Author: Kam Weng Ng

Allah is Not a Personal Name

Allah is Not a Personal Name It is bad enough when the Malaysian government bans Christians from using the word Allah. It is worse when some misguided Christians (granted it is a small minority) agree that Muslims have sole proprietary rights to the word Allah, even though this capitulation amounts to surrendering their centuries old … Continue reading “Allah is Not a Personal Name”

Allah is Not a Personal Name

It is bad enough when the Malaysian government bans Christians from using the word Allah. It is worse when some misguided Christians (granted it is a small minority) agree that Muslims have sole proprietary rights to the word Allah, even though this capitulation amounts to surrendering their centuries old usage of the word Allah for worship and spiritual instructions.

Perhaps this capitulation results from a misunderstanding of Arabic grammar, that is, the view that Allah is a personal name. Allah, as such, refers solely to the individual Supreme Being whom Muslims (and no other believers) worship. Accepting this misunderstanding would give grounds to the Muslim’s (still contestable) demand that only they have the right to use the word Allah and its related terms.Such a capitulation must be vigorously resisted seeing how the Malaysian government unrelentingly prosecutes its ban against Christians using the word Allah. It is imperative that we analyze and correct this misunderstanding.

Continue reading “Allah is Not a Personal Name”

KAIROS PUBLIC FORUM: THE REAL JESUS CHRIST OF HISTORY

KAIROS PUBLIC FORUM THE REAL JESUS CHRIST OF HISTORY Jesus of The Bible versus Jesus of the Documentaries (National Geographic/Discovery /BBC) Date: Friday, 20 November 2009 Time: 8.30pm – 10.30pm Venue: Hall 1, Dream Centre 2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13 46200 Petaling Jaya Selangor, Malaysia

KAIROS PUBLIC FORUM

THE REAL JESUS CHRIST OF HISTORY

Jesus of The Bible
versus
Jesus of the Documentaries (National Geographic/Discovery /BBC)

Date: Friday, 20 November 2009
Time: 8.30pm – 10.30pm
Venue: Hall 1, Dream Centre
2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Continue reading “KAIROS PUBLIC FORUM: THE REAL JESUS CHRIST OF HISTORY”

Dialogue on Islam and Christology: Reports and Comments

Seems like the following summaries of my dialogue with Dr. Louay Fatoohi at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies on August 13 2009 are being sent around the Internet. http://ameia-kl.blogspot.com/2009/08/islam-and-christology.html LINK http://www.iais.org.my/details.php?content_id=226 LINK I have problems with the summaries at a few points but at least they give a rough idea of what transpired … Continue reading “Dialogue on Islam and Christology: Reports and Comments”

Seems like the following summaries of my dialogue with Dr. Louay Fatoohi at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies on August 13 2009 are being sent around the Internet.

http://ameia-kl.blogspot.com/2009/08/islam-and-christology.html LINK

http://www.iais.org.my/details.php?content_id=226 LINK

I have problems with the summaries at a few points but at least they give a rough idea of what transpired in the dialogue. I did not consider posting further comments on the dialogue, but now that these summaries are being circulated, I will just fine-tune them with a few caveats. I will post a full response only if it turns out that the book is widely received by the reading public and the academia. Continue reading “Dialogue on Islam and Christology: Reports and Comments”

Beer and Tyranny of Majority

The authorities from Shah Alam City Council declared that  “the sale of all alcoholic drinks including beer will not be allowed at Muslim-majority areas”. The logic underlying this declaration goes as follows: 1) The majority population has the right to decide whether a cultural practice is acceptable 2) Muslims are the majority in Shah Alam … Continue reading “Beer and Tyranny of Majority”

The authorities from Shah Alam City Council declared that  “the sale of all alcoholic drinks including beer will not be allowed at Muslim-majority areas”. The logic underlying this declaration goes as follows:

1) The majority population has the right to decide whether a cultural practice is acceptable
2) Muslims are the majority in Shah Alam
3) Muslims decide what is culturally acceptable and prohibited in Shah Alam
4) Muslims cannot accept sales and consumption of alcohol
5) Therefore the sales of alcohol is not allowed in Shah Alam

How to we challenge this logic? You may read my response at the following site: http://libertysentinel.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/to-beer-or-to-bear-with-the-tyranny-of-the-majority/ LINK

Sacrilegious Acts by Unbelieving Spies in Church

How should  Christians respond when unbelievers surreptitiously come to church to spy out their activities? What if they commit acts that are reasonably deemed to be offensive if not sacrilegious to Christian worship. Should Christian rely on the authorities to enforce punishment under the Penal Code? For a brief reflection read: LINK Sacrilegious Acts by … Continue reading “Sacrilegious Acts by Unbelieving Spies in Church”

How should  Christians respond when unbelievers surreptitiously come to church to spy out their activities? What if they commit acts that are reasonably deemed to be offensive if not sacrilegious to Christian worship. Should Christian rely on the authorities to enforce punishment under the Penal Code?

