Malaysian court: use of ‘Allah’ by Christians not unlawful vaticannews.va

Following a legal battle that dragged on for more than a decade, Malaysia’s High Court ruled on Wednesday that the use of Islamic words including “Allah” by Christians and other non-Muslim communities in the country is not unlawful. Non-Muslims can also use three words for religious and educational purposes including prayers, publications and religious services.

1986 Home Ministry directive
The ban against the use of Allah by non-Muslims came after Malaysian authorities in 2008 seized from Malaysian Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, 8 educational compact discs with the word “Allah” written on them, at Kuala Lumpur airport, when she returned from a visit to Indonesia. The authorities evoked a 1986 Home Ministry directive that forbade non-Christians from using the word saying it was a threat to public order. Some radical Muslim clerics argue that using “Allah” was the exclusive right of Muslims and allowing Christians to do so could cause confusion and unrest…

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