On July 11th, The Malaysian Insider reported Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Marino made a statement in an interview to support the Catholic Church of Malaysia on the use of "Allah" for God in churches.
This attracted several other Muslim organisations and leaders, notably Perkasa and Jati to demand for apology or expulsion of the Archbishop and closing the Embassy. President of the Council of Churches, Bishop Phillip Lok call on Prime Minister, Dato Najib to take a stand against Perkasa and Jati.
In the midst of the exchanges, Minister in the PM's Department for Religious Affair, Dato Dr Jamil Khir's was reported to merely complain on the Archbishop for creating anxiety. He failed to address the right issue.
The issue is not about the use of "Allah" in churches that is still being appealed at the Court of Appeal but interference in our domestic affair and suspicion of dabbling in local politics.
Dato Najib too was evasive and was reported as being rhetorical in his repetition of Government commitment to Islam and use of Allah. Ramadhan is a month to cleanse ones thought and heart of bad intention.
But recent development does not show he is committed. Dato Najib has bending backward and avoiding controversies to maintain his populist and liberal stance.
Rhetoric
If Dato Najib is serious in his claim to defend the sanctity of Islam, why then did he recalled back the proposed amendment to a law on the conversion of children's faith by a single parent without mentioning of the next course of action?
It is not about the issue but about Dato Najib losing control over the situation. Dato Nazri Aziz spoke his mind, despite his current position as Minister of Tourism. That agitated the non-Malay component party of BN and non-Muslim BN members of Parliament..
The Government was put in an embarassing position to withdraw the proposed bill.
Populist
Dato Najib had already been seen as indecisive and has a personal history of making his decision till the last minute. Of late, he is seen to flip flop oftenly.
In this issue, his rather evasive stance may have come about because in his effort to be a populist Prime Minister, he had received audience with the Pope Benedict XVI on July 18, 2011.
That meeting was to lift his profile to the Christians but it was to no avail or it was practically a failure.
Lim Guan Eng reignite the issue on Christmas eve 2012 prior to the 13th General Election and the churches were adamant to allow it to be used nationwide and not merely for the Malay speaking churches for Sabah and Sarawak Pribumi.
The only political option left to BN was to put PAS under pressure from it's grassroots. It may affected BN in the predominantly Christian Chinese in major Sarawak urban seats.
Najib's meeting may have paved the way for a formal foreign relation with the Vatican City but instead of improving relation with Vatican City and local Christians, Vatican's Envoy is the keeping that issue alive for the opposition.
Conspiracy
Put aside conspiracy theories like Freemason and Illuminati that claim link with the Vatican church. Undoubtedly, the Vatican and Archbishop Marino has been putting their hands in domestic politics elsewhere to further their's and other interest.
We take an extract from Bigdogdotcom's posting here to publish below:
It should not come as a surprise because Marino was born an American. As someone who hails from Alabama, it is a typical ‘Red-Neck’ and Southern state.
Moreover, Archbishop Marino is not new in the international politics and diplomacy game. In fact, he is a seasoned diplomat and player in the game of international politics.
He was a member of the Vatican delegation sent by Pope John Paul II to Belgrade on April 1, 1999, at the height of the Kosovo conflict. He was also part of a delegation sent to the White House before the 2003 start of the war in Iraq.
Archbishop Marino also served as Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh for four years, where domestic politics such as the Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict was part of his interest and agenda.
Of course the usual excuse he is playing ‘the cleric in the mission of peace’ role.
There is also a possibility he could also be part of an international political ring of operatives, acting on behalf for Neo Con Jews and the sinister agenda to rule and control the world, directly and indirectly via proxies.
After all, Pope John Paul II was for a very important and experienced international political personality.
He was undoubtedly an integral part of the Western backed international ring of political operatives which brought Communism down and dismantled the ‘Iron Curtain’.
Archbishop Marino could probably be part of the international political support group in their strategic agenda to undermine and eventually dismantle the Muslim power in favour of the minority. Especially the Malay-Muslims are the most progressive and globally most influential group of Muslims.
