Malaysia backpedals on Allah ban for Christian paper, renews its permit
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ A Roman Catholic newspaper said Monday the government has reversed its decision to ban the publication over its use of the word Allah, easing tensions that had strained racial harmony in the multiethnic country.
In a surprising turnabout, the government renewed The Herald weekly's 2008 permit without any conditions, said its editor Rev. Lawrence Andrew. "There are no conditions, there was no mention of the Allah ban," he told The Associated Press.
Internal security officials declined to comment. All publications in Malaysia require a government permit, which is renewed annually.
The government had said that Allah, an Arabic word for God, can only be used by Muslims. Officials feared that using Allah in Christian literature would confuse the Malays and draw them to Christianity.
Malaysian Christians said that Allah that was used by Christians before Islam was established. Even in Malaysia, Malay-speaking Christians have used the word Allah for generations. Allah also means God in Bahasa Melayu, the language of Malays.
About 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million citizens are Muslim, 19 percent are Buddhist, 9 percent are Christian and 6 percent are Hindu, with the reminder divided among traditional Chinese faiths and other religions
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