１．“Asia News. it”（http://www.asianews.it）
(1) 28 December 2007
Catholic weekly denounces government for banning Christians from using the world “Allah”
The Minister for Security blocks the Malay language editions and buries publication permission for the only Catholic newspaper. It also stops the importation of Protestant books which use the word “Allah”. Its use outside Islam is considered a “very sensitive” issue.
Petaling Jaya (AsiaNews) – The Catholic weekly, the “Herald”, has denounced the Kuala Lumpur government because for some weeks now it has banned the use of the word “Allah” in its publications. According to the government the word can only be used by Muslims. But “for security Seasons”, the Herald must cancel the word “Allah” or risk closure. The government ordinance has led to police requisitioning many imported Christian books.
In a declaration published in yesterdays edition, Herald editor, Jesuit father Lawrence Andrew, explains that he received the directive from the Ministry for Security prohibiting the use of the word “Allah” in the paper. If they do not comply, the government is threatening to suspend or indeed revoke its permission to print.The Ministry for Security has absolute power over the media and the Herald's publishing permit expires on December 31 and has not yet been renewed. In order to avoid the closure of the only Catholic newspaper in the country Fr. Andrew has been forced to accept the imposition, but has denounce the government for depriving him of a right. “We all have the right to use the word ‘Allah”, he affirms in his declaration.
According to scholars and academics, “Allah” has been used for centuries by Arab Christians across the Middle East and that Islam began using this word having received it from Christians. Since the early 19th century this word has also been used by Christians in Malaysia.
But according to Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum, the word “Allah” can only be used in the context of Islam, to avoid confusion. In an interview with Malaysiakini (21 December 2007) he stated: “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from the Arabic language. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right”.
Herald has a circulation of 12,000 and a readership of 50,000. Other than the English segment, it also has sections in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil to cater to the multi-racial and multi-lingual make-up of the more than 850,000 Malaysian Catholics. In a Dec 10 letter, Herald was also informed by the ministry to stop its Bahasa Malaysia segment but no reason was given for the directive.However, Fr. Andrew said, the suit was not related to the directive, forbidding the use of the word ‘Allah’.
But many observers note that the government – perhaps under pressure from fundamentalist groups – has also banned the importation of other Malay publications which may contain the word “Allah”. The Evangelical Church of Borneo (Sidang Injil Borneo), for example, received a Ministry for Security injunction on importing Christian books which contain the word “Allah”. According to the faithful of this Church, this denies one of their constitutional rights and they have appealed to the Supreme Court. The Court was set to open hearings on the case, but has put the session off until January 16th next.
The Evangelical Church of Borneo affirms that the Malaysian Constitution guarantees full religious freedom to all confessions. An ordinance published by the Ministry for Internal Security in 1986, forbids the use of the word “Allah” for non Muslims – never really put into effect – they judge as “unconstitutional”.
(2) 30 December 2007
Catholic weekly allowed to publish using the word ‘Allah’
Ministry of Internal Security backs away from trying to reserve the word ‘Allah’ for Muslims only. Paper’s editor, Fr Lawrence Andrew, is grateful.
Petaling Jaya (AsiaNews) – The Catholic Weekly Herald can continue publication in 2008 using the term ‘Allah’ when referring to ‘God.’ Malaysia’s Ministry of Internal Security has decided to reverse its early position and is allowing the Herald to continue unhindered, including its Bahasa Malaysia segment, which was supposed to be eliminated.
Fr Lawrence Andrew, the Herald’s editor, told AsiaNews that Sunday morning, 30 December, at 10 am, he received a letter dated 28 December from the Ministry of Internal Security renewing the paper’s permit for 2008.“This letter places no restrictions whatsoever and includes the permit for all the languages, including the Bahasa Malaysia Segment,” he said.
On 10 December the same ministry, which is responsible for issuing media permits, had banned the Herald’'s Bahasa Malaysia (Malay language) segment, warning the paper against using ‘Allah’ to refer to the Christian God, claiming that its use was reserved only for Muslims.
Father Andrew was forced to submit but did so under duress, slamming the government for denying his publication a right guaranteed under the constitution.
Some Protestant Churches had also been forced to submit to the same directive.
The Ministry’s position was anti-historical. According to a great many scholars and academics the term ‘Allah’ has been used by Arab Christians in the Middle East long before the birth of Islam and that the latter received the word from Christians. Christians in Malaysia began using in the 19th century.
The Herald prints about 12,000 copies and has readership of about 50,000 people. It is the only means of communication for Malaysia’s 850,000 Catholics (out of a population of 23 million). In addition to an English-Language segment, it also publishes in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil.
Father Andrew thanked the government “for this gesture of goodwill” and “various news agencies and other media groups for supporting us with their wide coverage.”
