The Allah controversy in Malaysia is far from over

Last of the high-profile court cases over the use of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims came to an end last week

In 1986, two separate government decisions were made involving the word “Allah,” the Arabic word for God. The decisions were inconsistent with each other but that is not the problem. The fact that these directives are still in force is what is haunting the country.

In May that year, the cabinet decided that Christians were prohibited from using the words “Allah” and three other words in their printed materials unless “For Christians” was printed on the cover of these materials. The other three words were Kaabah (referring to Islam’s holiest site), Baitullah (House of God), and solat (prayer).

In December, the home ministry issued a directive saying there was an outright ban. The suggested alternative was Tuhan, which some say means Lord.

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What followed were high-profile court cases, one of which involved the Catholic weekly Herald, and claims that those opposing the ban were creating disunity and undermining Islam. These claims triggered arson attacks on churches 13 years ago, and street protests, the latest of which was on May 19.

The incidents that triggered the three court cases happened at about the same time.

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The Allah controversy in Malaysia is far from over – UCA News