In August, a Roman Catholic bishop in the Netherlands, Martinus Muskens, suggested that Christians start referring to God as “Allah” as a way of relieving world tensions. “Allah is a very beautiful word . … What does God care what we call him? It is our problem.”
A priest in Rome said Muskens’ intentions were good, “but his theology needs a little fine-tuning.” Muskens said he spent eight years in Indonesia, where Catholic priests used “Allah” during Mass.
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2007.