1. Asiaone (http://news.asiaone.com)
Catholic paper faces new challenge from M'sian authorities , 12 August 2008
It's rapped for reporting on political issues including terrorism. -AFP
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12, 2008 (AFP) - A Catholic newspaper in Malaysia battling a government ban on its use of the word "Allah" has been rapped for reporting on political issues including terrorism, its editor said Tuesday.
The Herald newspaper, circulated among the country's 850,000 Catholics, nearly lost its publishing licence for using the word "Allah" as a translation for "God," with authorities saying it should only be used by Muslims.
The weekly was warned not to print "Allah" in the future, but instead it mounted an ongoing legal challenge to revoke the ban on the word, which is also used in the Malay-language Bible.
Now the publication is facing another attack by the Muslim-dominated government, with a demand from the home ministry that it explain its coverage of issues considered "non-religious," in breach of its publishing licence.
Its editor Father Lawrence Andrew said the newspaper had not violated its licence, maintaining that religious affairs were not just confined to church rituals but also involve aspects of society.
"They are saying that we are getting into politics, but when there's so much corruption we have to speak the truth, we have to speak about ethics, this is part of religion," he told AFP.
Andrew said two articles that offended the authorities dealt with the conversion to Catholicism of an Egyptian-born Muslim, and another about "jihad" or holy war, written by an American priest.
"They felt it was running down Islam," he said. "Of course, when you talk about 9/11 they take it as going against Islam."
Religion and language are sensitive issues in multiracial Malaysia, which experienced deadly race riots in 1969.
About 60 percent of the nation's 27 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims, who dominate the government. The rest of the population are mostly ethnic Chinese and Indians -- practising Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism.
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2. MySinchew 11 August 2008
by Julia Zappei（AP)
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Muslim-majority Malaysia's government has accused a Christian newspaper of breaking publication rules by running articles deemed political and insulting to Islam, and warned it of stern action, officials said Monday (11 Aug).
The reprimand underscores the tenuous position of minority religions in multiethnic Malaysia amid a growing number of interfaith disputes. Christians, Buddhists and Hindus complain that their rights are being undermined by government efforts to bolster the status of Islam, the country's official religion.
The Home Ministry sent a letter to the Herald's publishers warning that its editions in June had "committed offenses" by highlighting Malaysian politics and current affairs instead of Christian issues for which it has been given a license.
All publications and other media outlets in Malaysia are required to possess government licenses that must be renewed every year.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, accused the Herald of carrying an article that "could threaten public peace and national security" because it allegedly "denigrated Islamic teachings."
The Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Herald, the Roman Catholic Church's main publication in Malaysia, denied the newspaper had overstepped its boundaries.
"We comment on issues. The Pope comments on issues. It's normal for us to have an ethical interpretation" of current events and politics, Andrew said. "I don't think we were in any way going against the type of content we have chosen."
He also denied that an article titled "America and Jihad _ Where do they stand?" had mocked Islam, saying it was an analysis of circumstances following the 11 Sept 2001, attacks in the United States.
The ministry's letter warned it "would not hesitate to take sterner action" if the Herald repeats its alleged offenses. It did not provide details, but a ministry official said the Herald must satisfactorily explain why it ran the articles and pledge to stick by the rules.
If the newspaper refuses, the ministry will likely suspend its publication, the official said on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to make public statements.
A representative of another Malaysian publication, the Catholic Asian News, said it also recently received a warning letter about raising political issues, but declined to elaborate.
It is the second time in a year that the Herald has faced trouble with authorities. The publication is currently embroiled in a court dispute with the government over a ban on the use of the word "Allah" as a Malay-language translation for "God."
The government has said the use of the word could confuse Muslims, while the Herald insists "Allah" has been used for centuries to mean "God" in Malay.
Dissatisfaction with court rulings over the right to leave Islam, along with religious spats such as the demolition of Hindu temples by state authorities, contributed to the government's poor performance in March elections.
・Associated Press writer Sean Yoong contributed to this report.
3. ?
'Herald' suit: January hearing for 8 councils , 6 August 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court set Jan 7 to hear applications by eight Islamic religious councils to intervene in a court case involving the use of the word "Allah" by the Catholic weekly, Herald.
Judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Musa set the date for the civil suit to be heard in chambers.
The eight parties -- the Penang, Terengganu, and Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Councils; and the Federal Territory, Selangor, Johor, Kedah and Malacca Islamic Councils -- are applying to be named as respondents in the case.
At present, the internal security minister (whose ministry is now merged with the Home Affairs Ministry to form the Home Ministry) and the government are named as respondents.
The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam, also acting as the publisher of Herald, is the plaintiff. The application was filed on Dec 22 last year.
In his statement of claim, Pakiam seeks declaratory relief that the Herald is entitled to use the word "Allah" and that the word is not exclusive to Islam. He also seeks a declaration that the minister's directive to cease using of the word "Allah" in the Herald is illegal and null and void.
If the application to intervene is granted, the Islamic councils will be included as respondents in the case.
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