Religion Roundup
Malaysian Judge Lets Catholic Newspaper Challenge "Allah" Ban
The Associated Press
May 6, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A Roman Catholic newspaper has cleared a legal hurdle in its fight against a Malaysian government ban on Christians using the word "Allah" as a synonym for "God."
A judge ruled that prosecutors' objection to a lawsuit by The Herald weekly was "without merit," so she'll allow the paper to contest the government ban in court.
The Herald is seeking to reverse a government order that prohibits the paper from using the word "Allah" as a synonym for God in its Malay-language section. The government says the word refers only to the Islamic God and its use by Christians might confuse Muslims. It has threatened to revoke the paper's publishing license if it defies the order.
The Herald insists that "Allah" is an Arabic word that predates Islam and has been used for centuries to mean "God" in Malay.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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