For a brief reflection read: LINK

Sacrilegious Acts by Unbelieving Spies in Church

Response to Prof. Dzulkufli Abdul Razak Misreading of the Malay Bible

Tan Sri Prof. Dzulkufli Abdul Razak, Vice Chancellor of University Science Malaysia wrote an article on the use of ‘Allah’ in the Malay Bible, Alkitab (Bahasa Indonesia version) in the SUN on 11 March 2009. LINK It would have been easy just to dismiss this article since its premise is flawed from the word go: … Continue reading “Response to Prof. Dzulkufli Abdul Razak Misreading of the Malay Bible”

Tan Sri Prof. Dzulkufli Abdul Razak, Vice Chancellor of University Science Malaysia wrote an article on the use of ‘Allah’ in the Malay Bible, Alkitab (Bahasa Indonesia version) in the SUN on 11 March 2009. LINK

It would have been easy just to dismiss this article since its premise is flawed from the word go: He compares the Malay translation with the New King James Version when the base text of the Bahasa Indonesia version has never been any English version. Indeed the Alkitab makes it clear that it is based on the Biblia Hebraica text for the Hebrew/Aramaic Old Testament and the Nestle Aland text for the Greek New Testament. Continue reading “Response to Prof. Dzulkufli Abdul Razak Misreading of the Malay Bible”

Kairos Forum: Constitutional Conflict and Ethics in Current Malaysian Politics

CONSTITUTIONAL CONFLICT AND ETHICS IN CURRENT MALAYSIAN POLITICS VENUE: HERITAGE CENTRE (PJEFC) DATE: FRIDAY 20TH MARCH 2009 TIME: 8.30PM – 10.30PM SPEAKERS: PROF. DR. SHAD FARUQI University Teknologi MARA; Author of Document of Destiny: The Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia (2008) (Star Publications) MR. PHILIP T.N. KOH Co-editor of Sheridan & Groves, The Constitution … Continue reading “Kairos Forum: Constitutional Conflict and Ethics in Current Malaysian Politics”

CONSTITUTIONAL CONFLICT AND ETHICS IN CURRENT MALAYSIAN POLITICS

VENUE: HERITAGE CENTRE (PJEFC)
DATE: FRIDAY 20TH MARCH 2009
TIME: 8.30PM – 10.30PM

SPEAKERS:

PROF. DR. SHAD FARUQI University Teknologi MARA; Author of Document of Destiny: The Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia (2008) (Star Publications)

MR. PHILIP T.N. KOH Co-editor of Sheridan & Groves, The Constitution of Malaysia, 5th Ed (2008)( MLJ) and  Co-Counsel in The Tun Mustapha v Tun Adnan Roberts & Dato Pairin Sabah cases in 1985.

DR. NG KAM WENG Research Director, Kairos Research Centre

CHAIRMAN:MR. M. SELVEINDRAN Chairman, Kairos Research Centre Continue reading “Kairos Forum: Constitutional Conflict and Ethics in Current Malaysian Politics”

Israel-Hamas War: Moral Rules and Judgment

Israel-Hamas War: Moral Rules and Judgment Judging from the public furor in response to present conflict in Gaza it is evident that people are concerned that innocent people should not suffer violence in times of international conflict. The Malaysian government has sided with Hamas and forcefully condemned Israel Link: Malaysiakini 12 Jan 2009. The public … Continue reading “Israel-Hamas War: Moral Rules and Judgment”

Israel-Hamas War: Moral Rules and Judgment

Judging from the public furor in response to present conflict in Gaza it is evident that people are concerned that innocent people should not suffer violence in times of international conflict. The Malaysian government has sided with Hamas and forcefully condemned Israel Link: Malaysiakini 12 Jan 2009. The public furor is a natural reaction to the gut wrenching images broadcasted in the media. Indeed, it is right to say that moral outrage is a proper reaction to the images of innocent victims killed by bombs and missiles.

However, TV images are inherently impressionistic and devoid of context. The continuous stream of images of war literally overwhelms both TV and U-tube viewers and forces them to become fixated with the ghastly wounds of the casualties of the immediate shooting that results in an amnesia of the circumstances that decisively led to the present shooting. Continue reading “Israel-Hamas War: Moral Rules and Judgment”

Well, might as well bring my perspective on yoga to a closure found in my other blog Religious Liberty Watch LINK. I refer to the statement published by NECF which contains very briefly some of my comments on yoga. Meditating on Yoga LINK

Well, might as well bring my perspective on yoga to a closure found in my other blog Religious Liberty Watch LINK.

I refer to the statement published by NECF which contains very briefly some of my comments on yoga.

Meditating on Yoga LINK
 Continue reading “”

Non-Muslims have a Right to Comment on Fatwas

You may want to read this new post by Ng Kam Weng in his second blog: Non-Muslims have a Right to Comment on Fatwas Link Non-Muslims Have a Right to Comment on Fatwas

You may want to read this new post by Ng Kam Weng in his second blog:

Non-Muslims have a Right to Comment on Fatwas Link

Non-Muslims Have a Right to Comment on Fatwas