use of the word 'Allah' in Christian publications.

'Allah': Archbishop to seek AG's views
Hafiz Yatim Feb 27, 09 2:14pm

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur will seek a clarification from the Attorney-General's Chambers on the decision by the home minister to allow the use of the word 'Allah' in Christian publications.
Counsel: We've to study the order
Judicial review application


http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/NewsBreak/20090227142855/Article/index_html
"Allah" in Christian publications is not prohibited, court toldBernama

KUALA LUMPUR, FRI:
The High Court here was told today that the use of the word "Allah" in publications relating to Christianity is no longer prohibited due a new order gazetted by the Home Minister early this year.
Senior federal counsel Nizam Zakaria, for the Attorney-General''s Chambers, informed the court that the Home Minister, as the first respondent in the judicial review proceeding initiated by the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, had gazetted the order dated Jan 21, 2009, entitled ‘Internal Security (Prohibition On Use of Specific Words on Document and Publication)Order 2009''. The gazette says: ‘The printing, publishing, sale, issue, circulation and possession of any document and publication relating to Christianity containing the words Allah, Kaabah, Baitullah and Solat are prohibited unless on the front cover of the document and publication are written with the words ''FOR CHRISTIANITY".The order was gazetted in Feb 16, 2009 and takes effect from that date.Following this development, counsel Porres P.Royan, for the applicant,Archbishop Datuk Murphy Pakiam, informed Justice Lau Bee Lan that they would have a discussion with the AG''s Chambers on the implication of the order.
"If, after discussion we find comfort, then obviously the matter may not have to proceed and be heard. We will inform the court if we find an amicables ettlement. "It is still too early for us to come to a decision one way or another," he said, requesting for the court to give two to three months time for the parties before fixing any hearing date of the judicial review application.Earlier, Porres told the court that he would proceed with the application to set aside the order of intervention sought on Nov 21 last year by seven state Islamic religious councils -- Federal Territory, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor, Kedah, Johor and Malacca -- and the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MCMA) to intervene and be named as respondents in the judicial review proceedings.The court fixed May 28 to hear this application together with the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council's application to intervene as well.The court also fixed June 7 to hear the application by the seven state Islamic religious councils and the MCMA, to refer the case to the Federal Court on the constitutional question.On May 5, last year, Archbishop Datuk Murphy, as publisher of The Herald,named the Home Ministry and Government of Malaysia as respondents in his action for a declaration that the decision of the respondents dated Feb 12, 2008, prohibiting him from using the word "Allah" in "Herald-The Catholic Weekly" is illegal. He is also seeking a declaration that he is entitled to use the word "Allah" and that the word "Allah" is not exclusive to the religion of Islam.


是否继续“阿拉”字眼官司
教会与总检察署商讨再决定
作者／本刊记者 Feb 27, 2009 04:08:57 pm

http://merdekareview.com/news/n/8936.html

【本刊记者撰述】由于内政部昨天已准许天主教会周刊《先驱报》（Herald - The Catholic Weekly）采用“阿拉”（Allah）字眼，总检察署的代表律师今天向吉隆坡高等法院报告此事后，天主教会的代表律师表示将与总检察署商讨内政部发出的新指示，再决定是否继续打这场司法复核官司。

吉隆坡高等法院今天原本将审核是否允许《先驱报》使用“阿拉”（Allah）字眼，但《先驱报》编采部昨天已接获内政部通知，允许他们使用“阿拉”字眼指谓上帝，但必须注明该刊物“只供天主教徒阅读”。

官方新闻社马新社报道，资深联邦律师尼占扎卡利亚（Nizam Zakaria）通知法院，此案的第一答辩人内政部已经发出一封志期1月21日的通令《2009年内安法令（在文件和刊物限制使用特定文字）通令》（Internal SecurityOrder 2009）给吉隆坡罗马天主教会的主教。

这封通令阐明，出版、印刷、销售、分发、行销和拥有任何印有“阿拉”（Allah）、“麦加石造清真寺”（Kaabah）、“真主的家”（Baitullah）和“祈祷”（solat）字眼的天主教文件和刊物，必须注明“只供天主教徒阅读”。



规定“只供天主教徒阅读”

根据内政部发出的新通令，“只供天主教徒阅读”的字眼必须以字16号Arial字型加黑印刷。

这封与2月16日颁布宪报的通令，即日生效。随着这项新发展，申请人莫菲主教（Murphy Pakiam）代表律师博斯莱恩（Porres Royan）通知高庭法官，他们需要向总检察署商讨此新通令的事。

他说：“如果在商讨后，我们发现可以接受，那么显然法院无需继续聆审此案。当我们达成友好协议，我们会通知法院。如今要达致一项决定，还言之过早。”

他也向法院申请二至三个月的时间让两造决定此事，再择日聆审此司法复核案件。

吉隆坡高等法院于2008年5月5日批准天主教会的申请，允许后者就政府禁止其在《先驱报》周刊里采用“阿拉”（Allah）的事提出司法审核。

2007年12月，《先驱报》收到国安部（已改组为内政部）一封志期12月10日的公函，指示它停止刊登马来文栏页。副国安部长佐哈里在12月21日证实，国安部下令在马来文栏页中以“阿拉”称呼天主教的神的《先驱报》抽起其马来文部份，作为发放新出版准证的交换条件。


http://merdekareview.com/news/n/8941.html
勿以神祇名义捞取政治资本

作者／马华公会 Feb 27, 2009 07:20:25 pm

【党团文告／马华公会】马华公会中央政治教育局主任颜炳寿表示，内政部限制天主教刊物《先驱报》有条件使用“阿拉”字眼，有违常理及教人无法接受。

颜炳寿（左图）指出，大部分沙巴和砂拉越土著基督徒以马来文为母语，并称颂上帝为“阿拉”。此外，锡克教徒亦称颂其神祇为“阿拉”。内政部指令意味着基督徒或是锡克教徒在履行其宗教仪式时，将因为称颂其上苍为“阿拉”而违反法律。

他也对人民公正党吉打州居林－万拉峇鲁区（Kulim-Bandar Baru）国会议员朱基菲里诺丁反对《先驱报》使用“阿拉”字眼的言论表示强烈不满，他说：“类似的政府指令或在野党议员的言论，都对土著基督徒及锡克教徒不公平，并违反宪法保障各族群宗教自由的权利。”

“阿拉”不是回教专用字眼

颜炳寿强调，没有人可将“阿拉”视为某个特定宗教的专属字眼。他指出，在中东国家如埃及、黎巴嫩、巴勒斯坦、伊拉克、伊朗、也门等地，当地的基督徒也将上帝称为“阿拉”。其实，“阿拉”这个阿拉伯文字眼在回教出现之前已被广泛使用。对于所有阿拉伯世界的人民而言，无论是属于任何种族或宗教，“阿拉”这个字眼的意思是上苍。同样的，在印尼的基督徒，也称颂上帝为“阿拉”。

他认为，各伟大宗教是人类的共同文化遗产，其历史真实面不容扭曲。无论是政府、宗教局或朝野政党的回教徒议员，都有义务和责任去教导群众以正视听，而不是制造混淆或误导相关宗教的信徒。

“我们都知道，在马来西亚向回教徒宣传其他宗教是违法的。但是，基督徒和锡克教徒使用“阿拉”字眼并不等同于向回教徒宣传其他宗教。我们同时谴责宗教狂热领袖及政客以神祇的名义来捞取廉价的政治资本。”