Catholic Paper that Used Allah Can Print
Catholic Paper that Used Allah Can Print
ICC Note:
In a quick overturn on the ban on a Catholic paper, Malaysia had decided to allow the paper to continue publishing – so long as it does not use the word “Allah” as a translation for “God.”
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1/8/09 Malaysia (AP) Malaysia will allow the Malay edition of a Catholic newspaper to resume publication, lifting a ban imposed for its use of the word “Allah,” an official said Thursday — a move likely aimed at assuaging the anger of minorities in this Muslim-majority country.
The Herald, the country’s main Roman Catholic newspaper, will not be allowed to use “Allah” as a translation for “God,” however, said Che Din Yusoh, a senior official with the ministry’s publications control unit.
“If they stop printing the word ‘Allah,’ they can publish anytime,” Che Din told The Associated Press.
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The Home Ministry had ordered the Herald last week to stop printing its Malay edition for violating a 2007 ban on the use of the word “Allah,” except to refer to the Muslim God. The government says using the word could confuse Muslims, even though the newspaper is read almost exclusively by Christians.
The majority Malays, who form 60 percent of the country’s 27 million people, are all Muslims, and speak and read the Malay language. Islam is the country’s official religion.
Malay is also spoken by many indigenous Christian tribes in Sabah and Sarawak states, who read the Herald’s Malay edition. The newspaper has continued to publish its English, Mandarin and Tamil editions.
The Herald has challenged the ban on “Allah” in court, saying that the translation has been used for centuries and that the Arabic word is a common reference to God that predates Islam. It says the ban is unconstitutional and threatens the religious freedom of the minorities.