Police found broken glass near the wall outside the mosque in Kota Samarahan, about 40km from the main town of Kuching. It was the first mosque attacked in the recent violence against places of worship. (Photo: Reuters)
KUALA LUMPUR – A MOSQUE was vandalised in Sarawak on Saturday, threatening to deepen the row between Muslims and Christians over the ‘Allah’ controversy.
Police found broken glass near the wall outside the mosque in Kota Samarahan, about 40km from the main town of Kuching. It was the first mosque attacked in the recent violence against places of worship.
‘Don’t make any speculation. We are investigating this incident,’ deputy police chief Ismail Omar told the media. ‘The situation remains peaceful and no one should take advantage of this to create something bad.’
The trouble was touched off by a High Court ruling last month that allowed a Catholic newspaper, the Herald, to use Allah to refer to God.
Since then, 10 churches and a Sikh Gurdwara temple have been vandalised.
The latest church was vandalised on Friday night in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Its side windows were broken.
Malaysian police yet to determine if attack in Sarawak is linked to Allah issue
By Elizabeth Looi, Malaysia Correspondent, 17 January 2010.
[source: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_478464.html]