Curious Christian

Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective

Malaysian Government and Catholic Church in High Court over ‘Allah’

Published by

Matt Stone

2009-12-18

ChristianToday reports: “Malaysia’s high court began hearing legal arguments Monday over the use of ‘Allah’ by Christians as a translation for God. While the Catholic Church in Malaysia insists that the word ‘Allah’ is not exclusive to Islam and has been used by Christians and Muslims in Arabic-speaking countries for centuries, Senior Federal Counsel Datuk Kamaluddin argued otherwise, saying that the word is exclusive to Islam and that its sanctity must be protected.”

Which supports what I have said previously, that we shouldn’t expect Christian inclusivism to be appreciated by Muslims in interfaith dialogue.

Tags Catholic, God, Muslim

2 responses to “Malaysian Government and Catholic Church in High Court over ‘Allah’”

Br. Bruce

2009-12-21

Hello Matt,
The Catholics are correct; though the Arab Christians do make the distinction Allāh al-ʼAb.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah

LikeLike

Reply
Matt Stone

2009-12-22

Bruce, I am open to using the word Allah for God when moving amongst Muslims, I am just saying don’t expect Muslims to get warm fuzzies over it.

LikeLike

Reply