Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Malaysia: the Catholic Herald magazine had been forbidden to use the word “Allah” for God, despite centuries of use of the word by Arabic-speaking Christians and others Christians in the Muslim world as a synonym for “God.” But now the Herald has been granted permission to resume this hallowed usage, as long as it labels its publication as clearly for Christians only. They wouldn’t want Muslims to get confused, you see, and risk the capital offense of apostasy.
An update on this story. “Herald allowed to use the word “˜Allah,– by Lourdes Charles and Loong Meng Yee for The Star (Malaysia), February 27 (thanks to Swyko):
KUALA LUMPUR: The Catholic Herald magazine is permitted to use the word Allah provided the publication clearly states the words “For Christians only” in its masthead.
Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew said this was stated in the recently gazetted Internal Security Act signed by the Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar on Feb 16.
“The next edition of the Herald will contain the word Allah, and we will print the words “For Christians only” on the masthead so as not to contravene the Act,” he said.
It is learnt the Act also forbids the use of the words Kaabah, solat and baitullah….
The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, who is the plaintiff, had applied for a judicial review of a Home Ministry directive last year forbidding the Herald publisher from using the word Allah as a synonym for “God.”…