Malaysia: Three on Trial Over Firebombing of Christian Church

Asia news media are reporting on the trial of three individuals involved with the firebombing of a Christian church.

Channel News Asia reports that the trial began on July 6 at the Kuala Lumpar sessions court, and the three men were charged with firebombing the Metro Tabernacle church in January 2010.  It states that the three men on trial are Raja Muhd Faizal and Raja Muhd Idzham, and Azuwan Sahah Ahmad, and that they have been charged under “436 of the Penal Code for causing mischief with fire.”  Catholic Culture and Vatican News are also reporting on this story.  The Vatican News states “Fr Lawrence Andrew, Editor of the Catholic weekly Herald, believes that the men on trial did not act alone.”

A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)
A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)

See Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)’s January 8, 2010 posting on the initial church firebombings “Malaysian Churchs Firebombed,” as well as follow-up reports on attacks on Malaysia houses of worship, and other posts on Malaysia.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights, including Article 18 freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience — for all people – everywhere.  Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”  We support religious pluralism and tolerance around the world.

R.E.A.L. urges all people to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.

Malaysia charges three over Allah row church fires

BBC reports: “Prosecutors in Malaysia have charged three Muslim men with firebombing a church in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, earlier this month.”
— “They are the first suspects to appear in court in connection with a series of attacks on Christian places of worship.”
— The violence began when a High Court judge ruled that a Roman Catholic newspaper had the right to use the word Allah to refer to the Christian God.”
— “Up to 11 Christian churches have been attacked in the past three weeks.”
— “The men pleaded not guilty and were released on bail.”

A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)
A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)

Malaysian Churches Face Violence

Malaysian Churches Face Violence – Religious Groups Attacked Following Recent Court Ruling
— VOA
quotes Voice of the Martyrs Todd Nettleton: “If there is no freedom to change your religion—to change from being a Muslim to being a Christian—then there really isn’t freedom of religion.”

See also:

Malaysia: Another church vandalised in Malaysia — 11th church attacked

Malaysia: Sikhs target of ‘Allah’ attack

Malaysia: Lawyers’ office in Malaysia ‘Allah’ case ransacked

Malaysia: Fifth Church Attacked, Failed Attempt on Catholic Convent

Malaysia: Fourth church attacked in Malaysia as Allah row deepens

Malaysian Christian Churches Firebombed

“Malaysia: 52 Muslim couples in Mayalsia arrested by Islamic morality police”

70 Percent of Humanity Lives in Countries with High Religious Restrictions – 70 Percent of the Worst Countries are OIC Nations
— Malaysia in Top 5% of scores of nations denying religious freedom

Save Children Now: Nations Continue to Deny Children’s Universal Human Rights Based on Extremism
— Malaysia:
– “The Government of Malaysia accepts the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child but expresses reservations with respect to articles 1, 2, 7, 13, 14, 15, […], 28, [paragraph 1 (a)] 37, […] of the Convention and declares that the said provisions shall be applicable only if they are in conformity with the Constitution, national laws and national policies of the Government of Malaysia.”

Malaysia State Committee Head Says Muslim Men Entitled to Four Wives

Malaysia: Bibles Seized

Malaysia: Fifth Church Attacked, Failed Attempt on Catholic Convent

In Malaysia, Reuters reports that a fifth Christian church, All Saints Anglican church in Taiping, was attacked and outside walls blackened, and reports of a failed attempt to use a gasoline bomb on a Catholic convent.   R.E.A.L. has posted on the initial attacks on January 8 and the follow-up attack on January 9.

Reuters reports: “Would-be arsonists in mostly Muslim Malaysia struck at a convent school and a fifth church on Sunday while church leaders called for calm in a row over Christians’ use of the word “Allah” to refer to God.”
— “Police in the sleepy city of Taiping, around 300 km (185 miles) from the capital Kuala Lumpur, said a petrol bomb was thrown at the guard house of a Catholic convent school but failed to go off.”
— “They also said they had found several broken bottles including paint thinners outside one of the country’s oldest Anglican churches, All Saints, Taiping, and said one of the building’s walls had been blackened.”
— “On Sunday, Malaysians packed churches to listen to sermons of ‘reaching out in friendship to all, including Muslims’ and ‘keeping the peace in multi-religious Malaysia’ but many felt their religious rights were being trampled.”
— “Christians account for 9.1 percent of the 28 million population.”
— “Malaysia is mainly Muslim and Malay but there are sizable ethnic Chinese and Indian communities who mainly practice Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.”

Malaysian Christian Churches Firebombed

Malaysia: Fourth church attacked in Malaysia as Allah row deepens

A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)
A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati -- January 8, 2010 (Photo AP)

Malaysia: Fourth church attacked in Malaysia as Allah row deepens

Malaysia – Reuters: Fourth church attacked in Malaysia as Allah row deepens
— “In the latest attack on early Saturday, unidentified attackers flung a home-made petrol bomb at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in a suburb in Selangor state. The two-storey bungalow sustained minor damage, church officials said.”

Malaysian Christian Churches Firebombed

A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)
A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)

Malaysian Christian Churches Firebombed

Media reports have described the ongoing violence against Christian churches in Malaysia, reportedly over disputes over the use of the word “Allah,” with extremists claiming that Malaysian Christians have no right to use the Arabic word which simply translates to “God.”

AsiaNews reports that Christian churches have been attacked throughout Malaysia, “three Protestant and one Catholic church.”

The Catholic Herald Malaysia reported that the Catholic Church of Assumption in Petaling Jaya was attacked with a molotov cocktail while worshippers were inside.

The Herald reports that the “Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan confirmed the attacks, saying the first attack was by motorcyclists who threw a helmet filled with flammable liquid at the Metro Tabernacle Church in Desa Melawati, causing a fire that burned books and chairs near here, at midnight. Its administrative office was gutted in the attack.”

The Herald also reports that another attack “took place at the Life Chapel Church in Section 17, Petaling Jaya at 9am, where two Molotov cocktails, also thrown by a motorcyclist, exploded to blacken the walls of the porch and upper-story window of the two-story church building.”

The Herald further reports that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan “also confirmed that he has a received a phone call from an undisclosed church saying there have been threats against them.”

A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)
A Kuala Lumpur police officer inspects the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati,08 Jan 2010 (Photo AP)

Catholic Herald Malaysia Online: Muslim protests after Friday prayers following church attacks
— “Allah for Muslim Only” — protesters say issue must be brought before a Sharia court

Malaysia: Muslim protests after Friday prayers following church attacks  (Photo: Catholic Herald)
Malaysia: Muslim protests after Friday prayers following church attacks (Photo: Catholic Herald)

Media Reports:

AsiaNews.It: Malaysia: Four Christian churches attacked over controversy on the use of “Allah”

Catholic Herald Malaysia Online: IGP confirms three churches hit

Catholic Herald Malaysia Online: “KL church torched”

Voice of America: Malaysian Churches Firebombed in Dispute Over Use of Word ‘Allah’

Associated Press: 3 Malaysian churches attacked in ‘Allah’ dispute

UCAN News: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak ‘cannot stop’ planned ‘Allah’ protest

Christian Science Monitor: Three Malaysia churches firebombed as ‘Allah’ use tension mounts