Saturday, July 5, 2008

‘Allah’ case: Sikh council wants to be party too

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 ─ The Malaysian Gurdwaras Council has filed an application to intervene in the judicial review over the Home Ministry's decision to prohibit the use of word "Allah" in the Herald-Catholic Weekly. The review was sought by the archbishop of Kuala Lumpur who obtained leave from the High Court on May 5.

Following this, four state Islamic religious councils, namely of Perak, Federal Territories, Terengganu and Penang, filed applications to become interveners in the review hearing.

The Gurdwaras council, which represents the Sikh community, filed its application to be named as a respondent in the case on July 1 at the High Court Registry in Jalan Duta through Messrs Jagjit Singh & Co.

The affidavit in support, sworn by its president Jagir Singh, stated that the council was particularly concerned and held interest in the declaration sought by the archbishop that the word "Allah" was not exclusive to Islam.

It went on to say that the word "Allah" to refer to God was an integral part of the original version of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji ─ the Sikh holy book.

"It was a revelation from God in the original language and not a translation, which not even a word can be altered, amended or changed.

"I humbly state that not a single Sikh will compromise with any suppression of the original term from our holy book (including the term/word Allah as contained in it) in whatever form or way," it said. ─ Bernama (4/7/2008)

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