The increasingly vitriolic debacle about the use of the word "Allah" in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Catholic newsletter, The Herald, just strengthens my belief that religion should be kept firmly in its place – that is, out of public domain. And like the French, I wholly subscribe to the tenet that church and state should be separate.
But since we're all caught in this ridiculous situation, I would like to see it resolved. Here are some suggestions:
1. The Catholic church could give in in the interest of national unity. Accept that this is tearing the nation apart and take the high road. Yes, you won't be accepting defeat but you're giving in for the greater good. God doesn't care what you call Him, He just wants you to call Him. Tell the Malay literate members of the church that we're going to call Him Tuhan or God from now on but He's still the same God who sacrificed His only begotten Son for our salvation.
2. The Muslim-dominated government could give in and say, it doesn't matter who calls Allah because only He knows the truth that is in their hearts. He knows the true believer from the apostate.
Of course, I don't believe option 2 is ever going to happen so it has to be option 1 – and it better be soon.
There are so many dreadful and unjust things going on in this world. I think any deity would be in despair - whether God, Tuhan or Allah. It really doesn't matter what we call Him, it matters what we do to honour Him (or Her, as the case may be).
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