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In Malaysia, More Vandalism and Revelations of Broader Bans on Word Usage By Non-Muslim Papers

By Howard M. Friedman

In Malaysia, vandalism against Christian churches continues in response to a High Court decision allowing the Catholic newspaper, The Herald, to use the term "Allah" in ints Malay-language edition to refer to God. Canadian Press today reports that a tenth church was vandalized this morning, with red paint splashed on it. Also the offices of the law firm representing The Herald were broken into and ransacked. Papers were strewn on the floor and a laptop computer was taken.

Malaysian Insider today and the New Straits Times yesterday say that in fact the ban on use of certain words by non-Muslim publications is broader than previously reported. Guidelines issued to the Herald in 2007 also barred it from using three other words: Kaabah (Islam's holiest shrine in Mecca), Solat (prayer) and Baitullah (House of God). Each state in Malaysia has enacted its own laws allowing certain words to be used only by Islamic publications. In the state of Pahang, Section 9 of the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1989 lists 25 words that cannot be used in writing or speeches to describe a religion other than Islam, as well as ten expressions with Islamic origins that may not be used by non-Muslims (except as a quotation or reference).

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 14, 2010 (boomark / email).