Malaysia Pentecostal Church Forgives Arsonists

1/10/2010 Malaysia (BosNewsLife)– Worshipers of a Pentecostal church that was burned by suspected Islamic arsonists in a suburb of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur have forgiven those who destroyed their building, a senior pastor said Sunday, January 10.

“We have a congregation of about 1,700 who are Godly and forgiving,” said Reverend Ong Sek Lang of the Metro Tabernacle Assembly of God in Desa Melawati, which was nearly destroyed in an arson attack Friday, January 8.

Several other churches and Christian buildings have also been attacked in and around Kuala Lumpur, following a controversial court ruling allowing non-Muslims to use the word “Allah” for God, in this predominantly Islamic nation.

Pastor Ong Sek Lang said his congregation does not condone violent acts by Muslims to make their opinion heard, but “would forgive” those responsible. There are 333 Assembly of God churches in Malaysia, according to 2007 statistics.

PETROL BOMB

“There are witness reports two persons on a motorbike came near the entrance and hurled in something looking like a petrol bomb. Our church is 90 percent gutted (on the first floor),” said church spokesman Kevin Ang from the Metro Tabernacle Assembly of God.

BIBLE SEIZED

Church observers said the December 31 court ruling could also impact the shipment of Malay-language Bibles, 10,000 copies of which were recently seized by authorities because they translated God as Allah.