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| Southeast Asia |
| 3 on trial for church attack |
| 2010-07-07 |
| THREE Malaysian Muslims went on trial on Tuesday for allegedly torching a church during the height of a dispute over whether non-Muslims can use the word 'Allah' to refer to God. The firebombing of the church in this Muslim-majority country marked the start of an unprecedented string of assaults on places of worship in January following a court verdict that allowed Christians to use 'Allah' in their Malay-language publications. The attacks abated after authorities boosted security and warned of a crackdown on any attempt to harm decades of harmonious ties between ethnic Malay Muslims, who make up nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, and religious minorities, mainly ethnic Chinese and Indians who practice Buddhism, Christianity or Hinduism. Two brothers and their friend were charged earlier this year for starting a fire Jan 8 that partially gutted a Protestant church. It was the first and most serious of the attacks and vandalism on 11 churches, a Sikh temple, three mosques and two Muslim prayer rooms, most of which suffered only minor damage. Six people testified when the trial began at a Kuala Lumpur district court on Tuesday. Two said they saw a group of young men arrive at the church in motorcycles just before the fire began. 'I heard a commotion after I heard glass break. I saw fire,' said Mohammad Tarmizi Yaakob, a security guard working at a nearby building. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 the height of a dispute over whether non-Muslims can use the word 'Allah' to refer to God. Screw em. Who'd want to use the word Allan anyway. They'd better stop when then are ahead. There is always dickweed. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-07-07 10:04 |