Why would the chair of the Islamic Dawah Foundation be upset about this? After all, Qur’an 29:46 says:
“And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender.”
However, that talking point is meant to be part of a one-way conversation — for dawah, or Islamic proselytizing. “Our Allah and your Allah” may be claimed to be the same “Allah,” but the message is ultimately: You’re worshiping our deity, but we’re doing it right, and you’re not. For that matter, the mention of that which has been “revealed unto us and unto you” is not a warm, fuzzy interfaith endorsement of the truth of non-Islamic scriptures, but an implication that the non-Muslims’ scriptures have been corrupted.
Obviously, then, under Islamic law, a Christian would be forbidden from preaching to Muslims in this way.
An update on this story. “Withdraw Permission To Use ‘Allah’ In Christian Publications,” from Bernama, February 28 (thanks to Twostellas):
KEPALA BATAS, Feb 28 (Bernama) — The Malaysian Islamic Da’wah Foundation (Yadim) today called on the government to withdraw the permission for the conditional use of the word “Allah” in Christian publications.
Its chairman Datuk Mohd Nakhaie Ahmad said the government had not acted wisely in allowing the use of the word in Christian publications, which he said could anger Muslims not only in the country but also throughout the world.
He said the government should have left the matter for the court to decide.
“To me, it’s a mistake,” he told reporters after opening a halal carnival here Saturday.
A government gazette dated Feb 16 has stated that documents and publications relating to Christianity containing the world “Allah” are prohibited unless the words “FOR CHRISTIANITY” are written on their front covers.
The condition was contained under the Internal Security (Prohibition on Use of Specific Words on Document and Publication) Order 2009.
Paragraph 2(1) of the order reads: The printing, publication, sale, issue, circulation and possession of any document and publication relating to Christianity containing the words “Allah”, “Kaabah, “Baitullah” and “solat” are prohibited unless on the front cover of the document and publication are written with the words “FOR CHRISTIANITY”.