Praying for Malaysia …

With the crisis in Haiti, it’s hard to remember that significant things are happening on the other side of the world. In Malaysia, there has been a significant challenge to religious tolerance and mutual respect, centering on the use of the name “Allah.” Many Western Christians do not realize that in many places, “Allah” is the word for God traditionally used by Christians as well as Muslims, just as words like Dieu, Dios, Gott, Imani, and God are used elsewhere. (If you’d like to learn more about this, I highly recommend Lamin Sanneh’s work, such as Translating the Message.)
My wise friend Sivin Kit has been an important voice for peace in the midst of the tension. You can read an interview with him here …
I hope and pray that political and religious leaders around the world will urge the political and religious leaders of Malaysia to resolve this issue in the direction of human rights, mutual respect, religious freedom, and peace.