"Jesus Is The Son Of Allah" Banners And Church Firebomb Attack. Who Is Responsible?

Two Sarawak politicians warned that a Molotov cocktail attack at a Penang church was "the beginning of things to come", with one saying the incident happened because of a "weak prime minister".

Outspoken Sarawak Land Development Minister Tan Sri James Masing
said the attack was worrying as it was clearly a warning to cow Christians into giving up their struggle in the "Allah" row. "I have said it before. The dark clouds are approaching and this is probably just the beginning. It is getting very worrying now with reports of such violence,” the Sarawak minister said of the latest acts of violence and provocation against Christians.

themalaysianinsider.com

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian was more biting in his reaction. "This is what you get when you have a weak prime minister".
He slammed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for being silent on the Allah row for a long spell, which far-right Malay groups and Umno members took advantage to fan religious intolerance.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad: "It was an irresponsible and very un-Islamic act. Every Muslim should condemn it and not allow these provocateurs to hijack the name of Islam and turn it into a religion of enmity and hatred".

themalaysianinsider.com

Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin: Hanipa, in calling the incident "wicked", said this was done by "irresponsible people" who were out to incite tension.

"I hope it is not a Muslim who did it. Islam does not condone nor allow any acts of provocation," he said.

An extra 250 policemen from Ipoh will now join increased patrols at churches and mosques in Penang after this morning's Molotov cocktail attack at the Church of the Assumption in George Town.

msn.com

Close to 300 policemen have started patrol duty outside churches and mosques after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a church in Lebuh Farquhar here on Monday.
Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi told FMT that the patrol duty would start at about 11pm until early morning to ensure no recurrence of such incidents.

freemalaysiatoday.com

He explained that police would aso work closely with the public to keep a close watch over churches and mosques and policemen from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have been placed at undisclosed locations.
“I can’t reveal the locations and not all officers and policemen would be in uniform,” he added.

freemalaysiatoday.com

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the additional police personnel will arrive from Ipoh as soon as possible, and the state will also determine the locations to install more closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) to boost surveillance.

themalaysianinsider.com

Penang police are hunting down two suspects in an arson attack on the Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar in Penang.

Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the 228-year-old church at about 1.30am yesterday.

The incident had Penang CPO Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Abdul Rahim Hanafi hot under the collar as tension was already running high over the use of the word Allah.

“I’m giving a strong warning to those trying to create tension.

“Don’t play with religion and cultural issues!” the outraged police chief said, his voice thundering at a press conference held at the southwest district police station here yesterday.

“We believe two men on a motorcycle committed the crime before fleeing the scene.

The Penang government will not bow to religious extremists and racial bigots, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng following this morning’s attack on a church in Lebuh Farquhar.

themalaysianinsider.com

"In this critical hour with shadowy extremists and racist forces conducting sustained aggression to destabilise the Penang state government, the 1.6 million Penangites must reaffirm the commitment for the past 200 years to protect, preserve and promote respect for cultural diversity, racial and religious harmony by rejecting both violence and hatred," he said in a statement today.

themalaysianinsider.com

“The Penang state government will neither bow down nor provoke retaliatory acts against religious extremists and racial bigots now laying siege to Penang but unite all to defeat their violence and hatred with the weapons of social justice and sustainable development,” he said in press statement here.

themalaymailonline.com

“The Penang state government will continue to work with all parties and the police to main public order and security,” he said.

“All Penangites are urged to remain calm and stand united against these racist and extremist groups so as to maintain peace and harmony,” the chief minister added.

themalaymailonline.com

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has appealed for calm following the Molotov cocktail attack on the Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar, George Town, Penang, today.

thesundaily.my

The Prime Minister said he will ask for action to be taken to combat any behaviour that can be deemed provocative and affect the peace between the various races and religions.

“As the Government, peace and harmony is our priority and we will do what we can to preserve it based on the rule of law.

“Any action to be taken must be done according to the rule of law. I hope that nobody will react hastily and make matters worse as it is up to the authorities to handle the situation,” Najib told reporters.

"It is time for us to stay calm and not to act rashly in any situation as this will be detrimental to the nation,".

thesundaily.my

Asked whether the authorities had not acted strictly enough, he said: “Let them investigate and take action accordingly, as we don’t know who were responsible for the provocative act.

“We can guess but it may be off-target. That is why I hope all quarters will remain calm and not react rashly in this matter.”

abnxcess.com

The Defence Ministry (Mindef) is ready to work closely with the police and the National Security Council to coordinate any action needed pertaining to the "Molotov cocktail" attack on a church in Penang early yesterday.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who viewed the matter seriously, said he saw the issue as a national polemic that would eventually translate into a more aggressive action.

themalaysianinsider.com

“We need to resolve it in a very prudent manner and I am confident the relevant authorities can do it, having handled this issue while I was with the Home Ministry previously,” he told reporters after attending the Armed Forces 2013 Sports Award Night at Wisma Perwira here yesterday night.

malaysiaedition.net

After earning blame for a number of recent protests in Penang, Umno sought today to distance itself from the latest report of violence in the northern state, this time involving a church.

themalaymailonline.com

In a statement here, Penang Umno chief Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman labelled the attack on The Church of the Assumption “violent and irresponsible” and urged for immediate action against the culprits by state police.