It is imperative that the Malay-Muslims are being made subservient to the Anglo-New Con Jewish international agenda in someway or another.Diplomacy Backfired
If that was true, then it makes perfect sense why he is supporting the CFM quest, which is strongly supported by Chinese Chauvinists DAPsters and anti Malay politicians such as Lim Guan Eng, Teresa Kok and Nga Kor Ming.
Already, a picture of the Archbishop with the widely known Christian Evangelical activist of DAP, Teresa Kok was found on the net. Another strong supporter to this cause would be MCA-owned The Star.
Both parties seemed to have no qualms for other country to meddle in the domestic affair of our country to further their agenda. This is odd because even the official stance of the then Anwar-supporting US Ambassador to Malaysia, John Mallot is not be seen publicly meddling in the domestic affair of Malaysia.
The Archbishop's timing is perceived to assist the opposition to revive the "Allah" issue few years ahead of the next Sarawak state election to fire-up anti-government sentiment among Christian in East Malaysia.
This development attracted a cynical comment from journalist supemo and blogger, Dato Abdul Kadir Jasin here. He sort of questioned Dato Najib's tendency to take pride being seen with many world leaders, including US President Obama and the Pope.
He asked, "Now they got what he wished for - the Pope had sent an Ambassador to Malaysia. Now the big task - who is to teach whom and who is to listen to whom?
"Do we teach the Pope's Ambassador about our time tested multi-religious and multicultural background or we allow him to dictate terms to us."
The questions seemed to infer that Dato Najib had not think thoroughly and ponder over possible fallout before making such overture to the Vatican City.
Wisma Putra Response
 |
| A firm voice standing out from among 'lembik's |
It will not be easy on Wisma Putra and look bad on Malaysia internationally to call on the Archbishop to reprimand him. Worse still, it is not good diplomacy to succumb to demand by Muslim NGOs to close the Embassy.
Domestically, it will not make it easier for government relation with the Christians voters.
Given the situation Dato Najib had left the country in, the response from Minister of Foreign Affair, Dato Anifah Aman was indeed commendably strong and to the point.
NST reported:
15 July 2013Weak and Indecisive
Malaysia does not welcome foreign interference in 'Allah' issue - Anifah
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia does not welcome foreign interference or influence on the usage of the word 'Allah', said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
In a statement today, Anifah said as a sovereign country, such interference would only stoke religious sentiments in the country and would not help in contributing towards ensuring racial and religious stability and harmony in the country.
"The matter (word Allah issue) case is currently being heard at the Court of Appeal and all parties should let the case be determined according to the rule of law of the country," he said.
Vatican City ambassador to Malaysia Archbishop Joseph Marino was reported to have lauded local church's campaign to include the Arabic word 'Allah' to refer to GOD, amongst Christians.
The archbishop's open support has not gone down well with several Muslim groups who have considered the move as insensitive and highly offensive for Muslims and Malaysians. -- BERNAMA
 |
| Building perception as weak and indecisive leader |
Like slicing a bologna, the Archbishop would let it off this time but he will not heed the warning and continue to make comments after comments of support for fringe and left wing groups, particularly those for more liberal religious practises for born Muslims.
Evangelism is part of the calling on all Christians but it is against the spirit of Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution which forbid preaching other religion to Muslims. It is part of the commitment on the part of non-Muslim to the Malay in the Social Contract in exchange for their citizenship.
In the past, a "buka puasa" event organised by a church turn out to be an event to proselytise Muslims aroused outbursts from Muslim groups. In another occasion, DAP had organised a dinner which had foreign pastors operating in Sarawak holding a fellowship for Malaysia to be a Christian state.
If Dato Najib had been silent to the present barrage of insults on Islam in Facebook and Social Media, with the most recent a Chinese couple wishing break of fast with pork, he is likely to be soft and weak to confront the Archbishop should he go head-on into issues sensitive to Muslims.
To a Muslim, it is our responsibility to defend and save the akidah (faith) of another Muslim. If need be, Dato Najib must sacrifice his political popularity and international public relation by being firm and decisive on matters of another Muslim's akidah.
He should be mindful and listen more to the voices and plight of the common people. Less of the Omar Ong and Idris Jala. There is a growing perception on the ground that he is a weak leader, soft in his actions and excessive in his slogans.