In particular, the Herald’'s editor expressed his special gratitude to Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, a Christian in service at the Prime Minister’s Office, “for his assistance” and defence of the Catholic Weekly.
(3) 5 January 2008
Islamic Minister countermands order: Catholic weekly cannot use “Allah”
One week on from permission to publish “without restrictions”, fresh obstacles arrive. Tensions underline multi-ethnic coexistence. The issue undermines Badawi’s moderate policies.
Petaling Jaya (AsiaNews) –Malaysia’s Catholic weekly, the Herald, cannot use the word “Allah” to refer to the Christian God. The Minister for Islamic affairs reiterated, countermanding indications received by the journal less then a week ago.
Abdullah Mohd Zin, the Minister in charge of Islamic affairs, said that “"Allah" can only be used by Muslims. The use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims may arouse sensitivity and create confusion among Muslims in the country”.His statement came a week after the government renewed the publishing permit of The Herald, “without restrictions”, for its English and Malay editions. Editor, Fr. Lawrence Andrew, told AsiaNews that the lack of restrictions presupposed permission to use the word “Allah”.
Experts note that, “Allah” has been used for centuries by Arab Christians well before Islam, and that in Malay ‘Allah’ is the common word to indicate ‘God’.
In 2002, the Herald was also asked to stop using the word "Allah" but after an appeal to the then Cabinet of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, it was allowed to continue doing so.
P. Andrew points out that the possibility of “confusing Muslims” is unfounded: “The publication is only for internal circulation. We have no Muslim subscribers”.
The tug of war over the use of the word ‘Allah’ is only the latest chapter in the difficulties which the country is currently experiencing, with a secular constitution and a strong Islamic community which tends towards fundamentalism.
The Catholic Church has taken its fight to the Supreme Court. The Evangelical Church of Borneo (Sidang Injil Borneo), has also petitioned the court. It has received an injunction on importing Christian books which contain the word “Allah”.
The case now risks heightening tensions among the different ethnic and religious communities in Malaysia. Yesterday a Sikh leader, told Singapore’s Strait Times his people also use the word "Allah" in their prayers.Political scientist Farish Noor wrote in an article on his website that this fiasco over a "non-issue" suggests that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's vision of a moderate Islam is floundering.
Out of 27 million inhabitants, Muslim Malays count for 60% and dominate the political scene; 25% are of Chinese origin, and highly influential in the economy, while only 10% is represented by Indians. Buddhist count for 19.2%, Christians 9.1% and Hindu 6.3%. Catholics amount to less than one million.
２．“World Wide Religious News”（http://www.wwrn.org/）
(1) 28 December 2007
Malaysian church, weekly newspaper sue government for banning use of word 'Allah'"
by Eileen NG
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - A Malaysian church and a Christian weekly newspaper are suing the government for banning them from using the word "Allah," alleging that the prohibition is unconstitutional and against freedom of religion.
The move follows the government's declaration that "Allah" _ which means God in the Malay language _ refers to the Muslim God and can only be used by Muslims.
These are the first legal challenges against the mainly Muslim government's decision, and they come amid minority groups' increasing concerns that their rights are being trampled upon.
The Herald, the newspaper of Malaysia's Catholic Church, filed suit in early December after it was warned repeatedly that its permit may be revoked if it refuses to drop the use of "Allah" in its Malay-language section, editor Rev. Lawrence Andrew said Friday.
"We are of the view that we have the right to use the word 'Allah,'" he said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The Sabah Evangelical Church of Borneo also took legal action this month after authorities banned the import of Christian books containing the word "Allah," the church's lawyer, Lim Heng Seng, said.
"The decision to declare 'Allah' as only for Muslims, categorizing this as a security issue, and banning books with the word 'Allah,' is unlawful," Lim told the AP.
Both organizations named the internal security minister, a post held by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as a co-defendant.
Ministry officials couldn't be reached immediately for comment.
Religious issues are extremely sensitive in Malaysia, where about 60 percent of the 27 million people are Malay Muslims. Ethnic Chinese, who are Christians and Buddhists, account for 25 percent of the population, while mostly Hindu Indians are 10 percent.
Minorities often complain they don't have full freedom of religion even though the Constitution guarantees everybody the right to worship.
In affidavit made available to the AP, the Sabah church pastor, Jerry Dusing, said customs officials confiscated three boxes of children's education material from a church member who was transiting at the Kuala Lumpur airport in August.
Dusing said he was told the publications were banned because they contained the word "Allah," which the government feels could raise confusion and controversy among Muslims. The government classified the matter as a security issue, he said.
Dusing said Christians in Sabah on Borneo island have used the word "Allah" for generations when they worship in the Malay language, and the word appears in their Malay Bible.
