WE end another crazy year with a bizarre tale from Malaysia, where an unholy row has broken out over the word “Allah”.
“Allah”, according to one Che Din Yusoff, a senior official at the Internal Security Ministry’s publications control unit, refers to the Muslim God, and no other.
According to World Wide Religious News, Che Din said:
Christians cannot use the word ‘Allah’. It is only applicable to Muslims. Allah is only for the Muslim god. This is a design to confuse the Muslim people.
He was referring to the fact that The Herald, official newspaper of Malaysia’s Catholic Church, had been referring to “God” as “Allah”.
He explained:
This is wrong. The weekly should, instead, use the word ‘Tuhan’ which is the general term for God, he said.
Che Din said Christians don’t use the word “Allah” when they worship in English, so they shouldn’t use it in the Malay language either. There are four Malay words that must not be used by other religions: “Allah” for God, “solat” for prayers, “kaabah” for the place of Muslim worship in Mecca and “baitula” the house of Allah.
And with the explanation came a threat. If the Herald persists in using “Allah”, it will be shut down.
The Rev Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Herald, disagrees, saying that the weekly’s use of the word “Allah” was not intended to offend Muslims.
We are of the view that we have the right to use the word ‘Allah’. We follow the Bible. The Malay-language Bible uses Allah for God and ‘Tuhan’ for Lord. In our prayers and in church during Malay mass, we use the word ‘Allah’. This is not something new. The word ‘Allah’ has been used in Malaysia for a long time. There is no confusion.
The row escalated this week when an evangelical church and the Herald announced that they are to sue the government for banning them from using the word “Allah,” alleging that the prohibition is unconstitutional and against freedom of religion.
These are the first legal challenges against the mainly Muslim government’s decision, and they come amid minority groups’ increasing concerns that their rights are being trampled upon.
The Sabah Evangelical Church of Borneo took legal action this month after authorities banned the import of Christian books containing the word “Allah,” the church’s lawyer, Lim Heng Seng, said.
The decision to declare “Allah” as only for Muslims, categorising this as a security issue, and banning books with the word “Allah” is unlawful, he claims.
Both organisations named the internal security minister, a post held by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as a co-defendant.
In an affidavit, Sabah church pastor, Jerry Dusing, said customs officials had confiscated three boxes of children’s education material from a church member at the Kuala Lumpur airport in August.
Dusing said he was told the publications were banned because they contained the word “Allah,” which the government feels could raise confusion and controversy among Muslims. The government classified the matter as a security issue, he said.
Dusing added that Christians in Sabah on Borneo island have used the word “Allah” for generations when they worship in the Malay language, and the word appears in their Malay Bible.
The Christian usage of ‘Allah’ predates Islam. ‘Allah’ is the name of God in the old Arabic Bible as well as in the modern Arabic Bible.
He added that “Allah” was widely used by Christians in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Indonesia and other parts of the world without problem.
The Herald, which has a circulation of 12,000 copies for its members, publishes reports in four languages — English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.
Religious issues are extremely sensitive in Malaysia, where about 60 percent of the 27 million people are Malay Muslims. Ethnic Chinese, who follow Christianity and Buddhism, account for 25 percent of the population. Indians, who are mostly Hindus with a sprinkling of Christians and Muslims, are around 10 percent.
The minorities have often complained that they don’t have full freedom of religion even though the constitution guarantees everybody the right to worship. The minorities cite the difficulty in obtaining permission to build their places of worship, and the Hindus have been particularly angered by the demolition of temples by government authorities in recent months.
UPDATE – January 1, 2008: The Malaysian government has reversed its decision to ban The Herald, easing a row that threatened to strain racial harmony in the multi-ethnic country. In a surprising about-turn over the New Year period, the government renewed The Herald’s 2008 permit without any conditions, said its editor, the Rev Lawrence Andrew.
“There are no conditions, there was no mention of the Allah ban,” he told The Associated Press.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
December 31st, 2007 at 2:46 pm
who really cares what they call the bearded sky daddy, especially since he is all myth, and superstition to begin with
December 31st, 2007 at 3:52 pm
LOL! This is great stuff. What a complete waste of time.
As for names for a deity, personally I prefer “Geoff”, but woe betide anyone who mistakenly uses the version “Jeff”!
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:47 am
Geoff or Jeff is the ultimate heresy, it’s Fred, FRED I tell you and may the fleas of a thousand camels infest the crotch of all unbeleivers.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Hi! Sir We are very happy at this wonderful
website.We have some natural pictures
name of Allah.We want save these in this website.which Id we send pictures.
send us Email address.
Thanks for all members of this website.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Subhan Allah. Mashallah. That’s amazing.
July 31st, 2008 at 7:02 pm
aslamalaikum!
i have seen this miracles of allah on probably every islamic website and i am so amazed.i absolutely love allah and he is the only one god.
October 26th, 2008 at 5:30 am
ALLAH KA LAAKH, LAAKH SHUKR HAI, ALL OF YOU ASSALM-A-LEKAM.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:21 am
such a wonderfull site, every1 should see miracles of ALLAH SUBHAN -0-TALLAH MASHALLAH
January 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Assalam Aliekum,
Please delete the john blackburn’s views in this site.
Thanking u.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:20 am
please check and repley this nonsece site maker. http://newsfromisrael.org/IslamicArt.htm
March 4th, 2009 at 7:11 am
allah’s people aretotal jerk, reason to so many problems right now
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I agree with ex-pat who the hell cares as god is a myth and eve if he existed I would not give him the time of day as then he would be as evil as his satan christians ect also believe in but just not as powerful and at least he would not be a hypocrite, saying he is good yet has done more evil than the satan that I also do not believe in.
What a fairytale and I cannot believe that any person in his right mind can believe all that crap. Think for yourselves and stop believing in your dogmatic upbringing.
Anyone can go to heaven just be good. (not the biblical heaven as I do not believe in that either. However if it makes you feel better pray to him and see how long it takes you to get through, do not be surprised if however you a answering machine answers and you hear “your call is important to me so please hold on and I will get to you as soon as a consultant is available” you could be in for a long wait.
Lorraine
March 31st, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Excuse me do not call this crap, ok!!!!!!!
Do Muslims call christian stuff crap, No so you don’t have to either!!!
muslims believe in satan is bad too,
so don’t compare them ok!!!!
Especially lorraine from south america!!!<—- don’t hate appreciate
what do you think lorraine, allah is always listebing to us, i know that as a fact, all my wishes came true!!!!!!
for the website and i dont like this title, but the pictures rock
June 28th, 2009 at 9:33 am
mashaallah good
July 16th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
masha allah….i dont mean to offend anybody but why are all the people that arent muslim, well why are you so close minded?
September 11th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
he aint a sky daddy he is the real god iz that why all these miricals have happend it . n if hee nt real it shud sa jejus on food n stuff it dont it says allah showin he the real god .may you 1 day have turn to the right path
January 11th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
ASLAM U ALAEKUM.
mashallah subhanallah i realy surprised to see these amazing pictures.
may ALLAH help the muslims and show us the right path.
ALLAH is every where and we can not change this fact. may ALLAH help us.INSHALLAH
June 29th, 2010 at 2:13 am
allah is everywhere in our heart in our mind people should love only allah and they should be scared of allah every baby is a muslim first but after time goes on peopel teach there kids how they r so babies become the same as there family members!!!!
I
LOVE
ALLAH
ONLY
AND
MY
FAMILY:)
June 29th, 2010 at 2:16 am
I’am sorry allah what ever i did im so sorry i wish i never have done that in my life!!!!!!