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Landmark Malaysian 'Allah' ruling | Landmark Malaysian 'Allah' ruling |
(11 minutes later) | |
A court in Malaysia has ruled that Christians have a constitutional right to use the world Allah when referring to God. | A court in Malaysia has ruled that Christians have a constitutional right to use the world Allah when referring to God. |
The High Court said a government ban on non-Muslims using the word was unconstitutional. | The High Court said a government ban on non-Muslims using the word was unconstitutional. |
The court was ruling on a lawsuit filed by the Herald, a publication of the Catholic Church in Malaysia, in 2007. | |
The authorities had insisted that Allah was an Islamic word which could only be used by Muslims. | The authorities had insisted that Allah was an Islamic word which could only be used by Muslims. |
The BBC's Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur said some Muslim groups suspect the Catholic Church is seeking to encourage Muslims to convert to Christianity - a move which is illegal in Malaysia. | The BBC's Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur said some Muslim groups suspect the Catholic Church is seeking to encourage Muslims to convert to Christianity - a move which is illegal in Malaysia. |
'Glorious' New Year | 'Glorious' New Year |
The issue had become a symbol of a growing number of religious grievances among minority groups, in a political environment often divided along racial and religious lines, our correspondent adds. | The issue had become a symbol of a growing number of religious grievances among minority groups, in a political environment often divided along racial and religious lines, our correspondent adds. |
The Herald filed for a judicial review after it was temporarily ordered to stop publishing in 2007 for referring to "Allah". | The Herald filed for a judicial review after it was temporarily ordered to stop publishing in 2007 for referring to "Allah". |
The publication said it had been been using the word for decades, and had a constitutional right to do so. | The publication said it had been been using the word for decades, and had a constitutional right to do so. |
The Herald welcomed Thursday's ruling, saying it would be a "glorious" New Year "for some 850,000 Catholics in Malaysia". | The Herald welcomed Thursday's ruling, saying it would be a "glorious" New Year "for some 850,000 Catholics in Malaysia". |
More than half of Malaysia's population is Muslim but the large Chinese and Indian communities are mainly Christian, Buddhist or Hindu. | More than half of Malaysia's population is Muslim but the large Chinese and Indian communities are mainly Christian, Buddhist or Hindu. |