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The Vatican announced that Malaysia is the 179th nation to establish diplomatic ties with the Holy See. The announcement follows a visit of Najib Razak, the country’s prime minister, to Benedict XVI. The Vatican statement confirmed that the diplomatic relations will be at the level of Apostolic Nunciature on the part of the Holy See and of embassy on the part of Malaysia.
Several representatives from the Malaysian government, such as Minister Idris Jala, a Christian, are visiting the Christian communities in Malaysia, trying to convince Christian citizens to abandon the term “Allah” and use “Yahweh” in the texts in the liturgy and in publications.
The intent is part of the ongoing dispute between the Christian and Muslim communities, which began in recent months with a lawsuit involving the Catholic newspaper The Herald. With the sentence of December 31, 2009, the High Court of Justice upheld the right of The Herald to use the word “Allah” to refer to God. The term “Allah” is, in fact, the only existing word in the Bahasha Malaysia language used to refer to God. The Christian community does not currently seem willing to accept the proposal of using the Hebrew word “Yahweh.” Reverend Thomas Philips, a Christian leader of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism, an organization involved in interreligious dialogue, commented: “The faithful will continue to use the word ‘Allah.’ It is a sacred right that affects the freedom of expression. Every person who speaks a language has the right to use all the words of that language, without charges or limitations. The issue will be discussed in the Interreligious Committee formed by the government. We are working, with the spirit of understanding, to find just solutions to matters affecting the religious sphere. This also applies to the controversy over the use of the word ‘Allah.’ We are confident that a common solution can be reached for the good of the nation and people of all faiths.”
A type of malaria vaccine for humans is to be tested, following the success of trials undertaken with animals. There is currently no vaccine for the illness which kills between two and three million people every year. Oxford University scientists, part of an international team, reported, in the journal Nature Medicine, that its virus-based jab worked well in mice.
