Malaysian court’s decision to allow use of ‘Allah’ by Christians heralds political, social tension

A Malaysian court’s decision last week to overturn a decades-old policy banning Christians from referring to God by using the Arabic word “Allah” is unlikely to close the chapter on the saga, analysts say, with the government on Monday appealing against the ruling following pressure from conservative Muslims. With the country likely headed for fresh elections later this year, the resurgence of the issue – and the possibility of rekindled tensions among Muslims and Christians – might give…