MySinchew(http://www.mysinchew.com)
‘Allah’ suit continues next Monday , 17 July 2009
by Debra Hong, themalaysianinsider
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here fixed Monday afternoon to continue hearing the Catholic Church's suit to use the word "Allah" in their publications after the case against the federal government went into overtime Friday.
The reason – the court, like many public institutions, operates from 9 a.m to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, and time had run out. Judge Lau Bee Lan spent close to three hours in her chambers hearing lawyers representing 10 religious groups on why they should be allowed to enter the battle between the church and the state over the right to use the word “Allah” in a non-Muslim context.
The closed door hearing started at 3 p.m., just after compulsory Friday prayers in the mosque for Muslims, and continued until almost 6 p.m.
A total of seven state Islamic councils, which advise the sultans on religious matters are applying to intervene in the case, claiming the legal outcome may have serious consequences on the Muslim community in Malaysia.
They are joined by the Chinese Muslim Association and the Malaysian Gurdwara Council, representing the Sikh community who insist they must be included as they too use the word “Allah” in their worship.
While the Muslim and Sikh bodies managed to put forward their arguments to the judge, it was a little late to hear the submissions from lawyers acting for the church and the home minister.
On Monday, it will be the church's turn and the federal counsel on behalf of the government to make their arguments.
The Catholic Church, which publishes The Herald, a weekly newspaper available in Bahasa Melayu, English, Mandarin and Tamil, is challenging the Home Minister's right to ban it from printing the word “Allah” in a non-Muslim context.
In its application filed in February this year, the church claims the government has abused its authority and denied Catholics their constitutional right to freely practice their religion in Malaysia.
Reverend Father Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald, explained the word “Allah” is used to cater to the large population of Malay-speaking ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak, many who are Christian.
But the government insists that the Malaysian Muslim fraternity will be confused if non-Muslims are allowed to also use the word to refer to their God.
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