malaysian mentality: General ignorance of how the 'others' or 'lain-lain' live.

It seems very hard for most West Malaysians to understand that:
* Not all bumiputeras are Malay.
* Not all bumiputeras are Muslim.
It isn't just West Malaysian Muslims who have a very limited worldview but Christians as well. They don't understand that in East Malaysia, with its high population of indigenous Christians, Bahasa Malaysia is used in services.

Most of these Sabahan and Sarawakian Christians have spent their whole lives thinking, praying and referring to their God as 'Allah Bapa' (Father God). And now the government says they can't. That only Muslims can use the word 'Allah' when that isn't true in other countries.

Look at Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, which allows the printing and dissemination of bibles in Bahasa Indonesia that refer to God not as 'Tuhan' but as 'Allah'.

The Indonesian Muslims don't worry that their brethren will be 'confused' by these bibles. So why is our Home Ministry and all these religious groups up in arms?
The answer to that is politics. Religion is, unfortunately, something as mixed up with politics as is race. Political parties unabashedly use religion as a tool to win debates, with Umno often accused of trying to 'out-Islam' PAS.

Religion is not a private matter in this country and is, instead, aired like so much dirty laundry. What other Southeast Asian country has officially sanctioned civilian peeping Toms who consider it their civic duty to weed out fornication?
Malay is our language, too Despite the many varied ethnicities in Sabah, they have managed to get along without bloodshed or May 13-like incidents. How have we managed it when West Malaysia's three main races mostly give each other a wide berth? It's called tolerance, people.

All Sabahans speak a slightly modified version of Malay with the funny little suffix 'bah' tagged behind a lot of words or sentences.

In rural areas, this heavily-accented version of Malay is the only means for most people to communicate with each other. They speak, think, dream and yes, even pray in the language.

Sabahan Michelle Quek asks: "Is it more important to recognise that some Muslims lay claim to the word as being exclusive to their faith, or recognise that a practical need for the word exists for East Malaysian Christians?"

Her question embodies the difficult balancing act that Malaysia has in attempting to address the needs of its varied peoples as well as the gulf between East and West Malaysia.

Kavin Ch'ng, who is married to a Sabahan, says that locally, for many generations, Malay-speaking Christians have always referred to Allah and Tuhan in the same breath.

"Why only now does the government kick up such a fuss?" he asks. What is important, Ch'ng says, is mutual respect.
"I think there is a way to co-exist - if only our government can actually wrap its head around the concept of context."

Sarawakian El'Bornean finds it disturbing that West Malaysians now want to dictate how one's personal faith is practiced. "The true Malaysians are here in Sabah and Sarawak," he says, citing examples of his Muslim friends who have no qualms sitting with friends in non-halal stores and visiting churches. Despite being surrounded by Christians, East Malaysian Muslims do not consider their faith easily shaken, he asserts.

Sabahan Dusun Zara Kahan has a humorous, if facetious, solution. "If (some) Muslims insist on ownership of the term 'Allah' then Christians must do the same with the term 'Tuhan'. Do you know how many Hari Raya songs will be in jeopardy? End of issue!"
No, we don't want to convert you In West Malaysia, technically Christian worship services in Malay are illegal. But Sabahan and Sarawakian students ask for them anyway. Many of these Malay-speaking East Malaysians feel uncomfortable attending worship services in English because the terms are unfamiliar. Muslims often cite the 99 names of Allah and for Christians in East Malaysia as well as Lebanon and Syria, Allah is their name for God.

All this talk about 'confusion' is really the product of West Malaysians not mixing with their East Malaysian brethren. If you visit the Dusuns in Ranau, you could well meet locals as fair as highland Chinese with slanted eyes who would greet you with the traditional Muslim salam.

Wander into an East Malaysian Chinese coffee shop and you would see tanned, Malay-looking locals happily digging into 'char siew' or other pork dishes In East Malaysia, you can't easily tell what faith someone professes or what race his forefathers were just by looking. This is very disturbing to the West Malaysian psyche. I have met West Malaysians who get very agitated when I refuse to tell them either what religion I profess or what race I am.

They don't know what to do with me because they can't categorise me. I don't fit into their safe little boxes which decide how they will treat me. What annoys me as well is this West Malaysian paranoia that Christians have a secret ongoing campaign to convert Muslims on the sly. Let us be honest. If converting Muslims to Christianity was as easy as pouring holy water into your drinking water or putting the word 'Allah' in all available religious literature, the Pope would have sanctioned it years ago.

Christians don't get 'brownie points' by forcibly converting unwilling Muslims. I suppose all the Malay-looking Christian East Malaysians really confuse the locals to the point they rabidly proclaim that churches are succeeding in their nefarious campaign to take over Muslim souls. In East Malaysia, Christians and Muslims come in various sizes, shapes and colours. Even huge extended families often have different religions, sometimes staying under one roof.

It is not unusual for an East Malaysian to have not just Christian, but Buddhist, Muslim and animist relatives. A friend of mine says it is a convenient excuse to celebrate the many public holidays with more gusto.
When told that someone is marrying a person of another race, the common reaction is: "Oh, your kids will be cute!" No heated discussion about traditions or religious differences because the unspoken assumption is that the couple will work them out.

