YOURSAY 'As Muslim Arabs had voiced out that the decision was wrong, in the eyes of the former Johor mufti, this would render them infidels.'

'Allah ban is about subordination, not theology'

LogicalMalaysian: Thank you The Guardian's Nesrine Malik, but don't worry, there will never be a situation of one race subjugating the other(s) in Malaysia.

In fact, most Malaysians - Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and the other brothers and sisters of the East Malaysia - have not problem in sharing an equal identity and a need-based policy.

There has never been a country where the non-Malays have been so understanding that their Malay brethren be given the opportunities so we all can live as equals, but the problem is cronyism where not even the deprived Malays get uplifted.

It is a shame that after 57 years the gap seems to be widening. The non-Malays are willing to give not 10 or 20 years but even 50 years, if the recipients of aid are those deserving.

The last election saw the BN-led Umno's power slipping and the component parties are the main cause of this sorry state of affairs because they joined in the scramble to become overnight millionaires.

Reader: This is the salient passage in the article, quoting Nesrine: "She goes on to warn that if Malaysians insist on copyrighting 'Allah', it would create ‘separate gods for separate religions, and directly contradict the message of the Prophet Muhammad'."

When will a Malaysian imam or even layman note that the judges have deliberately misconstrued and perverted the revelation of the Prophet? Assuredly, to twist the Prophet's teaching is a sin for which one is damned.

Cala: The Umno-led BN regime has not been known to encourage social cohesion in Malaysia.

Both The Guardian and Indonesia's Jakarta Post have come to the same conclusion about the motive of the Umno-led BN regime in arriving at the verdict on the usage of the word ‘Allah', that this word should exclusively be used by Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia.

So it is the reality of politics, not law, that constrained the usage. Further evidence from institutions and governance literature lends credence to arguments by Nesrine.

First, look around, are the socio-economic and political institutions of Malaysia "extractive" in nature? The opposite is inclusive. Second, is the Umno-led BN regime promoting social cohesion? What do you see in Malaysia?

The regime is promoting the following: exclusion; oppressive, authoritarian state; inequity and inequality; corrupt, inefficient bureaucracy; and close society.

Zen: Christians and Muslims has been living in peace in the past because there was no attempt on the part of the Christians to encroach or test the Muslims on sensitive issues.

Nobody refers to their religious rights of the constitution then. But now with the advent of hawkish lawyers and human rights NGOs, they are starting to test the water - to go beyond practising one's faith peacefully and to challenge the status quo of Islam in Peninsular Malaysia and going against the government official stand by being adamant, plain stupid and arrogant.

It shows that the church here is treading into unchartered territory and is willing to trade religious tolerance and peace that was granted to them for a time bomb ready to go off. I think the Vatican itself will not approve this stupid approach.

Geronimo: As many of the Muslim Arabs had voiced out that the decision made by the three judges was wrong, in the eyes of the former Johor mufti, this would render the entire Arab world 'infidels' and 'apostates'.

Yet they seem happy to dress like them and even receive their religious education taught by Islamic scholars who are less knowledgeable than our pious and learned Malays.

Now I can understand why they are so easily confused, because the Arab world will teach the right form of Islam, universal Islam that is, while these egocentric people here practice the opposite like corruption, murder, rape, adultery, etc.

Emperor: The judgment has given a severe blow to the Middle East groups who are working very hard to prove the similarities of Abrahaminic religion - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. With this court ruling, it makes Judaism and Islam the same but removes Christianity from the group.

Allah and Jehovah are the same - ‘Moon God' and Gabriel is the ‘Moon Angel'. In reality, the Christian God is different as preached by Elijah and Jesus - God the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit are the three Ages of Truth (Yuga) that extends throughout the existence.

Therefore it is not correct for Christians to use the word ‘Allah' as in pre-Islamic era, it is specific for a particular deity. Christian Malaysians can do themselves a favour by explaining this to the brethren in Sabah and Sarawak.

In Arab nations, it is continued as it has been a part of their culture for over a thousand years.

Magnus: When will the penny drop that ‘Allah' is not a specific name but a general Arabic word for God in the Arabic language.

So anyone who spoke or speaks Arabic as their mother tongue, irrespective of that Arabic person being a follower of Judaism, Christianity or Hinduism would obviously refer to the God-Entity of their respective religions at the generic level as ‘Allah'.

Just as followers of Christianity and other non-Christian religions who speak English as their mother tongue would naturally use the English generic word ‘God' to refer in general to their specific religion's God-Entity, whether that God-Entity had a specific name or not.

Rubystar_4037: Now as world opinion began to speak out on the moronic judgment of banning people of other faith in using the word 'Allah', the three judges of the appellate court looked more and more like the three stooges of yesteryear.

Malaysia is one country, but there are two systems for using the word 'Allah' - whilst East Malaysians can use it, West Malaysians are banned from using it.

China, one country two systems (SAR for Hong Kong and Macau) seems to be working well, but Malaysia seems to be breaking down just because those in power wished to claim proprietary rights over the usage of ‘Allah'.

There will be more and more international condemnation on this matter in days to come. Over to Larry, Moe and Curly, who ploughed the Internet to pass judgement.

Bambooz: Nesrine has pointed out the obvious. It's politics, not about religion. We are a laughing stock of the world. In the short span of time after the court judgment, we have Jakarta Post , The National in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and The Guardian calling out the falsehood and twisted logic of the judgment given.

If the judges don't feel ashamed, I feel ashamed to say I am a Malaysian when I am abroad.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.