Even Hadi said non-Muslims can use ‘Allah,’ reminds STAR Sabah leader

Kota Kinabalu: A Sabah Muslim leader is perplexed as to why the debate on the use of “Allah” is still ongoing when even PAS supremo Abdul Hadi Awang had said Islam does not forbid non-Muslims from using the word.

Weighing in on the controversy surrounding the Arabic name for God, STAR deputy president Jalumin Bayogoh referred to the Islamist party president’s post on Facebook last week which saw him making his stand on the matter, reported FMT.

“I would like to quote Hadi who said that in Islam, no one is prohibited from using the word Allah,” he said. Jalumin pointed out that Hadi even said atheists and polytheists should not be barred from using the term.

Hadi had said this in response to the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to allow non-Muslims to use the word “Allah” for religious and educational purposes.

In calling on all parties to respect the court’s decision, Jalumin said he was perplexed as to why the issue was still being hotly debated in public.

“What is even more tragic is that this polemic has also reached the shores of Sabah and Sarawak where it was a non-issue.

“There is no need to politicise the issue further,” he added.

Jalumin went on to say that Muslims from Sabah and Sarawak did not feel threatened by the court’s decision as it was common for them to have non-Muslim relatives.

“We also do not mind going into churches. We are so multi-religious that in some villages, there are even non-Muslim houses of worship next to the suraus or mosques.”

Jalumin also called on Sabahans to continue respecting those of other faiths as it was key to ensuring peace and harmony in the state.

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