Zainal Abidin said Penang Umno is of the view that the ongoing tussle over the word “Allah” can be resolved through discussions and negotiation among all involved parties.

themalaymailonline.com

“Penang Umno hopes the police will investigate the incident quickly and bring those responsible to justice,” he said, adding that preventive action should also be taken to avoid similar incidents in the future.

The Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar has been attacked in the early morning after a controversial banner with the word "Allah" found outside the church on Sunday.

Only one of the petrol bombs exploded while the other fell on the grass, he said. The church has denied any knowledge of this and has lodged a police report.

Penang police chief SDCP Datuk Abdul Rahim said that two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the church compound at about 1.30am early Monday morning.
"Initial investigations showed that two men on a motorcycle committed the crime," he said in a press conference on Monday.

Christians went for Sunday mass in Penang yesterday and found banners which read "Allah is Great, Jesus is the son of Allah" outside several churches, at a time when the mercury is rising over the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

themalaysianinsider.com

A parishioner from the Church of the Assumption, John David said he saw the banner when he came for morning mass at 8.30am.

St John Britto Church chairman Michael Susay said he was clueless as to why his church was targeted.

The churches are - Immaculate Conception, Pulau Tikus, St John Britto Church, Sungai Pinang, Assumption Church, Farquhar Street, Victoria Lutheran Church, Island Glades and Church of the Navity in Butterworth.

The banners were taken down by church workers promptly.

malaysia-chronicle.com

Checks by Bernama in the areas concerned showed that the offending banners had been removed.

It is learnt that about 100 residents of Kampung Rawa in Sungai Pinang had gathered to watch the banner at the church in the area being taken down.

abnxcess.com

A Catholic priest has advised Christians not to react to a number of banners which read "Allah is Great, Jesus is the son of Allah" that appeared outside churches in Penang to prevent religious tension from rising.

themalaysianinsider.com

Father Victor Louis from the Church of the Nativity has denied that the church was responsible for it.

"There is no point reacting to this. We also do not want to play up this issue," he said.

themalaysianinsider.com

Ahmad Zahid said the banners were an attempt at "reverse psychology" by some people to provoke Christians who use Allah in their prayers.

themalaysianinsider.com

“I hope that leaders of NGOs (non-governmental organisations), be it Muslim or Christian, will remain calm. Don’t make this out to be such a big issue that it ends up becoming a real problem.

themalaysianinsider.com

“I urge any individuals, or associations or groups not to carry out such provocation. What is important is to create religious harmony,” he told reporters after the ministry’s monthly gathering.

themalaysianinsider.com

An earlier one read: "A few Penang churches upset at unknown parties for hanging up banners outside their churches. One of the churches have lodged a police report".

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng tweeted that some church leaders are upset with the banners.

"Spoken to Penang CPO who said will increase patrols around churches. The banners clearly intended to increase tensions between Muslims and Christians," said one of Lim's
tweets.

Penang Umno has also distanced themselves from the act with State Umno Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman urging police to investigate the matter.
"We condemn such irresponsible acts by any individuals or groups," he said when contacted by the media.

malaysia-chronicle.com

Jelutong Umno division chief Jasmin Noordin: “I believe certain individuals have deliberately created the provocation by hanging such banners at the church grounds to incite racial riots in this country,” he said when contacted, here, today.

abnxcess.com

"We do not wish to comment further. Let the police investigate thorougly and take stern action on the culprits.

"We suspect those mischief makers are trying to stroke racial and religious tension in the country," he said.

themalaysianinsider.com

Penang police have dismissed the involvement of churches in the state in relation to three banners depicting Jesus as the son of Allah which have sparked outrage amongst Muslims and Malay NGOs including Umno here.

State police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi said the police believe provocation was the motive of the placing of the banners by certain quarters here.
He added that police have stepped up security in various areas in the state, especially in the heart of George Town which has a total of about 40 churches.

freemalaysiatoday.com

“We doubt that the incident has nothing to do with the churches but was done by unscrupulous parties to spark provocation and racial tension,” he told reporters here today.

freemalaysiatoday.com

No one has so far come forward claiming responsibility for the banners, which sparked a flurry of police reports from church groups and political parties in the island state.

themalaysianinsider.com

Church of the Immaculate Conception parish council chairman Baldeev Singh, who lodged a report after removing the banner, said no one had seen the banner being put up next to the church’s main gate.

The Star reported that representatives from Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar and St John Britto in Jalan Sungai Pinang lodged reports following the incident.

themalaysianinsider.com

Penang Umno Youth vice-chief Jasmin Noor Din also lodged a police report over the matter, adding that the banners were put up by those who wanted to create religious strife.

It is also understood that Kampung Rawa mosque committee also lodged a police report over the matter.

Parish priest Father Victor Louis said he did not plan to lodge a report as he didn’t want to turn it into an issue.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng confirmed receiving the reports, adding that the matter was being investigated under the Sedition Act.

“We are studying the CCTV footage and patrols have been stepped up outside the churches,” he added.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said the matter is being investigated under the Sedition Act.

He called for public cooperation by providing information on the case to the nearest police station to facilitate the investigation.

malaysia-chronicle.com

Meanwhile, state Domestic Trade, Consumer Affairs and Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman, Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said he had not received any public complaint on the matter and that he only knew about it when contacted by the media.

abnxcess.com

Abdul Malik said he viewed the matter seriously and would ask for an immediate investigation before any untoward incident could happen due to the provocation.

abnxcess.com