Security tightened as politicians condemn church attacks

Police and firemen outside the gutted Metro Tabernacle church.

UPDATED

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Police said they have stepped up security at all churches nationwide after one was firebombed and a failed attack on another church in the early hours of today amid a row over the use of the word “Allah” for the Christian God. Authorities are also bracing for nationwide protests by angry Muslim groups after Friday prayers.

The attack on the Metro Tabernacle church, part of a Pentecostal group called The Assemblies of God, gutted its administrative office on the ground floor. A Catholic church in Petaling Jaya also came under attack but the homemade device failed to explode. Police have yet to confirm reports of other churches being attacked.

"Since last night, I have instructed all patrol cars to patrol all church areas. We are monitoring all churches," Tan Sri Musa Hassan, Inspector-General of Police, told Reuters.

Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the two attacks were very disappointing, adding the police and society must take joint responsibility to ensure the incidents do not recur and affect the stability and security of the country.

"As Malaysians, we have to protect and ensure the freedom of worship as enacted in the Federal Constitution. We must always ensure harmony and good relations between races and those of different faiths," he said in a statement.

Both Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub have condemned the attacks.

"Despicable and cowardly. This is not my Malaysia," Khairy tweeted in his Twitter account before visiting the firebombed church in the leafy Desa Melawati suburb.

In a statement issued later, Khairy said the Barisan Nasional Youth strongly condemned the arson at the Metro Tabernacle church.

"Whatever feelings anyone has over the issue of 'Allah' being used by the Herald, the act of destroying a house of worship like this one last night cannot be defended.

"If there are Muslims who are responsible for this incident, they should be ashamed and repent their action as Islam itself asks its followers to respect the freedom of religion of non-Muslims," Khairy said.

Speaking to reporters outside the Metro Tabernacle church, Khairy said the organised protest by Muslim groups will only worsen an already intense situation following the arson.

He said though he personally backs the groups' right to express themselves, last night's arson attack has altered and exacerbated the situation further and pushed the “climate to the edge”.

Khairy also denied that the Barisan Nasional government was to be blamed for the current tension between Christians and Muslims while shrugging off accusations that Umno Youth was involved in the attack.

"We strongly condemn this attack," Salahuddin told The Malaysian Insider.

The Kubang Kerian MP said Islam does not allow its faithful to destroy houses of worship belonging to non-Muslims. "Even during war, those who seek sanctuary in houses of worship cannot be killed or the buildings itself destroyed."

Datuk Marina Mahathir, daughter of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, also condemned the attacks as unIslamic.

"I think what is most important on issues like this is the need for a leadership that is strong, unequivocal in telling how Malaysians particularly Muslims on how to behave," she said.

"The way we behave and what we say reflects our religion... we are supposed to behave kindly, speak gently as Muslims, that is what are called upon to," said a visibly upset Marina.

Albeit subtly, Marina seemed to point towards the Najib administration for the rising religious tension and questioned the absence of quality leadership in tackling the issue.

Marina, a social activist, said the attacks on the churches may be a result of anger caused by the court ruling but lambasted such sentiment as a contradiction to Islamic teachings of acceptance and peace.

A court ruling last week allowing Catholic newspaper the Herald to use "Allah" for the Christian God has been appealed by the government of the mainly Muslim nation of 28 million people.

The issue has threatened relations between the majority Malay Muslim population and the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian populations who practise a range of religions including Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. Christians — including about 800,000 Catholics — make up about 9 per cent of Malaysia's population. Malays, who account for around 60 per cent of the population, are by definition Muslims and are not allowed to convert.

Dominant Muslim groups are set to protest today against the ruling in the capital Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere in the country despite police warnings not to proceed.

"I have advised them to let this be handled by the court. I will take action against anyone who acts to jeopardise national security," said Musa.

Last night, the government's judiciary website was reportedly hacked amid growing anger over the court ruling.

Online news website The Malaysian Insider captured a screen shot of the defaced website which contained the warning "Allah only restricted to Muslim only".

Many churches in Malaysia are situated in residential or retail areas and often occupy a small lot.

"It is confirmed that Desa Melawati church was burnt, at about 12.25 in the morning. There were no fatalities. We are investigating the incident and suspect foul play," said Kuala Lumpur Chief Police Officer Mohammad Sabtu Osman.

According to 2007 statistics, there are 333 Assembly of God churches in Malaysia.

"There are witness reports two persons on a motorbike came near the entrance and hurled in something looking like a petrol bomb. Our church is 90 per cent gutted (on the first floor)," said church spokesman Kevin Ang from the Metro Tabernacle church.

It is illegal for non-Muslims to proselytise to Muslims although freedom of worship for the mainly Buddhist, Christian and Hindu religious minorities who make up 40 per cent of the population is guaranteed under the country's constitution.

Malaysia was rated as having "very high" government restrictions on religion in a recent survey by the Pew Forum, bracketing it with the likes of Iran and Egypt and it was the 9th most restrictive of 198 countries.

The use of "Allah" has been common among non-English-speaking Malaysian Christians in the Borneo island states of Sabah and Sarawak for decades and without any incident.

Meanwhile, some Catholic churches in the Klang Valley are reported to have cancelled masses today.