Malaysia’s high court has set December 30 as the date that it will rule on a case contesting whether the government of the predominantly Muslim country can bar Christian groups from referring to God as “Allah”.
Court Justice Lau Been Lan set the date after hearing lengthy arguments this week from lawyers representing the two sides – the government and the weekly publication of the Catholic Church of Malaysia.
While the Catholic Church maintains that the word “Allah” is not exclusive to Islam, the government has argued otherwise, saying that it is not only exclusive but that its usage by non-Muslims could pose a threat to national security and cause misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims.
"In our country, if one refers to Allah or mentions kalimah Allah, it will bring to one's mind that it refers to the god for Muslims. Kalimah Allah is sacred to the Muslims and put at the highest position, and its sanctity must be protected," Senior Federal Counsel Datuk Kamaluddin said Monday, according to local sources
Furthermore, Kamaluddin added, the Church cannot challenge the home minister’s decision to impose a condition on the permit sought by the Church’s weekly publication, The Herald.
“You can only challenge if the minister refused to grant a permit," he stated.
The Herald had filed suit against the Malaysian government in December 2007 after the government threatened to revoke its printing permit if it did not cease use of the word “Allah” in the Malay language section of its newspaper.
Under the Printing Presses and Publication Act of 1984, Malaysia’s home minister has the power to impose a prohibition as a condition, and in the case of The Herald, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar reportedly prohibited the usage of the word "Allah" on the grounds of national security and to avoid misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims.
"The use of the word ‘Allah’ by other religions may arouse sensitivity and create confusion among Muslims," explained Abdullah Zin, the de-facto minister for Islamic affairs, to the local press last year.
The Herald, however, claims that the ban is unconstitutional and violates freedom of religion.
