The World Council of Churches has thrown its support behind an appeal against a Malaysian court’s decision forbidding the use of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims.
In a 27th February letter to Rev Dr Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia and Archbishop John Ha Tiong Hock, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, WCC general secretary Rev Dr Olav Fyske Tveit said recent developments in Malaysia, jeopardised the “fundamental values” of freedom of religion and inter-religious dialogue and cooperation.
He said the Malaysian court decision of October last year was an “emblematic expression of these troubling developments” and noted that Christians have used the Arabic word ‘Allah’ to refer to God in Muslim-majority countries all over the world, including Malaysia and Indonesia, for centuries.
“Indeed, the shared use of this word by Muslims and Christians alike has served as an important bridge for inter-religious dialogue when speaking of the divine, and in ongoing dialogues between Christians and Muslims on the global level in which the WCC has been engaged, the use of the word Allah has never been contested,” he wrote.
Rev Dr Tveit said he shared the concerns of Heiner Bielefeldt – UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, that the case may have “far-reaching implications for religious minorities in Malaysia, and the region.”
He said the WCC supported efforts of Malaysian churches in addressing the issue; efforts which include an application by the Roman Catholic Church for leave to appeal against the court’s decision which is due to be heard on 5th March.
