1. Compass Direct News (http://compassdirect.org)
MALAYSIA: GOVERNMENT BANS MALAY SECTION OF CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER, 5 January 2009
Restriction in place pending outcome of court case over use of word ‘Allah.’
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, January 5 (Compass Direct News) – Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered the Catholic weekly Herald to cease publishing its Malay-language section pending the outcome of a court case over the newspaper’s right to use the Arabic word “Allah” for God.
The government also included two other conditions: The newspaper can be sold only in churches, and it must be printed clearly on the cover that it is meant for Christians only.
The three conditions were included in the renewal notice of the weekly’s annual printing license issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (Dec. 30). A hearing in the court case is scheduled for Feb. 27.
The publisher of the Herald has rejected the conditions imposed on the newspaper and on Friday (Jan. 2) submitted a letter of appeal to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Father Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Herald, told Compass that the letter did not specify consequences if the newspaper does not comply with the conditions. Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs told the New Straits Times on Thursday (Jan. 1) that they will be monitoring the Herald’s actions closely.
Fr. Andrew told Compass he hopes to receive a revocation of the restriction from the ministry in the next two days, before the first edition of the weekly for 2009 goes to print. Otherwise, the weekly will have to be scaled down to 24 pages, down by a quarter of its usual size.
Murphy Pakiam, Roman Catholic archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, told the New Straits Times on Saturday (Jan. 3) that he was “perplexed” by the ban on the Malay-language section of the newspaper and could not see how the restriction was related to the court case.
“Even if the courts dismiss our application for judicial review, that has no bearing on the publication in [the Malay language],” he said.
Fr. Andrew reportedly said the ban was “unacceptable” and urged the government to “let the court decide” and not “jump the gun.” In a report by The Associated Press(AP) on Saturday (Jan. 2), he described the prohibition as amounting to persecution.
“It curtails our freedom of expression and diminishes our rights as citizens,” he told AP.
Earlier, Agence France-Presse reported Fr. Andrew as saying, “The constitution says Malay is the national language, so why can’t we use the national language in Malaysia?”
Archbishop Pakiam told news website Malaysiakini.com on Friday (Jan. 2) that the publisher will consider legal action if it receives no response from the ministry within seven days or if the restriction is not retracted.
The Herald is a multilingual newspaper published by the Catholic Church of Malaysia. It typically publishes in four languages – English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil – with the Malay-language section catering primarily to its East Malaysian indigenous members, who make up significantly more than half its readers.
The weekly has a circulation of 13,000 and an estimated readership of 50,000. The newspaper is sold in Catholic churches and is not available from newsstands.
In 2007 the government issued a series of warnings to the Herald to discourage the publisher from using the word “Allah” in referring to God in the Malay-language section of its multilingual newspaper. The government feared use of the word might cause confusion among the country’s majority-Muslim population.
The publisher, however, maintained that it had a right to use the word and took the government to court over the issue. This latest prohibition was issued ahead of the court hearing scheduled in February.
Malaysia’s population is about 60 percent Muslim, 19 percent Buddhist and 9 percent Christian. About 6 percent are Hindu, with 2.6 percent of the population adhering to Confucianism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions.
2. World Net Daily（http://www.worldnetdaily.com）
Christians ordered to stop publishing news Government says use of 'Allah' restricted to Muslims, 5 January 2009
Tensions are escalating in Malaysia where government officials have ordered a Catholic newspaper to stop publishing its Malay language edition in an argument over use of the word "Allah," and the newspaper is threatening legal action against the government.
According to the Malaysiakini.com news website, officials ordered the Catholic Herald to halt publication of its Malay language edition. The newspaper responded with the suggestion that there may be legal action against the government.
Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew told the website Intellasia the ban on the Malay language edition was just one of the conditions imposed by the nation's Muslim government when the newspaper renewed its license to publish for this year.
Authorities have contended that the word "Allah" can be used only by Muslims, but the Herald is circulated among the nation's 850,000 Catholics.
"The Constitution says Malay is the national language, so why can't we use the national language in Malaysia?" Andrew asked the site, confirming he plans to take action over the orders.
According to a report from Compass Direct News, the order came from the nation's Ministry of Home Affairs, which also set conditions that the newspaper can be sold only in churches. The government also required the paper to publish notice that it is intended for Christians only.
The newspaper already has appealed the order to the Ministry of Home affairs, and a hearing is scheduled next month.
Andrew called the limits "unacceptable."
Murphy Pakiam, the Catholic archbishop in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, told the New Straits Times the ban didn't make sense.
"Even if the courts dismiss our application for judicial review, that has no bearing on the publication (in the Malay language)," he said.
The publication, a multilingual product put out by the Catholic Church, typically appears in English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. It has a circulation estimated at 13,000-14,000 and is read by about 50,000, officials said.
The dispute arose in 2007 when government officials warned the newspaper to not use "Allah," explaining that if Christians used the word it could cause confusion among Muslims.
The newspaper, however, said the nation's laws and constitution provide it a right to use the designation.
The Catholic News Agency said publishers in Malaysia must get annual permits from the government in order to operate.
Although Malaysia ostensibly grants freedom of religion, there has been a long list of controversies related to the issue.
A number of Christian converts from Islam have been denied permission to change the religious designation on their government identity cards, and the government limited the release of the movie "The Passion of the Christ."
WND earlier reported when Malaysia Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum said in an interview, "We cannot let other religions use it [Allah] because it will confuse people."
The official said "only Muslims can use the word 'Allah.'"
Andrew has explained the word was not used to offend anyone. He said the Malay-language Bible uses the word "Allah" for God, and uses "Tuham"(sic) for Lord.
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
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