Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has warned members of the country’s ruling coalition government not to call for a repeal of the ban on the use of the term Allah by Christian groups.
Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has said that his predecessor should not have banned the word “Allah” from use by Christians but the country’s Minister for Islamic Affairs is adamant that the government should not rescind the ban.
Malaysia’s Catholic Church won the constitutional right to print the word “Allah” in its newspaper seven months ago but a government application to stay the ruling appears to have delayed the hearing of an appeal against the decision.
Malay-speaking Christians in the Malaysian state of Selangor are now concerned that using the word “Allah” for God could be construed as disobeying the sultan, or local hereditary ruler.
A look at the background and discussion around the question of Malaysian Christians using the word ‘Allah’.
On a visit to East Malaysia, Papal Preacher, Fr Father Raniero Cantalamessa, said he was surprised at Muslim objections to the use of “Allah” by Christians referring to God.
A Conference of Malaysia’s seven sultans or Malay Rulers said in a statement that the translation by non-Muslims of the word “God” to “Allah” had caused much confusion and dissatisfaction among the people, particularly Muslims
Prosecutors in Malaysia have charged three Muslim men with firebombing a church in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, last month.
Worshippers at two Kuala Lumpur mosques discovered severed pig heads in the buildings Wednesday further raising tensions in Malaysia’s capital.
I just saw a tweet of an article on Malaysiakini which says that two pigs’ heads were hurled into two mosques 3 km apart in Jalan Klang Lama, here in KL. (Sorry you need a subscription to see the story and I don’t have one.) (Marina Mahathir, Rantings byMM)
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