Ninth Church Vandalized in Malaysia as Tensions Rise Over Use of Word Allah

BANGKOK — A ninth church was vandalized Monday in Malaysia in a series of arson attacks that have raised religious tensions surrounding a dispute over the use of the word “Allah” by Christians in this mostly Muslim nation.


Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (C) leaves after visiting the torched Metro Tabernacle church in Desa Melawati in Kuala Lumpur, January 9, 2010. Arsonists in Malaysia struck another church on Saturday, bringing the attacks on churches to four in two days as a row escalates over the use of the word Allah to refer to the Christian God.

Though the Malaysia truly Asia PM is standing in front of this burnt out church looking baffled - his own government's policies have contributed to this - they have been confiscating bibles and harassing churches because of the use of the word Allah. But when the court overturned these actions - the people then responded by destroying the local churches.

“Allah” is the common term for God in Malay-language Bibles, but the government and many Muslim groups insist that the word should be reserved for use in Islam.

The attacks, which began on Friday, came after a court ruling on Dec. 31 that overturned a government ban on the use of “Allah” by Christians. That ruling has been stayed while the government appeals.

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