Malaysia’s top court to hear challenge of ban on ‘Allah’
March 04, 2014
Malaysia’s supreme court will hear arguments this week in a challenge brought by Catholic Church leaders against a ban on the use of the word “Allah” in the country’s Catholic newspaper.
Last October an appeals court rejected a plea by the Catholic newspaper, the Malaysia Herald, to allow continued use of the word “Allah,” which has been used for generations by Malay-speakers to refer to the Christian God. The ban stems from legislation that prohibits the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims.
A decision in the case is expected within a matter of days after the March 5 hearing.
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Further information:
- Catholic Church in Malaysia Pushes Ahead to Use ‘Allah’ (Wall Street Journal)
- Malaysian court rules Christians cannot use 'Allah' to refer to God (CWN, 10/14/13)
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