The one thing I dread waking up to in the morning is bad news. This morning took the cake. Reading about two churches that got fire-bombed early today got me all riled up. The term “domestic terrorism” screamed loudly inside my head. Later, news came out that another church was also firebombed.
The Malaysian Insider reported that the Metro Tabernacle Church in Desa Melawati got hit first at midnight. Its administrative office was gutted in the fire. A molotov cocktail that was thrown into compound of the Church of Assumption in Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya at 4am. It did not break and explode. No damage was reported. At 9am, the Life Chapel Church in Section 17 in Petaling Jaya was attacked with two molotov cocktails that exploded and caused some damage to the porch.
In situations like this, I would be quick to point an accusing finger but somehow restrained myself from doing so. “No,” I told myself, this is not the work of people affiliated to any religion, certainly not Muslims, if the current controversy of the word “Allah” has to be dragged in anyhow.
No God-fearing person, no Allah-fearing person for that matter, would allow themselves to succumb to such destructive inclinations, especially to houses of worship, in the name of the Almighty. If they claim they are, they are liars. Seriously, would Allah sanction this? Would Allah encourage the sowing of fear through such acts of terrorism in His name?
I don’t know why they (whoever who decided to torch the Churches) must do that…. why can’t they react to this calmly?
I’m a Muslim and the name “Allah” is used by Christians and Jews in any Arabic-speaking country, and probably any other country whose language is heavily influenced by Arabic, as Malay is. In fact, in most English-speaking countries, some Muslims use the names Allah and God more or less interchangeably. This violence had no sanction in Islam and whoever organised or threw the petrol bombs should be punished severely.
Peter:
Thanks Matthew, for sharing an insight on this issue from your side of the world. I, too, hope that the perpetrators are caughts and dealth with severely to nip this extremism in the bud.
Frankly this nonsense is getting too much out of hand.