Christians defy church attacks

Thousands of Christians came out for weekly services today despite new attacks in an arson campaign that has sent tensions soaring.

Eight churches across the country have been fire-bombed or vandalised since Friday in an escalating row over the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims as a translation for the God.

Council of Churches secretary-general Hermen Shastri said Malaysia's Christians, who number 10 percent of a population of 27 million, were unbowed.

"I think that people's faith is greater than what's happening around so they continue to go to church and pray for themselves as well as for the nation," he told AFP.

Islamic groups have staged protests after a court ruling last week that gave a Catholic newspaper the right to print the word 'Allah', following a long dispute with the government over the issue.

Four churches and a Catholic convent school were targeted early today, police said, adding no one was injured.

Molotov cocktails were thrown at the All Saints Church and the school in Taiping, Perak, and a bottle of kerosene was found in another church nearby before Sunday services.

In two other minor incidents, black paint was hurled onto the window of a Baptist church in the central state of Malacca while stones were thrown at the windows of the Good Shepherd Church in Sarawak, according to police.

Confirming the fresh attacks, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the security situation remained under control.

Prayers for the nation

About 1,000 worshippers at the Catholic Church of the Assumption in Kuala Lumpur, one of four in the Klang Valley targeted by arsonists, were briefed by parish priest Phillips Muthu on the attack on their building.

"I told them we don't want to blame any people, any quarter, any religion. We are peaceful and we are here to offer our prayer for the nation," he told reporters at the church, where a fire bomb damaged part of the grounds.

"Of course, we are afraid after the incident, but life has to go on."

Joseph Kurup, deputy natural resources and environment minister, who was also at the church with his family, urged the Catholic community to remain calm and let the authorities investigate.

One worshipper who only wanted to be identified as Lee said reaction to the court ruling from sections of the Muslim community had been "quite shocking".

"But I think the majority of Malaysians are still peace-loving and we should have dialogue to resolve this," she said.

A police car was stationed outside the nearby Protestant Life Chapel Church, which had a Molotov cocktail thrown into its porch, and volunteers stood guard and checked worshippers' cars.

The 1,000-strong congregation of the Metro Tabernacle Church, the worst damaged in the attacks, moved its service to a hall at the MCA headquarters (left).

Prime Minister Najib Razak has called for calm and said the government will not tolerate any threat to racial harmony in the multicultural nation, which is home to large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.

Tensions were heightened last week when the High Court ruled in favour of the Catholic newspaper The Herald, which has been using 'Allah' as a translation for 'God' in its Malay-language section.

The government has argued the word should be used only by Muslims. The ruling in the newspaper's favour was suspended on Wednesday pending an appeal, after the government argued the decision could cause racial conflict.