Because they do.
Be Malaysia, not 1Malaysia. A well-known comedian talked about the recent Al-Islam undercover foray into churches. Its so-called investigative journalists entered churches on false premises and desecrated the communion wafer. Did the Christians protest? asked the comedian. Did they declare bloody war?

Did they have angry sermons and plan noisy demonstrations outside churches on Sunday?

No. What did the Christians say? "Forgive them-lor. Pray for them-lor." The comedian mused that the incident was actually excellent public relations for the church. Despite our annoyance with West Malaysian intolerance, do you see East Malaysians picketing?
We gripe, we grumble, we send politely-worded statements. Yet we still believe in the Malaysia that our Tourism Ministry tries to sell, but which seems to be a myth in West Malaysia.

Do you want to know why? Deep in the heart of most East Malaysians, we truly believe in tolerance. We believe in the ideals of Malaysia.
We don't have to give 'muhibbah' a name because we live it. Since 1963, we have lived as Malaysians, believing in true tolerance and that race or religion matters little.
We truly do believe that West Malaysians can and should get over us using 'Allah' to worship God. Isn't Allah the God of all mankind? Isn't your Malaysia our Malaysia too?

Adven 1: Berjaga jaga dalam doa

Oleh : Rev. Fr. Boniface Kimsin (Holy Cross Tambunan, Sabah), November 26, 2009

Sumber : HERALD Malaysia Online (Link)

Adven bererti ‘kedatangan’ atau ‘akan datang’. Dalam masa Adven ini, kita diajak oleh Gereja untuk mempersiapkan diri menunggu kedatangan Kristus kali kedua pada akhir zaman serta menyambut hari kelahiran Kristus iaitu kedatangan-Nya yang pertama.

Sabda Tuhan hari ini mengajak kita supaya sentiasa berjaga-jaga di dalam doa sebab Tuhan akan datang secara tiba-tiba. Dalam pengalaman hidup kita, menunggu ketibaan orang yang selalu tiba lewat merupakan suatu perkara yang tidak kita senangi dan membosankan.

Ketika ada kematian dalam sebuah keluarga, sudah menjadi adat istiadat tempatan kita untuk berjaga pada waktu malam sehingga hari pengkebumian. Untuk mengelakkan dari tertidur, ramai orang bermain judi dan ada yang minum minuman keras hingga mabuk.

Perkara ini membawa keburukan dan memalukan umat Kristian. Sebenarnya tujuan utama berjagajaga tersebut harus diisi dengan doa-doa bagi roh saudara atau saudari yang dipanggil Tuhan serta mendoakan keluarga arwah yang masih hidup. Masa berjaga-jaga ini bukanlah tempoh untuk bersenanglenang, berjudi atau minum arak hingga mabuk.

Amat penting untuk berjaga-jaga di dalam doa sambil menunggu kedatangan Tuhan Yesus kali kedua pada akhir zaman. Ini adalah kerana, tidak ada seorang pun yang tahu, bilakah Tuhan Yesus akan kembali.

Berjaga-jaga di dalam doa itu bukan bererti berdiam diri dan berdoa sahaja tanpa berbuat apaapa. Doa kita seharusnya diiringi dengan tindakan konkrit, aktiviti dan perbuatan yang aktif untuk menghadirkan kerajaan Tuhan di dalam keluarga dan masyarakat. Kita juga harus aktif di dalam pelayanan menggereja.

Sebagai orang Kristian kita percaya bahawa keselamatan yang dijanjikan Tuhan telah pun digenapi melalui kedatangan Kristus ke dunia seperti yang dinubuatkan oleh nabi Yeremia dalam pembacaan pertama.

Kelahiran dan kehadiran Kristus di dalam dunia telah membawa sukacita, pengharapan, kebenaran dan keadilan kepada umat Tuhan dan seluruh bangsa manusia. Namun demikian kesempurnaan keselamatan akan terlaksana pada kedatangan Kristus yang kedua kali pada akhir zaman.

Di dalam pembacaan Injil hari ini,Yesus menyatakan dengan jelas mengenai kedatangan akhir zaman. Pada waktu itu,Tuhan Yesus Kristus akan datang kembali dengan kekuasaan dan kemuliaan-Nya untuk mengadili semua orang yang hidup dan mati. Kedatangan-Nya disertai dengan tanda-tanda yang menakutkan.

Sebagai umat beriman kita se patutnya tidak harus takut menghadapi tanda-tanda yang menakutkan itu. Kita harus menghadapinya dengan penuh keyakinan dan harapan akan cinta kasih dan belas kasihan Tuhan kepada kita.

Apa yang patut kita lakukan ialah sentiasa berwaspada dan tidak leka di dalam doa, melaksanakan perintah-perintah-Nya dan kehendak Tuhan di dalam hidup setiap hari dengan setia.

