Catholic Church Newspaper in Malaysia Banned From Using 'Allah' By Country's Top Court

Monica Cantilero Saturday, January 24, 2015

Muslim demonstrators chant slogans outside Malaysia's Court of Appeal in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, on Oct. 14, 2013. | REUTERS/Samsul Said

Malaysia's top court has denied the Catholic Church's final attempt to be allowed to use the word "Allah" in its local language newspaper, amid increasing religious tensions.

Judge Abdull Hamid Embong of the country's Federal Court said there is no need to reevaluate the case as there was no procedural unfairness when it ruled in June that Catholic newspaper Herald Malaysia could not refer to God using the said name.

A panel of five judges came up with the unanimous verdict, which was released on Wednesday.

"We relied on procedural unfairness and they said that they don't think that any procedural unfairness had occurred. That was the brief reason given," Benjamin Dawson, one of the church's lawyers, was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal.

Herald Malaysia's founding editor, Father Lawrence Andrew, was saddened by the decision of the court but could not do anything but to concede.

"The decision made today is very disappointing," said Father Andrew as reported by Bloomberg. "But we respect the federal constitution and only want peace and harmony for this country that we love very much. Therefore, we hope the rights and faith of the minorities in this country will not be oppressed," he said.

The church's lawyers argued that those who speak Bahasa Malaysia was only trying to be respectful when they use "Allah" for God.

However, the government and other opponents maintained that "'Allah' is only unique to Muslims."

Haniff Khatri Abdulla, a lawyer of a group in support of the government in the case, welcomed the Federal Court's decision. "At the end of the day, as litigators, as lawyers, as advocates, we need our matters to come to an end as well," he said.

Some Muslims, according to The Wall Street Journal, said they feel like the Catholic Church was trying to convert them. The latter denied such allegation.

Malaysia's population is mostly Muslim, with Catholics only totalling some 180,000.

The newspaper was prohibited to use "Allah" in 2007 by then-Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar. The church brought a case in 2008, earning victory in the year after.

Both the government and the church have filed appeals in their dispute through the years, which only ended with the Federal Court's decision.