ASIA/MALAYSIA - Church accepts apology from Muslim publication: case closed.

Kaula Lumpur (Agenzia Fides) – The Muslim monthly publication “Al Islam” has presented an official apology to the Malaysian Catholic Church for their offensive piece and sacrilegious behavior of two of its journalists. The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, welcomed the gesture, calling it the conclusion to the terrible incident. This is what Fides learns from Church sources in Malaysia, which “with satisfaction note the peaceful conclusion to a most troubling affair, which could have lead to other interreligious tensions and social conflict in Malaysia."
In May 2009, “Al Islam” published a newspaper report that was offensive to the Catholic Church and two of its journalists, in carrying it out, also desecrated the Eucharist. The Church had requested a recall on the newspaper (see Fides 4/3/2010).
The magazine has expressed disappointment on its website and apologized “for having unintentionally hurt the feelings of Christians, especially Catholics.” The paper explains that the article was meant to investigate "cases of apostasy" and that the two reporters did not mean to "mock or desecrate the Christian faith," assuring that "such incidents will not happen again." The apology will also be published in the April issue of the magazine.
"I am very happy that the two journalists and the Director of “Al Islam” have presented an official apology. We accept it and confirm that we will not take any legal action in this matter," said the Archbishop, in a statement sent to Fides. The Catholic Church welcomes a close to this painful episode, with "a greeting of peace to the magazine" and "a blessing for the nation."
“Al Islam” is a newspaper published by a political foundation with sympathies towards the UMNO (United Malays National Organization), the party currently in government, with a Muslim Malay majority. According to local sources of Fides, "the gesture of apology has been supported by the government," and many hope that the "resolution may also serve to unlock dialogue between the Church and the government, which is still underway in the question of Christians using the term “Allah.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/3/2010)