"The Christian usage of 'Allah' predates Islam. 'Allah' is the name of God in the old Arabic Bible as well as in the modern Arabic Bible," he said, adding that "Allah" was widely used by Christians in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Indonesia and other parts of the world without problem.
The Herald officials told the AP that the government informed them in a letter last week that their Malay-language section would be banned from January when its annual permit is renewed.
The Herald has a circulation of 12,000 copies and publishes reports in four languages _ English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.
(2) 4 January 2008
"Malaysia Maintains Limited 'Allah' Ban"
by Sean Yoong
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - The Malaysian government has reiterated that non-Muslims cannot use the word "Allah," sparking concern Friday among Christians who use it to refer to God in their Malay-language Bible and other publications.
Abdullah Zin, the de facto minister for Islamic affairs, told reporters Thursday that the Cabinet is of the view that "Allah" refers to the Muslim God and can only be used by Muslims, who comprise about 60 percent of Malaysia's population.
"The use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims may arouse sensitivity and create confusion among Muslims in the country," Abdullah said.
His statement is the latest twist in a long-drawn controversy involving The Herald, a weekly organ of Malaysia's Catholic Church. It was told by the Internal Security Ministry last month that its Malay-language section would be banned unless it stops using "Allah" as a synonym for God.
But the paper was surprised when the ministry made an apparent about-turn last weekend by renewing its annual permit — a government requirement for all publications in Malaysia — without imposing any conditions. The paper assumed it was a tacit approval for the use of "Allah."
Abdullah's comments Thursday, however, threw the issue into fresh confusion, and will likely renew complaints by ethnic minorities that their rights are increasingly undermined because of government efforts to bolster the status of Islam, Malaysia's official religion.
The Herald's editor, Rev. Lawrence Andrew, said its latest issue on Wednesday still uses "Allah," but he could not say whether upcoming editions would omit the word.
"We will have to discuss how to go about this with our lawyers and publishers," Andrew told The Associated Press.
Andrew reiterated the paper's stance that Malay-speaking Christians have long used the word, which has roots in Arabic and predates Islam.
"The newspaper does use Allah in quotes from the (Malay-language) Bible. Nobody can tell us that we cannot quote from the Bible. That would be a gross violation of our rights," he said.
He declined to comment further, noting the paper has initiated court action to get a legal endorsement for what it says is its Constitutional right to use "Allah."
The Herald, which has a circulation of 12,000 copies, publishes reports in four languages — English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil — for the country's 900,000 Catholics.
A church in Sabah state in eastern Malaysia has separately also sued the government for preventing it from using the word "Allah" in its Malay-language literature. The church says the ban violates the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.
Religious issues are extremely sensitive in Malaysia, which prides itself on multiracial harmony. Ethnic Chinese, who are Christians and Buddhists, account for a quarter of the population, while mostly Hindu Indians are less than 10 percent.
Disclaimer: WWRN does not endorse or adhere to views or opinions expressed in the articles posted. This is purely an information site, to inform interested parties of religious trends.
３．Christian Today, UK （http://www.christiantoday.com）
(1) 28 December 2007
Malaysia Christians challenge ban on word 'Allah'
by Daniel Blake
A church in Malaysia and a Christian weekly newspaper are attempting to sue the Malaysian government for banning them from using the word “Allah”. They claim that the ban is unconstitutional and violates freedom of religion.
“Allah” is the word for God in the Malay language. However, the government recently declared that the word referred to the Muslim God and could only be used by Muslims.
The government of Malaysia is mainly Muslim and its latest decision adds to concerns that the rights of minorities in the country are not being protected.
The newspaper of the Catholic Church in Malaysia, The Herald, filed suit at the beginning of December following warnings that its permit could be revoked if it did not cease use of the word “Allah” in the Malay language section of its newspaper.
The paper has a circulation of around 12,000 and writes in four languages.
The editor of the paper, Rev Lawrence Andrew said, "We are of the view that we have the right to use the word 'Allah'," he told AP.
The Sabah Evangelical Church of Borneo has also initiated legal proceedings after it was banned from importing Christian books with the word “Allah” in it.
Lim Heng Seng, the lawyer for the church told AP, "The decision to declare 'Allah' as only for Muslims, categorizing this as a security issue, and banning books with the word 'Allah,' is unlawful.”
The Herald and the Sabah Evangelical Church have both named Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister as a co-defendant. Badawi has been named because he also holds the post of internal security minister.
Malaysia, a country of 27 million is around 60 per cent Muslim, 25 per cent Christian and Buddhist and 10 per cent Hindu. Although the constitution of the country officially allows freedom of worship, in practice minority rights are often infringed.
