The word 'Allah' is Arabic for God. He is the same one God worshiped by Jews, Christians and Muslim.
In Malaysia, the High Court has thrown out a government ban on non-Muslims using the word Allah for God. Those favoring the ban argue Christian use of the word could lead to confusion and conversions among Muslims.
Malaysia's High Court ruled that a Roman Catholic publication can use the word "Allah". The court said the Home Ministry was incorrect when it banned the non-Muslim publication from using the word.
The Catholic Church's main publication in Malaysia, The Herald, led the legal fight against the ban on behalf of a range of religious and community groups
Under Malaysian law, the home minister has the power to impose conditions on publications. In the case of The Herald, the word Allah was banned, apparently on the grounds of national security - to avoid misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims.
Father Lawrence Andrew is the newspaper's editor and says the word Allah has been part of religious teachings within Christian circles in Malaysia for more than 370 years.
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