By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Government officials in Malaysia seized and continue to refuse the release of 10,000 Bibles sequestered for using the word “Allah” to refer to God. Officials maintain their position after announcing their plan to withhold the Bibles on Wednesday, November 4.

The Bibles were apprehended by the Malaysian customs services, and according to a Home Ministry official, the government told the importer to return the Indonesian-language Bibles last month.

 The tension stems from the use of the word “Allah” in the Bibles, which is banned by the government for use by non-Muslims in an apparent act to appease Muslims. According to the same Home Ministry official, “the publications, the Bibles, are already banned.” He declined to make further comment, indicating that he is not authorized to make public statements.

Christians in Malaysia say the Muslim Malay-dominated government is violating their right to practice their religion freely. About 30 percent of the country’s 28 million people practice Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism or other faiths. The concern is that Malaysia will no longer be regarded as a peaceful nation. The Christian Federation of Malaysia, which had called for the release of all Bibles, described the seizure as “ridiculous and offensive.” The government maintains that the Arabic-origin word “Allah” is an Islamic word and its use by Christians and others will upset Muslims.

Bishop Ng Moon Hing, chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia said, “This constitutional right (to practice freely) is rendered illusory if Christians in Malaysia are denied access to Bibles in a language with which they are familiar.” 

In addition to the 10,000 most recently seized by the Malaysian government, another 5,100 Bibles, also imported from Indonesia, were confiscated in March and have not been released. There is apparently no immediate information on those Bibles or whether the publications will be released or returned in the near future.

For more information, please see:

MSNBC World News – Malaysia rejects call to release 10,000 Bibles – November 8. 2009

BBC World News – Malaysia withholds ‘Allah Bibles’ – Novmeber 4, 2009

The Jakarta Globe – 10,000 Indonesian Bibles Seized in Malaysia for Using the Word ‘Allah’ – November 6, 2009 

Associated Press – Malaysian government has refused to release 10000 Bibles – November 4, 2009