Malaysia Catholic Newspaper Wins First Round of Legal Battle Against 'Allah' Ban Order

By Eileen Ng
Associated Press Writer
Mon, May. 05 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - A Roman Catholic newspaper cleared its first legal hurdle Monday in its fight against a Malaysian government ban on Christians using the word "Allah" as a synonym for "God."

High Court Judge Lau Bee Lan ruled that prosecutors' objection to a lawsuit by The Herald weekly was "without merit."

The judge said she will allow the paper _ the main media organ of the Catholic church in Muslim-majority Malaysia _ to contest the government ban in court. the rest