Malaysia revives ban on Christian use of 'Allah'
Minister says allowing conditional use was "mistake"
The Malaysian government has withdrawn permission for the conditional use of the word "Allah" by Christian publications to describe God, the state news agency Bernama reported on Saturday.
The decision effectively re-imposes an earlier ban on Christians' use of the word pending a court ruling.
Bernama quoted Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar as saying his ministry had rescinded a decree issued on Feb. 16 which allowed the conditional use of the word, which he said was a mistake.
"There is a judicial review on the matter and we leave it to the court to decide," said Syed Hamid.
The country's Islamist opposition party and Muslim scholars had complained after permission was given earlier this month for the word to be used by Christian publications.
They were required to publish a disclaimer saying they were not intended for Muslims.
The ban had been aimed at a Catholic newspaper that serves a nationwide readership, but is focused mainly on the tribal communities in Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island who had converted to Christianity more than a century ago.
There is a judicial review on the matter and we leave it to the court to decideHome Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar
Might offend sensitivities
The government said the use of the Arabic word might offend the sensitivities of Malaysia's Muslim population.
Last December, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur requested a judicial review on behalf of the Catholic weekly the Herald asking for the ban on it use of the word to be lifted and seeking a ruling that it was not exclusive to Islam.
The newspaper has also asked the court to overturn the ban.
The Rev. Eu Hong Seng, vice-chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, said the government's about-face was a surprise.
"A conditional allowance would have at least indicated some progress on the issue," Eu told Reuters.
Around 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people are Muslim Malays.
The rest of the population takes in indigenous tribes as well as ethnic Chinese and Indians, variously practicing Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism, among others.