Mereka yang masih tertidur imannya kerana sentiasa dalam kemabukan dan hidup dalam pesta pora haruslah sedar dan bangunlah dari tidurnya dan usahakanlah hidup dalam pertaubatan.

Sebab akhir zaman akan datang kepada kita secara tiba-tiba pada masa dan hari di mana tidak ada seorang yang tahu. Melalui berjaga- jaga sambil berdoa kita akan mendapat kekuatan dari Tuhan dan bertahan di dalam iman dalam menghadapi segala cabaran dan dugaan di dalam dunia ini. Rasul Paulus di dalam pembacaan kedua menasihati kita supaya mengusahakan kekudusan hidup dan pertaubatan di dunia ini sementara menunggu kedatangan Tuhan. Sebagai umat Kristian, keutamaan di dalam hidup kita ialah melakukan kehendak Tuhan di dalam di dalam urusan harian kita.

Perkara-perkara yang kita lakukan di dalam hidup ini haruslah diperkenankan oleh Tuhan sekiranya kita ingin menikmati kehidupan kekal di syurga. Kita mestilah sentiasa mengingati akan kedatangan Tuhan Yesus yang tidak diketahui sambil taat berdoa, serta menghayati sabda Tuhan setiap hari agar iman kita menjadi teguh dan mantap dalam menghadapi segala percubaan duniawi.

Orang yang tidak berdoa bererti dia tidak memerlukan Tuhan di dalam hidupnya. Tanpa kehadiran Tuhan di dalam hidup seseorang, sudah pasti seseorang itu akan melakukan perkara-perkara yang bertentangan dengan kehendak Tuhan.

Maka marilah kita menuruti nasihat Santo Paulus. Kita mohon Roh Kudus menguatkan dan membimbing kita sambil berjaga-jaga di dalam doa.

The Liturgical Season of Advent

From FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS

The liturgical season of Advent marks the time of spiritual preparation by the faithful before Christmas. Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (Nov. 30). It spans four Sundays and four weeks of preparation, although the last week of Advent is usually truncated because of when Christmas falls. (For instance, this year, the fourth Sunday of Advent is obviously on Sunday, and then that evening is Christmas Eve.)

The celebration of Advent has evolved in the spiritual life of the Church. The historical origins of Advent are hard to determine with great precision. In its earliest form, beginning in France, Advent was a period of preparation for the Feast of the Epiphany, a day when converts were baptized; so the Advent preparation was very similar to Lent with an emphasis on prayer and fasting which lasted three weeks and later was expanded to 40 days. In 380, the local Council of Saragossa, Spain, established a three-week fast before Epiphany. Inspired by the Lenten regulations, the local Council of Macon, France, in 581 designated that from Nov. 11 (the Feast of St. Martin of Tours) until Christmas fasting would be required on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Eventually, similar practices spread to England. In Rome, the Advent preparation did not appear until the sixth century, and was viewed as a preparation for Christmas with less of a penitential bent.

The Church gradually more formalized the celebration of Advent. The Gelasian Sacramentary, traditionally attributed to Pope St. Gelasius I (d. 496), was the first to provide Advent liturgies for five Sundays. Later, Pope St. Gregory I (d. 604) enhanced these liturgies composing prayers, antiphons, readings, and responses. Pope St. Gregory VII (d. 1095) later reduced the number of Sundays in Advent to four. Finally, about the ninth century, the Church designated the first Sunday of Advent as the beginning of the Church year.

The Catechism stresses the two-fold meaning of this “coming” : “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming” (No. 524).

Despite the “sketchy” history behind Advent, the importance of this season remains to focus on the coming of our Lord. (Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming.”) The Catechism stresses the two-fold meaning of this “coming” : “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming” (No. 524).

Therefore, on one hand, the faithful reflect back and are encouraged to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s first coming into this world. We ponder again the great mystery of the incarnation when our Lord humbled Himself, taking on our humanity, and entered our time and space to free us from sin. On the other hand, we recall in the Creed that our Lord will come again to judge the living and the dead and that we must be ready to meet Him.

A good, pious way to help us in our Advent preparation has been the use of the Advent wreathe. (Interestingly, the use of the Advent wreathe was borrowed from the German Lutherans in the early 1500s.) The wreathe is a circle, which has no beginning or end: So we call to mind how our lives, here and now, participate in the eternity of God’s plan of salvation and how we hope to share eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. The wreathe is made of fresh plant material, because Christ came to give us new life through His passion, death, and resurrection. Three candles are purple, symbolizing penance, preparation, and sacrifice; the pink candle symbolizes the same but highlights the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when we rejoice because our preparation is now half-way finished.

The light represents Christ, who entered this world to scatter the darkness of evil and show us the way of righteousness. The progression of lighting candles shows our increasing readiness to meet our Lord. Each family ought to have an Advent wreathe, light it at dinner time, and say the special prayers. This tradition will help each family keep its focus on the true meaning of Christmas. In all, during Advent we strive to fulfill the opening prayer for the Mass of the First Sunday of Advent: “Father in Heaven, ... increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of His coming may find us rejoicing in His presence and welcoming the light of His truth.”

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