Baha’is affected by ban on 'Allah' word

PETALING JAYA (Jan 14, 2014): Another group affected by the ban on the use of the word "Allah", is the minority religious community in Malaysia known as the Baha'i.
Followers of the faith use the words "Allah-u-Abbha", which means "God the most glorious" when they meet each other.
A spokesman for the Baha'i community of Malaysia, said the matter regarding the ban would be deliberated upon by members before they make any statements.
The Baha'í faith also believes in one God and emphases the spiritual unity of all humankind.
Three core principles establish a basis for Baha'i teachings and doctrine: the unity of God, that there is only one God who is the source of all creation; the unity of religion, that all major religions have the same spiritual source and come from the same God; and the unity of humanity, that all humans have been created equal, and that diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance.
The Baha'i faith was founded by Baha'u'llah in 19th-century Persia.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Sikh community here said Sikhs will continue to use the word regardless of the ban on its use.
Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya (GSPJ) vice-president Awtar Singh said, the word has been used by Sikhs since the founding of the faith hundreds of years ago.
"It has been part of our religion and now if you want to take that away, the right to practise our religion would also be taken away," Awtar told theSun today.
He said the Sikh holy book – the Guru Granth Sahib – is a compilation of Sikh teachings by the first five Gurus of Sikhism.
"We refer to the Guru Granth Sahib for our way of life and it is a very important book as it is the compilation of all Sikh teachings; the Guru Granth Sahib is everything to Sikhs," Awtar said.
Puchong Member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo concurred adding that the community will continue to use the word.
"As far as we are concerned, we will continue using the word as it is part and parcel of the book (Guru Granth Sahib)," he said.