Ministry to probe Herald's use of 'Allah' despite ban
Jan 21, 09 4:51pm
The Home Ministry will investigate claims that 'The Herald - The
Catholic Weekly'MCPX was still using the word 'Allah' despite the government's
decision prohibiting the publication from doing so.
Minister
Syed Hamid Albar said the decision to disallow the weekly from using
the word 'Allah' was a government's decision and not that of the
ministry.
"The case is not yet disposed of by the court. They
should have waited for the court's decision and not think as if they
have all the rights and others don't.
"We have been tolerant
towards other religions; If we decide to ban the publication, they will
get angry and accuse us of stifling freedom," he was quoted as saying by
Bernama.
Sensitive matter
In
May, the High Court granted leave to the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur to
apply for a judicial review against the Home Ministry's decision to
prohibit the weekly from using the world "Allah".
"Religious
issues are a sensitive matter. That is why I refrain from debating the
issue but if a religion decides to show its strength and numerous other
actions, I think it is verging on dangerous territories.
"To me, it is better that we resolve this in a non-confrontational manner," he
said.
On
a blog found to be insulting Prophet Muhammad, Syed Hamid said,
investigation papers had been submitted to the Attorney-General's
Chamber for further action.
Yesterday, Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew said this week's edition uses
the banned word and that he intends to continue doing so until the courts rule
on the issue next month.
"We
find this restriction on the use of 'Allah' unacceptable when we have
been using it as a translation for 'God' for centuries in Malaysia," he
told AFP.
Herald, circulated among the country's 850,000 Catholics, nearly lost its
publishing licence last year for using the disputed word.
-------------------------
Herald defies gov't ban on 'Allah'
Jan 20, 09 3:27pm
Catholic
newspaper Herald has defied a ban on using the word "Allah" as a
translation for "God", in a row with the government which has
threatened to close the weekly publication.MCPX
The
editor of the Herald newspaper, Father Lawrence Andrew said this
week's edition uses the banned word and that he intends to continue
doing so until the courts rule on the issue next month.
"We find
this restriction on the use of 'Allah' unacceptable when we have been
using it as a translation for 'God' for centuries in Malaysia," he told
AFP.
Authorities have said the word should only be used by Muslims.
The
government last month ordered a ban on the Herald's Malay edition until
the court makes its decision, as part of conditions for it to be
allowed to continue printing its editions in English, Chinese and Tamil.
Increasing Islamisation
But
after the newspaper warned it would take legal action to overturn the
ban, the Home Ministry backed down and said it could continue
publishing as long as it did not use the disputed translation.
"Munshi
Abdullah, the father of modern Malay literature, translated the Bible
into Malay in 1852 and he also translated 'God' as 'Allah' so there is
strong historical proof of what we have been using for centuries," said
Andrew.
The
Herald, circulated among the country's 850,000 Catholics, nearly lost
its publishing licence last year for using the disputed word.
Religion and language are sensitive issues in Malaysia where 60 percent of the
nation's 27 million people are Muslim Malays.
The
rest of the population takes in indigenous tribes as well as ethnic
Chinese and Indians, variously practising Buddhism, Christianity and
Hinduism among others.
Minority groups complain of increasing "Islamisation" of the country and say
their rights are being eroded.-AFP
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