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Malaysia Will Release Impounded Christian Bibles, Subject To Conditions

By Howard M. Friedman

In Malaysia, the Home Ministry on Tuesday decided to release back to the Bible Society of Malaysia and The Gideons 35,000 copies of a Malaysian translation of the Christian Bible that had been impounded. (See prior posting.)  UPI and The Star report that the Performance Management  and Delivery Unit originally seized the Bibles that came in two separate shipments because they use the word "Allah" as a translation for "God." However the Ministry?s Publications Control and Quranic text division has now decided to permit the Bibles to be imported, subject to certain conditions. The Ministry has stamped on each Bible the warning: "The Good News Bible is for the use of Christians only."  It also wants serial numbers and the official Ministry stamp on the Bibles. The Bible Society has concerns over these conditions and wants to discuss them further. Some Malaysian states have laws prohibiting use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims and a challenge to a similar ban by the Home Ministry is still pending in Malaysian courts. (See prior posting.)

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 17, 2011 (boomark / email).