Release International

Christians in Malaysia are stunned after a spate of unprecedented attacks on churches which followed a court ruling that a Christian newspaper could use the word 'Allah'.

Suspected Islamists attacked eight churches between January 8 and 11, in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Taiping, Melaka, Miri and Seremban. In four cases, firebombs were thrown. Although there were no reported injuries and most churches attacked suffered only minor damage, one floor of the Metro Tabernacle in Kuala Lumpur was completely gutted by fire.

The attacks have shocked Christians in a country where acts of violence on places of worship have no precedent. The raids attracted widespread condemnation, from church leaders, some moderate Muslims and leaders on both sides of the political divide.

The attacks followed a controversial High Court ruling on December 31 that a Christian newspaper had 'a constitutional right' to use the word 'Allah' for God in the Malay section of its multilingual newspaper. Many Muslim groups reacted with outrage, insisting that 'Allah' should only be used in the context of Islam. The Bible Society of Malaysia points out that the word 'Allah' has been used in biblical translations into Malay from the 17th century onwards – and is still widely used today.

Malaysia's Home Ministry filed an appeal against the High Court decision on January 4, prompting the courts to freeze the decision and refer the case to the Court of Appeal. Malaysia's population is about 60 per cent Muslim and only 9 per cent Christian.

Christians are reported to have turned out in strong numbers at church since the attacks. 'We see this as an opportunity to trust in the Lord and to revitalise our faith,' Sam Ang, Secretary-General of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, told Compass Direct.

(Sources: Assist News Service, Compass Direct)

• Praise God for the strong faith of Malaysian Christians in the face of these attacks.
• Pray that the attacks will actually lead to greater tolerance as people unite in condemning the violence.

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