ICC Note: In an unfortunate turn of events for the more than 2 million Christians living in Malaysia, a local court has ruled that Christians will no longer be allowed to use the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God. According to the Vatican, Christians in Malaysia have been using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God for nearly 400 years. The courts decision comes after heavy pressure was exerted by radical Islamist groups who view the growth of Christianity in Malaysia as a threat to Malaysian culture. In late 2009, a court had ruled in favor of Christians using the word ‘Allah’, sparking protests and bombings at churches around the country. The Malaysian government stepped in to quell the protests by appealing the court decision. Christians in country have said they will appeal the decision to a higher court. 
10/14/2013 Malaysia (AsiaNews) – A Malaysian court has ruled that non-Muslims can not use the word “Allah” to refer to God , overturning an earlier ruling of 31 December 2009 in favour of Christians’ right to do so. A decision that, at the time, had created controversy and sparked extremist attacks on churches and mosques. This morning the judges of the Court of Appeal determined that the opening to non-Islamic faithful would have “created confusion within the community .” In response , Christians recall that they have used the name ” Allah ” to define (also) the Christian God for decades and that the new provisions – strongly desired by the government, to meet the demands of the more fundamentalist segments of the country – violate their rights and religious freedom.
Outside the court a hundred Muslim activists waved placards and chanted slogans in which they maintained that the word “Allah” be “exclusively ” used by Muslims . In the courtroom, the chief judge Apandi Mohamed Ali ruled in favour of the executive and rejected requests ( corroborated by previous judgments ) of the group led by leaders of the Catholic newspaper the Malaysia Herald. ” The usage of the word Allah is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity” the judge ruled, “the usage of the word will cause confusion in the community.”
Fr. Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Catholic newspaper , said he was “disappointed and dismayed'” by the decision of the judges and that they will resort to the Federal Court to seek redress. The battle in court is thus not over, but it will now be up to the highest forum of the national judicial system . “It is a retrograde step in the development of law in relation to the fundamental liberty of religious minorities.” In Indonesia and the Middle East , he adds, Allah is used by Christians and Muslims alike. He therefore calls on Christians to “continue to pray for justice ” and added that the Church will not bow to an unjust sentence , but it will move ahead with the appeal.
…
[Full Story]