The Catholic church can't use the word "Allah" to refer to the Christian god, a Malaysian appeals court ruled Monday.
The
decision reversed a 2009 lower court ruling that found unconstitutional
a government ban on the use of "Allah" by the church's newspaper, The
Wall Street Journal reported.
A three-judge panel ruled Monday
"the usage of the name 'Allah' is not an integral part of the faith and
practice of Christianity."
"I am not discouraged, but dismayed and
disappointed that a judgment [could] be made in a manner where the
usage of 'Allah' is allowed in the Malay-language Bible but for the
weekly [publication] it is prevented," said the Rev. Lawrence Andrew,
editor of the Herald, the newspaper at the center of the controversy.
The newspaper plans to appeal the ruling to Malaysia's highest court, the Federal Court.
In
arguments before the court last week, the Catholic church said the
Malay-speaking Christian community had used the word for centuries to
refer to God.
Government attorneys told the court then-Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had issued the ban in 2007 to maintain security and public order. They also said "Allah" was specific to Muslims.
The decision raised concerns about the religious freedom of minorities.
Viola
De Cruz, president of the Catholic Lawyers Society, said, "this
decision affects fundamental religious rights of the minorities in
Malaysia."
Ibrahim Ali, president of Malay rights group Perkasa,
supported the ruling, saying it was in line with the country's
constitution and could ease rising negative attitudes toward the
Catholic church.
"This is not a victory for the Muslims against
the Christians [as the] Christians are also citizens of this country,"
he said.