“Allah” protest, a violation of human rights

Though the freedom of peaceful assembly is a human right of every Malaysian citizen, but the protest towards court ruling that allowed Christians in Malaysia to use “Allah” to refer their God, is a violation of human rights.

The Umno-led opposition to the use of “Allah” by non-Muslim denies the fundamental right of non-Muslim to the freedom of expression. This acts against human rights where no one can take away the other’s human rights as enshrined in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Besides, the statement of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz on the judgment of High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan that Lau was wrong in making the ruling that the Catholic weekly Herald could use the word “Allah” in its publication, is a contempt of court, a criminal offence where offender can be sentenced to prison.