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Malaysian flag
The Malaysian government has withdrawn permission for the
conditional use of the name Allah by Christian publications to
describe God, the state news agency Bernama reported.
The decision effectively re-imposes an earlier ban on Christians'
use of the word pending a court ruling.
Bernama quoted Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar as saying his
ministry had rescinded a decree issued on February 16 which allowed
the conditional use of the word, which he said was a mistake.
"There is a judicial review on the matter and we leave it to the
court to decide," said Syed Hamid.
The country's Islamist opposition party and Muslim scholars had
complained after permission was given earlier this month for the
word to be used by Christian publications.
They were required to publish a disclaimer saying they were not
intended for Muslims.
The ban had been aimed at a Catholic newspaper that serves a
nationwide readership, but is focused mainly on the tribal
communities in Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island who had converted
to Christianity more than a century ago.
The government said the use of the Arabic word might offend the
sensitivities of Muslims who make up 60% of Malaysia's
population.
Last December, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur requested a judicial
review on behalf of the Catholic weekly the Herald asking for the
ban on it use of the word to be lifted and seeking a ruling that it
was not exclusive to Islam.
The newspaper has also asked the court to overturn the
ban.
The Rev Eu Hong Seng, vice-chairman of the Christian Federation of
Malaysia, said the government's about-face was a surprise.
"A conditional allowance would have at least indicated some
progress on the issue," Eu said.
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