YOURSAY 'I don't understand why the extremists in Malaysia feel that they have the reason to claim absolute rights over the word ‘Allah.'

Perkasa and Jati want M'sian Vatican office to be closed

Aries46: These Umno friendly right-wing groups were lurking in the fringes post-GE13 licking their wounds and bidding for time to make a return to the limelight and Archbishop Joseph Marino of the Vatican presented them the perfect opportunity to do so.

The usage of the term ‘Allah' by Muslims and Christians was never an issue anywhere in the world until it was made one here by Umno.

If Marino's statement as claimed amounts to interference, then is it right for Malaysia to be involved in conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere under the pretext of providing humanitarian aid?

Is this the 'shit stirring' that Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor was alluding to?

Poor Archbishop Marino. Even in his wildest dream he wouldn't have thought that his well-intended statement would evoke so much of 'stirring'.

ZhuGeLiang: Life is just too good in Malaysia. A lot of these people have nothing else better to do than to cause trouble.

Islam is the dominant religion in this country and there is absolutely no doubt about it. It is also clearly stated in the constitution. So what is there to fear?

Likewise, the Malays will always be in power in Malaysia. How can it be otherwise? You don't need a rocket scientist to tell you that.

They are the majority race with 65 percent of the population and growing. So what is there to fear the other races? On the contrary, they should be more fearful of themselves.

Qaswedfrt: I feel that the Vatican representative has the responsibility to voice his opinions.

Personally I don't understand why the extremists in Malaysia feel that they have the reason to claim absolute rights over the word ‘Allah' when the usage of the word by other religions is accepted by their fellow brothers and sisters in other parts of the world.

Ferdtan: Perkasa and Jati, the 13th general election is over. The Kuala Besut by-election may be held soon but the state seat has few or no non-Muslim voters. so there is no need to make a fuss.

We don't understand the purpose of this game of defending the Islam in such an aggressive manner. Was it that Perkasa and Jati had been sidelined by Umno's top leaders after the last general election?

As they were not successful in any of the seats they contested, they were discarded. Is this the way to embarrass and to bring back their ‘glorious past' when Umno, before the general election, treated them with awe and respect?

This public display may hurt PM Najib Razak in the run-up to the Umno party election at the end of the year.

We shall see whether a lucrative position may be offered to Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali to make him happy. Poor thing, he had said that he may have to resort to driving a taxi to earn a living.

Kee Thuan Chye: Is this what Malaysians are about? Someone says something we don't agree with and we want to shut them down, run them out of the country?

Then how are we ever going to broaden our minds? Isn't the better option to engage them in debate? Or if that's not desirable, then let them have their say and let them be?

This is supposed to be a democracy, where all manner of ideas should be allowed to be floated. How do we progress if we continue to be petty-minded and narrow-minded and resort to telling people to shut up or get out when we don't agree with them? We need to grow up.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not a Christian and I'm not siding anyone. I'm not even looking at this as a religious issue; it could be any other issue. I'm merely talking about being human and letting other people have their say, whatever it may be.

Hasan Ali and Ibrahim Ali are elderly people. They should teach their people to think better. As elders and leaders, they should be setting a better example for Malaysians.

Vijay47: I am convinced that there is a clandestine group, or maybe not-so-covert group, possibly led by an ex-meter-reader, who meet every morning and ask themselves, "What outlandish issue shall we raise today to threaten and exert pressure on the non-Malays and non-Muslims?"

Hence we have ridiculous demands being made by this and similar bodies almost every single day.

The victims would naturally defend and explain their position and voila! it would then be the turn of Utusan Malaysia and related politicians to come out with ‘Islam, Malays, the Malay rulers, and Jawi are under attack' spin.

Since when is it illegal for a religious leader to justify his religion's form of worship? How is that "interference"?

It must be very lucrative to set up these NGOs, since they will get a fat grant for the defence of the realm and as long as they scream "Islam" a few times, and nobody is really bothered if the grants are actually used to buy cows or condos in Singapore.

Abasir: A seven-day ultimatum by 'Malay rights' groups? Wow, I'm sure the lights will burn late into the night at the Vatican as the conclave meets to discuss Perkasa and Jati.

Diplomatic cables will be whizzing back and forth among European capitals, the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) will convene an emergency meeting while the Arab League gathers to prepare a response.

Now who says 'Malay rights' groups do not have international clout?

Hang Babeuf: This Archbishop Mourinho should just go back to Chelsea FC (Football Club) where he came from. That should be the specific Perkasa/Jati demand.

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