By Boo Su-Lyn
SUNGAI BESAR, Jan 26 Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin urged today for calm even as non-Muslims nationwide fume over Malay rights group Perkasas recent threat to burn Malay-language Bible over its use of the word Allah.
A Sabah church group said yesterday that the religious freedom of Christian Bumiputeras was under attack, pointing out that most Christians in Malaysia come from East Malaysia and use the Malay language.
Dont blow up the issue, said Muhyiddin (picture) at a press conference here today.
But people must consider other peoples sensitivities, the deputy prime minister added.
Church leaders were further incensed over the Malaysian Islamic Development Departments (JAKIM) Friday sermon yesterday that warned Muslims nationwide of attempts by enemies of Islam to confuse them into believing that all religions are the same.
JAKIM had insisted that Allah, a word that millions of Arab Christians and those in non-Arabic-speaking lands use to describe their God, belongs to Muslims exclusively to prevent Muslims from becoming confused over the true identity of the Muslim God.
Asked if people should not issue calls to burn Bibles, Muhyiddin said: They said they did not make such remarks, ostensibly referring to Perkasa.
Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali called on Muslims earlier this week to burn the Malay version of the Bible containing the word Allah and other religious Arabic script.
The police have called up Ibrahim, who is also the Pasir Mas MP, to record his statement, following calls by the Bar Council to charge him under the Sedition Act.
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DPM calls for calm over Bible-burning threat