Three churches were firebombed today, in Malaysia – one burned down completely – by Muslims protesting Catholics’ right to use the word Allah for God.
When someone can tell you how you’re meant to pray, what words you are allowed when crying out to the divine, ‘subjugation’ just doesn’t cut it.
It is for the same purpose that we seek to use that word. We aren’t trying to bestow the Name upon any one or thing we think lowly. We don’t seek to disparage or denigrate Its Meaning or your reverence for It. We want to use It in the same way that you do. To speak of God.
To debate me on this is fair enough. But that you have put aside your benignity to burn down a place of worship… you have done more damage to His Name than you sought to fend off.
I live in a country forever in fear of May. Forever gripped by the thought that its right arm might once again rise to do harm to its other members.
It’s a fear, a terror that keeps me in silence. I don’t seek equality. I don’t seek freedom of speech, or to be naturalized or feel enfranchised in the country of my grandfather’s birth.
But I settle for a peace. On the brink. And I am worth more. More than enough to be called a son of this soil. More than enough to pray dalam bahasa negaraku (in the language of my country). In words yang dipilih olehku (that are chosen by me).
My blood is worth more spent in my veins than spilt, our churches worth more to our communities upright than burnt.
Even to a Muslim.
So I don’t get it. I don’t understand why I’m not of you. Why I can’t call God as you do. And why you get to direct, move, pacify and rule
me.