Malaysian court rules Christians cannot use 'Allah' to refer to God

October 14, 2013

An appeals court in Malaysia has ruled that Christians cannot use the word “Allah.”

Reversing a lower court’s ruling from 2009, the Court of Appeals said that the word “Allah” can only be used by Muslims, although Christians in the Asian country have traditionally used the word to refer to God.

“The usage of the word ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity,” the Court of Appeals ruled, in arguing that a ban on use of the word by non-Muslims would not violate the religious freedom of the Christian minority.

Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of the Malaysia Herald, told AsiaNews that the Catholic newspaper would appeal appeals court’s decision to the country’s federal court. The controversy over the use of “Allah” had begun when government authorities threatened to strip the Herald of its license to publish because the paper used that term. The Herald won an earlier court decision to continue publishing, but angry Muslims protested that decision and have continued pressing the government to enforce a ban on the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims.

 

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Further information:

• Malaysia , Christians banned from using "Allah ". Catholics announce appeal (AsiaNews)
• Malaysia: court setback for Christians on use of “Allah” (CWN, 8/22)