‘The word “Allah” can’t be used by non-Muslims’

Kuala Lumpur: A Malaysian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by the country’s Roman Catholic Church to use the word ‘Allah’ even temporarily in its newsletter.

Upholding the federal government ban, the High court ruled that even a temporary suspension on it would contravene laws of some states that had banned its usage by non-Muslims.

The court rejected an appeal by the Herald publication to have the ban on the use of the word Allah suspended for a few months while the courts decided on its legality, its lawyer Porres Royan said.

The 2007 order by the government bans non-Muslims from translating the word God as “Allah” in their literature.

Christians have said that the word had been used for a long time. The ban is against the Malay-language edition of the Herald.

Its English and Mandarin editions do not use the word Allah.

The federal government does not allow non-Muslims in Malaysia from translating God as “Allah” in their literature, saying it would confuse Muslims in this multi-ethnic, Muslim-majority country.

Christian groups say the ban is unconstitutional, arguing that the word “Allah” predates Islam.

Source: BharatChronicle.com