According to AP, in August a church member from Sabah Evangelical Church had three boxes of children’s education material confiscated at Kuala Lumpur airport.
Jerry Dusing, the pastor of the church, said he was told that the items were confiscated because they used the word “Allah” and could cause confusion and controversy amongst Muslims. This, they claimed made it a security issue.
Dusing said that the word “Allah” had been used for generations by Malay speakers at Sabah and noted that it is used in the Malay Bible.
He said, "The Christian usage of 'Allah' predates Islam. 'Allah' is the name of God in the old Arabic Bible as well as in the modern Arabic Bible," reports AP.
Dusing also noted that the word “Allah” is commonly used by Christians in countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Indonesia.
According to AP, The Herald newspaper has been told that the Malay-language section of its newspaper will be banned in January when its annual permit is renewed.
(2) 1 January 2008
Malaysian Government goes back on 'Allah' ban
by Daniel Blake
The Malaysian Government has gone back on its decision to ban a Catholic newspaper from using the word “Allah”.
The decision comes after The Herald newspaper and an evangelical church in Borneo presented seperate legal challenges against Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The Herald, a weekly Catholic newspaper, publishes some of its material in the local Malay language. In Malay, the word for God is “Allah”. However, the Government of Malaysia recently declared that the word “Allah” referred to the Muslim God only and as such could only be used by Muslims.
The Herald was warned that if it did not stop using the word “Allah” in its Malay section then its permit could be revoked.
However, this weekend the government has renewed the paper’s 2008 permit without demanding a ban on the word “Allah”.
The editor of the paper, Rev Lawrence Andrew told AP, "There are no conditions, there was no mention of the Allah ban."
The government has also been challenged by the Sabah Evangelical Church of Borneo after some its members had children’s educational material confiscated for containing the word “Allah”. So far there are no reports of their legal challenge being resolved.
４．Dhimmi Watch （http://www.jihadwatch.org）
by Marisol
Malaysia reverses decision, will not stop Catholic weekly from using "Allah", 1 January 2008
But "it has emerged that a church in the eastern state of Sabah is also suing Malaysian authorities for barring the import of Christian literature from Indonesia containing the word 'Allah'."
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." This is a one-way discussion, however -- the Muslim is not arguing with, but rather instructing the Jew or Christian, and more importantly, proselytizing. And that is prohibited for non-Muslims under Islamic law. Then, the notion of worshiping the same deity can be used to promote Islam to a non-Muslim, but not the other way around.
An update on this story. "Malaysia reversal on 'Allah' ruling," from Al Jazeera:
The Malaysian government has reversed a decision to ban the Malay-language section of a Catholic newspaper amid a row over the use of the word "Allah" as a synonym for God.
In a surprise about-turn, officials approved the publication permit for The Herald which reports on Catholic community news in English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese.
The internal security ministry gave no reasons for the earlier ban but the unusual delay in getting the permit renewed had followed a warning over the publication's use of the word "Allah", which officials had said could only be used to refer to the Muslim God.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Reverend Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald, said he was happy the government had renewed the weekly's 2008 permit without any conditions.
"The renewal process usually takes two to three months but I don’t know what caused the delay this time," he said.
"The government did not give any explanation in its letter."
Print publications in Malaysia require a government permit which is renewed every year.
Warnings
The government has previously warned The Herald, which has a circulation of 12,000 among Catholics, that its permit could be revoked if it continued to use the word "Allah" for God in its Malay-language section.
"Allah" is Arabic for God and means the same in Malay, Malaysia's national language.
Christians in Malaysia have argued that the word "Allah" was used by Christians before Islam.
Andrew said he did not know the reason for the initial ban, which the Herald had appealed.
"It could have been due to any of the articles we have published, and not necessarily the use of the word Allah," he added.
Andrew said people cannot be denied the use of their language, adding that the community is grateful the ban was not imposed.
"It was certainly a good thing for the country as a whole that we can accept one another. We need to be moderate and have tolerance," he added.
Early this month The Herald filed a suit seeking a declaration on the use of the word "Allah" as a constitutional right.
Meanwhile, in a separate development it has emerged that a church in the eastern state of Sabah is also suing Malaysian authorities for barring the import of Christian literature from Indonesia containing the word "Allah".
Sabah Sidang Injil Borneo Church filed the case in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month after six titles for their Sunday school education for children were banned.
Letters from the internal security ministry said the books contained various words that were exclusive to Islam, including "Allah" (God), "Baitullah" (House of God), "Solat" (prayer) and "Kaabah" (The Sacred House).
In multi-racial Malaysia, the government considers religion a sensitive matter and often classify related matters as a security issue.
Not unlike Iran's classification of "moral" offenses as a matter of security in society: What is really at issue is securing the rule of Sharia law.
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