Islamic ministry advises against writing Allah in Dhivehi

The Islamic Ministry has advised the press and social media users against writing Allah in the local language script.

“We have noticed that Dhivehi writings in news magazines and social media websites increasingly include the name of Allah written with the letters of Dhivehi alphabet.

“Such usage has been banned by Maldivian governments and scholars in the past,” the ministry said in a statement Wednesday addressed to TV and radio stations, websites, newspapers and Facebook users.

“Allah’s name must be written الله like this (or in an Arabic font) in Arabic letters. Similarly, the verses of Quran and Hadith must be written in Arabic.”