A Malaysian court recently ruled that Christians in Muslim-majority Malaysia can use the word “Allah” in publications, overturning a decades-old ban after a lengthy legal battle that fuelled religious tensions. The Arabic word for God has long been divisive in Malaysia, with Christians complaining attempts to stop them using it. The case began 13 years ago when officials seized religious materials in the local Malay language from a Christian woman at Kuala Lumpur airport that contained the word “Allah”. Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a member of an indigenous group then launched a legal challenge against a 1986 ban on Christians using the term in publications. After repeated delays, the Kuala Lumpur High Court finally sided with her, ruling she had the right not to face discrimination on the grounds of her faith.
According to the judge’s lawyer, Annou Xavier, the ban on Christians using “Allah” was “unlawful and unconstitutional”. Malaysia’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
(Extracted from wionews.com)
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