Vatican warns over ‘annihilation’ of Christians

Published Date: January 13, 2010

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Sarawak Christians are looking at a challenge against the confiscation of CDs referring to “Allah” while Vatican Archbishop Robert Sarah has warned that recent attacks are designed to “annihilate” the church.

Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a member of Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), the Borneo Evangelical Church, is seeking a court declaration that it is her right to possess the material, Reuters reports.

“It is our right to continue to use the word, we have been using it from even before Merdeka (Independence),” Daniel Raut, president of the church in mainland Malaysia, told reporters outside the court in Kuala Lumpur.

The church filed a suit in 2007 to challenge the confiscation of six boxes of Sunday school religious reading material that also contained the word “Allah”. That case is also awaiting a hearing.

“The government will face a backlash from Christian native groups in Sabah and Sarawak as this issue is no longer seen as religious or civilisational, but as a political issue,” said James Chin, political science professor at Monash University in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Sarah, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples said that the recent attacks against Christians in Malaysia are designed to annihilate and reject “those who believe in Christ”, Catholic News Agency says.

The archbishop made his statements on Vatican Radio after Muslim extremists firebombed four Christian churches on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The attacks came after a controversy over whether to allow Catholics to use the term “Allah,” a traditional Malay word, in referring to the Christian God.

Archbishop Sarah also pointed out that “the fact that it has been forbidden to say the name of God is like considering them (Christians) to be pagans and therefore ‘in need’ of converting to Islam. That’s what is behind this,” he said.

“We must pray for these Christians who live in Muslim lands and suffer greatly,” the archbishop concluded.

SOURCE

Malaysian Christian challenges “Allah” CDs seizure (Reuters)

Attacks in Malaysia designed to ‘annihilate’ Christians, warns Vatican official (Catholic News Agency)

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