Malaysia has banned Japanese comics Ultraman, saying it could disturb “public order” for referring to the superhero as “Allah”, the Arabic word of God used by millions of Muslims worldwide.

The Malay language edition of “Ultraman, The Ultra Power” contains elements that can undermine public order and morals, the home ministry, which is in charge of domestic security and censorship, said in a statement cited by Agence France Presse (AFP) on Friday, March 7.

“Ultraman is an idolized by many children,” and equating him with Allah will “confuse Muslim youth and damage their faith,” it added in a statement.

Ultraman is a fictional Japanese superhero who fights skyscraper-sized “Kaiju” (monsters), and first appeared on television in the 1960s.

The comic gained popularity worldwide, including in Malaysia, where versions dubbed in Malay were screened on TV and comic books translated into the national language.

The home ministry said other Ultraman comic books were unaffected and that only this edition is banned.

Problems surrounding the fictional comics started when an image was seen in this edition, which is available on social media, that describes Ultraman: “He is considered, and respected, as Allah or the Elder to all Ultra heroes.”

“The Ultraman character itself is not banned and only this edition is prohibited,” the ministry said.

Anyone caught distributing the book could be jailed three years, it warned.

Usually dubbed the "melting pot" of Asia for its potpourri of cultures, Malaysia has long been held up as a model of peaceful co-existence among its races and religions.

Malaysia has a population of nearly 26 millions, with Malays, mostly Muslims, making up nearly 60 percent.

The use of the word “Allah”, the Arabic word for God, in Christian publications in the local Malay language has been a controversial issue in Malaysia.

Last October, a court ruling banned a Catholic newspaper from using the term.

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/asia-pacific/470061-malaysia-bans-ultraman-comics.html

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