Posts Tagged ‘Allah’

Scholar says term ‘Allah’ predates Islam

Tuesday, October 21st, 2014

An Indonesian scholar says Muslims who believe the term “Allah” is exclusive to Islam are “confused”. Ulil Abshar Abdalla said the word predates Islam and is a general Arabic term used to refer to God. Malaysia has declared the word “Allah” should only be used by Muslims, exclusively. Ulil was denied entry into Malaysia earlier Read more

Malaysia court upholds “Allah” ban for Catholic newspaper

Friday, June 27th, 2014

Malaysia’s highest court has ruled that a Catholic newspaper may not use the word “Allah” to refer to God. The ruling upheld a lower court decision that banned The Herald from using then word, on the grounds that it would cause confusion in the community. The Herald editor Fr Lawrence Andrew, SJ, explained that “Allah” Read more

Malaysia court reserves decision on use of ‘Allah’ by Catholics

Friday, March 7th, 2014

Malaysia’s highest court has reserved its decision on whether to hear the Catholic Church’s appeal to be able to use the word “Allah”. Hundreds of Muslims demonstrated outside the court shouting “Allahu Akbar” or “God is great”. They also held banners that read: “Want to use ‘Allah’, join Islam. Don’t be ill-mannered”. They dispersed after Read more

UN official says Malaysia should reverse “Allah” ban

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013

Malaysia should reverse a ban on a Christian newspaper using the word “Allah” to refer to God, Reuters quoted a UN official as saying on Monday about a decision that fanned religious tension in the mainly Muslim country. Malaysia’s second highest court ruled in October that the Catholic newspaper, the Herald, could not use the Read more

Malaysia vows to keep defending name of Allah

Friday, November 8th, 2013

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak assured Muslims that his government would continue to defend the name of “Allah” and uphold the position of Islam, even as it embraced the concept of moderation. In a message during the celebration of Maal Hijrah celebration, the Malaysian leader said that even as Malaysia upholds the Federal Read more

Malaysian court bans Catholic paper’s use of Allah

Friday, October 18th, 2013

Catholics in Malaysia will continue to use the word Allah to refer to God in the liturgy, despite a court ruling that only Muslims may use the word. The Court of Appeal decision was specifically against a Catholic newspaper, the Malaysia Herald, which intends to lodge an appeal. Malaysia’s leading Catholic bishop, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam Read more

Catholic weekly loses court battle over right to use ‘Allah’

Tuesday, August 27th, 2013

A Catholic weekly newspaper in Malaysia lost its latest legal battle over the right to use the word ‘Allah’ for God in its local language edition. A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal ruled that the government’s efforts to ban the use of the word in Christian publications will continue. The case dates back Read more

Muslim groups to rally against Catholic Church in Malaysia

Tuesday, August 20th, 2013

Muslim groups planned to rally against the Catholic Church when the religious tussle over the Middle Eastern word for god heads back to the legal arena in Malaysia. Syed Hassan Syed Ali, secretary-general of the group Perkasa, said the planned rally was in support of the Home Ministry in its efforts to prohibit non-Muslims from Read more

Papal nuncio to Malaysia in row over use of Allah

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

The new papal nuncio to Malaysia has landed in the midst of an intense row over whether Christians in the country should be allowed to use the word “Allah” to refer to God. Archbishop Joseph Marino, the first nuncio appointed to the Muslim-majority nation, said during a press conference that he supported the arguments in Read more

Some Islamic clerics take hard line on suicide bombers

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

Islamic clerics are denying suicide bombers their last rites. The killing of others and themselves is completely un-Islamic, they say, contrary to the popular misconception that such bombers act on the pretense that such acts will get them into heaven.

“Most suicide attackers act on the misconception that their acts receive the pleasure of Allah, but the fact is they are killing and injuring innocent Muslims,” Maulana Muhammad Rehman, a prayer leader in a mosque in the Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas says.

In addition, religious scholars in Pakistan say suicide bombers are likely to suffer eternal damnation rather than go to paradise because their acts, blowing themselves up and others, invite the wrath of Allah.

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