Source: ET
PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA: A Malaysian court ruled on Monday that a Christian newspaper may not use the word “Allah” to refer to God, a landmark decision on an issue that has fanned religious tension and raised questions over minority right.
The unanimous decision by three Muslim judges in Malaysia’s appeals court overturned a 2009 ruling by a lower court that allowed the Malay-language version of the newspaper, The Herald, to use the word Allah – as many Christians in Malaysia say has been the case for centuries.
“The usage of the word Allah is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity,” chief judge Mohamed Apandi Ali said in the ruling. “The usage of the word will cause confusion in the community.”
The decision coincides with heightened ethnic and religious tension in Malaysia after a polarising May election, in which the long-ruling coalition was deserted by urban voters that included a large section of minority ethnic Chinese.
In recent months, Prime Minister Najib Razak has sought to consolidate his support among majority ethnic Malays, who are Muslim by law, and secure the backing of traditionalists ahead of a crucial ruling party assembly this month.
And Muslims should not use word GOD.
I think Mrs. Farhat has a valid point, that muslim should not use the word God in any other language even beside English. All the muslims should be notified living in all over the world. But most interestingly the Mullah who is behind this ruling does not care. It is a old reference from history, and many young people are not aware of that Maulana Maudoodi a very famous self made religious scholar and later on founder of notorious jamat Islami. He appeared in front of Justice Kiani and Munin Commision in 1953 riots in Pakistan. On his witness stand he said that non muslims in a muslim country should not have any privileges as a citizen and should be treated as third class citizen. On this statement one of the Judges asked him what if muslims living in India were treated in same manner and their lives become hell. Maulana replied he did not care. So that is the sensitivity of this maulana. If muslims of non muslim countries are told of this attitude of mullah what they will think. At this point the media of these countries play very slick role, they do not make any news in negative of mullah or their government very visible. So it in most of muslim countries specially high populated countries this mullah politics has taken a driver seat.